Hello from a rather hot Zambezi Valley, but before I forget and carry on with the rest of this newsletter a quick reminder that I will be at WTM so please email me for an appointment asap for a catch up or alternatively just stop in at the Zambia stand and say hi.

 OK, it is officially hot! It is past mid October and the 2008 season is very nearly over with only a few more weeks to run. The weather has turned and Zambia has experienced its first thunder storms, from Lusaka to the Luangwa but touch wood, so far we have been spared here in the Lower Zambezi and which is just as well as we still have much to do.

 This will be my last newsletter of the season although my end of year round up will follow in December I am sure.

 

What a season it has proven to be and some exciting sightings have happened since our last newsletter - where to begin ... ok how about the day before yesterday whereby our afternoon canoe trip down Waterbuck Island channel was treated to the three young male lions who have been harassing Douglas the pride male here. In one spectacular evening they witnessed the three usurpers-to-be attempt to lure Douglas into an ambush however Douglas was having none of it and after calling in two lionesses from the pride for reinforcement charged and chased them non-stop from what we call Friday's Corner all the way across Chiawa's dry riverbed - a distance of about 5km. Then throughout the night the opposing lions roared at each other from across the riverbed - no one slept a wink that night! The same folks that evening also got treated to more lions, this time hunting, and then a beautiful (but then aren't they all?) leopard drinking at a waterhole in the light of the moon.

 We really have been blessed with some spectacular action. Guests last night got to witness 14 lions laze about before stretching and heading off on the hunt, after which they found Douglas in all his glory looking to join his pride and after which they tracked down a skittish young leopard strangling an impala, thanks to the frantic alarm calls of impalas ... just another day at Chiawa!

                                                                       Cheryl

Cheryl from Australia witnessed and photographed from her tent this huge crocodile grabbing an adult buffalo out of a herd some 500 strong drinking and relaxing in front of camp. The buffalo dragged the croc around for a while before escaping. And then the next day parking under a beautiful leopardess lazing above us whilst watching the big pride frolicking in the late afternoon sun before offering us the piece de resistance for the day, two young lions climb high up into the branches of a shady tree and pose - where to point the camera? How about this fabulous leaping leopard shot ...?

                                                                                                        Graham

 Speaking of pointing cameras a small herd of about 8 elephants took up residence in camp for nearly 3 weeks, mums, babies and baby sitters. 

This is unusual for us where it is the huge bulls which tend to spend time in camp with us and it was cute to watch them, each day getting braver and closer, hoovering up all the seed pods between the tents, lounge and dining areas. One little chap brazenly ate pods from around our feet whilst his mother watched from a distance, contentedly munching away. Add to the drama Tag's pride of 4 lions "lying" in camp one evening, a leopard hunting monkeys during the night and you have as one guest said " a real in your face wildlife experience". And that's just in camp!

 With the hot weather has come the tiger fishing which has been nothing short of frantic. We have had some superb fly fishermen (& women) come through who have had some fabulous results with Thomas from Colorado catching (& releasing of course) 45 tigers in 3 hours one morning. We are seeing our guests spending more and more time on the water with the warmer days and the game viewing even in the mornings is excellent on the water at the moment, with lots of ele action and great birds - African skimmers, snipe and a multitude of herons.

 

 Some of you have asked for more news on the family - Scott who turns 3 in January started play school a few months ago and is already on his first half term. He is running, talking and doing what all 3 year olds do - keeping his parents and grandparents very busy! Lauren is 9 months old now and I think she is beautiful just like her Mummy. She isn't yet showing any signs of walking but she certainly gets her message across and seems to understand a lot of what we say. They both enjoy swimming in the camp plunge pool although Scott remains most interested in looking for anything that crawls, wriggles or slithers. 

Here he is attempting to touch a Bibron's spiny gecko that had hitched a ride onto the boat on one of our coolers. Lynsey's Mum who was visiting from Scotland at the time did not relish the thought of sharing the boat or her grandson with the gecko and asked for it to be placed back behind the bar where it belongs and where it does a fabulous job of zapping the occasional mosi (quito, not beer), spider or moth.

 

 Old Mondoro has also been having some fabulous game viewing with leopard, wild cat and serval coming up trumps but as usual it is the elephants that are the stars of that show - herewith an unusually good shot of an ele in an usual position thanks to Phil Collins who makes yet another appearance in our newsletter!

                                                                                                  Phill Collins

 As we look to the end of season we prepare for the inevitable renovations and this year will be one of our most ambitious off-season endeavours yet - knocking down our Classic Tents and replacing them with Superior Tents ... timber is coming in from Northern Zambia and Zimbabwe, the tents and fittings will come from South Africa and the furnishings and finishing touches will of course come from Zambia. We are quite confident that these new tents will be an improvement on our already spectacular Superior Tents and further cement Chiawa Camp's place as one of Africa's finest safari camps. We will keep you posted with progress as we go - our last guests of 2008 leave on Nov 11th after which works will commence.

 

Until next time,

 

Grant and the Chiawa Team

                                                                          Mark Pearson