WILDLIFE BLOG

I've been lucky to enjoy many amazing days on safari in the South Luangwa National Park. But there are still some which are most memorable and stick in the mind above all others. There was the day in August 2009 when I left camp early and soon after found a leopard who had killed an impala and was dragging it across a plain and up into a tree. From there, I found Wild Dogs hunting and [...]

Buffalo are one of the hardest subjects to photograph, being dark in colour, generally grumpy and not always beautiful to look at... So on a recent safari in Lower Zambezi National Park, I switched to black and white to see if I had any better luck!

African Scops Owls are beautiful little nocturnal carnivores, slightly larger than a man's fist. Their frog-like "prrr-up" call is heard across the bushvelt in Southern Africa, and with a bit of patience can lead you to a good sighting.

While the rest of the herd drank from the lagoon behind him, this buffalo bull kept a wary eye on us to make sure we didn't approach too close. By this time of year, when water sources are drying up, we find large herds of buffalo (sometimes more than 1500) searching for grazing opportunities. Taking refuge in a large herd offers protection from predators but makes getting enough to eat much harder!

While boating along the Zambezi River last month, we came across this group of bulls feeding on the reeds growing on the submerged sandbars. They didn't seem concerned by our approach and we managed to take some close-up photographs, but I preferred the earlier ones I had taken when their environment is more visible.

We were out one evening recently and were following a small group of bull elephants. Seeing that they were heading to the river, I hoped that they might cross the water. We set ourselves up and waited. Our patience was rewarded as they formed a tight bunch and moved out into the channel. Elephants usually wait until last light before crossing the river (I've not worked out exactly why) so it's always a treat to watch [...]

On an all-day safari to the north of the park, we spent much of the day trying to track down some Cookson's Wildebeest which can be found in the back-country away from the river. We didn't have much luck (despite lots of tracks) as there was still a lot of water in the many lagoons, so predicting their movements was tough. However, we did find a very healthy looking buffalo bull at one of the lagoons [...]

I found a troop of Vervet Monkeys feeding on Ebony fruits early in the morning. There were also baboons and impala on the ground below, enjoying the feast. Strangely, this female monkey was not feeding and merely sat grooming herself and keeping watch. She'll most likely be pregnant (births are usually in September) so she will need energy to feed the foetus.

We are lucky here that we enjoy regular leopard sightings. It's always easy to pick up the presence of leopard in an area, as there are plenty of signs, but it's hard to find them. The leopards of the Luangwa are secretive, just like all other leopards, but if you listen to the sounds, it's possible to track them down, and then they reward you by not running away! These two females were patrolling their areas, [...]

So overlooked and yet such a feature of the bush, the lowly impala is a joy to watch. This little group were licking soil at a natural salt-lick and looked up in unison as I passed. As a species, they so often tell us where there are predators, that we owe them some attention once in a while!