Old Mondoro Newsletter Aug. 2007

Greetings from Old Mondoro!

The safari season is well on the way and promises to be yet another groundbreaking year with more and more nature lovers visiting this secluded small camp on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River. Not only visiting for the wildlife, but to feel and experience a part of Africa that is so unique and special, that it makes for a safari that is truly among the best Africa has to offer.

Old Mondoro underwent some small improvements this year to make your stay even more relaxed and comfortable. The dining was enlarged and sports a new front wooden viewing deck that makes it more spacious, of course still leaving enough space for the elephants to pass between the dining tent and the river (in fact, so close that you can touch them!!). Every tent also has a new small wooden veranda with deck chairs if you want to sit outside and take in the picturesque views of the river landscape and to do some game viewing and bird watching…from the comfort of your tent!

Canoeing

To add to the best walking you can wish to do inside the park, and the spectacular albida woodland floodplains with big herds of elephant and buffalo, you can now explore the islands and channels in the Mondoro area by canoe. There is no better way to truly take in the environment than walking or to silently glide downstream in a canoe observing nature in all its forms. There are small channels just out of camp which makes it perfect for birding(you might just spot a Ethiopian Snipe) and viewing the animals grazing the islands and mainland, and of course the elephants drinking and swimming the cool Zambezi waters…all with the escarpment hills as background…bring out the cameras! Our experienced canoe guide, Levi Faroa, will make your trip a safe and memorable one with his passion and knowledge of the area.

Walking, mating lions…and Honeybadgers

Game viewing has been excellent, both on foot and on the day/night drives. On a recent morning walk with walking guide Steve, after listening to the thunderous roars of the resident lions close to camp, the walking party cut the tracks about 1km north from camp and started on a 3 hour zig- zagging lion trail…with hearts beating faster than usual!! They found a mating pair of lions relaxing in the Chakwenga river bed, when the lions spotted the walkers the lioness got up and ran towards them, entering the bush about 20m from the walkers with some defensive growls…hearts now beating even faster!!…The male trotted up the river bank and watched, giving the guest a good look at him, a second male appeared out of the wild sage, also showing that he is indeed king of the beast… what an experience to see these magnificent cats on foot after tracking and working to find them. Later, on a night drive we found the same lions, and were fortunate enough to watch them mating 4 times, right in the open on top of the Chakwenga plains.

Honeybadgers, one of the most interesting and rewarding animals to see at Old Mondoro also made themselves visible during walks on more than one occasion and the sightings on foot are extra rewarding, being so engrossed in finding food, the little devils don’t spot you and it makes for some good behaviour study.

Kudu bull, a leopard kill…and lions

Now, this is bizarre. In the open mahogany woodland about 2km behind camp 3 lions was spotted, 2 males and a lioness. They found an impala carcass that must have dropped out of a tree were a leopard have been feeding on it, and were having a tug of war over who’s getting what from the little remains that was left. The lioness was in oestrus and the male mating with her at the time had his hands (claws and teeth) full in keeping his food and at the same time keeping his girl from wondering of with another male… a lot of action indeed (Flehmen and fighting)!! Not far from there a group of kudus spotted the lions and a big bull gave the alarm bark, they slowly walked away from the danger. The lions in the meantime finished the impala and started walking towards were the kudus was, about 200m away. They killed a waterbuck the previous day (this is another story of 2 male lions rolling in the mud and getting filthy, fighting over waterbuck meat), then the impala, so they had full bulging stomachs… all of a sudden all hell broke lose… the two male lions fired like a arrow out of a bow and within 40m had a enormous adult kudu bull by the neck, wrestling it down to the ground in a cloud of dust!!! This all happening mid morning! Now, why the kudu did not respond after the first alarm calls, remains a mystery, he was fit, healthy and in good condition (maybe he was blind to let himself be caught by two overfed male lions, ha, ha). The two males were later joined by the lioness and another male for the feast of fine meat...

For those of you wondering about the 3 small lion cubs we had in the area at the start of the season, sad news, they are nowhere to be seen and we can only speculate that one of the male lions killed them or hyenas got hold of them.

Wildlife& Game viewing

We also have a 3 month old leopard cub that was spotted on a morning drive with a male and female leopard close to the Chakwenga river bed behind camp. Then we had the Southern Yellowbilled Hornbill sightings (2), not supposed to be in the park according to distribution data, but after seeing photo evidence we can add the species to the bird list. Like the previous seasons there are good quality sightings of Sharpe’s Grysbok and Serval on the night drives. Species like Kudu and Burchell’s Zebra (which are more abundant and easier to see in the Old Mondoro area of the park) are on the increase and especially Kudu calves are everywhere to be seen.

Big herds of elephants (up to a hundred plus) cross the Jeki plains walking from feeding grounds in the escarpment to the dambo’s and the Zambezi River to drink, bath and cool down.

So far it’s been a very exciting and busy safari season with a good number of return guests (friends) in camp, me and Helen really enjoy seeing great people back in camp after being here for 4 seasons and once more sharing with them the excitement of their previous and present safaris with us. I’m recovering very well after my accident (just missing the guiding terribly) and will be in camp with Helen, helping out until the end of the season when the Zambezi valley heat will force - (Yes, I will be leaving against my will!!) me back to South Africa. Helen and I call Old Mondoro home, so please come and visit us at the best home in the world…

Regards and best wishes:

Old Mondoro, the only bushcamp in the Lower Zambezi National Park, ZAMBIA

Roelof, Helen & the OM team!

Previous Newsletters from Old Mondoro