Niyam's African Adventure (August 2013)

[Sangeeta]

I was also there in August, AP. Here are couple of the Katuma pride cub photos that my daughter took at the time - hope you don't mind me adding them here...

 

 

 

 

 

Same long grass - same Katisunga plains - same golden light - not the same camera but much the same excited kid Nina was 13 then.

Edited October 4, 2013 by Sangeeta

[pault]

Nice buffalo story (well not nice too, but you know what I mean) and in fact I like that the last post seemed to take a little more time to smell the roses, with its three mini-stories.

[Kitsafari]

Leeds isn't far from Liverpool and I have Sturridge in my fantasy team.... Just saying.

 

Still a great TR!

 

sorry, jumping on your TR, which is still so enjoyable...

 

@@africapurohit - liverpool vs tottenham dec 15 4pm - marking it down and mb mb i can catch the game?

 

@@Super LEEDS - dragging the hubby (leeds fan) along too if we do, and we'll do the tour of ER!

[africapurohit]

Love Love the ellie and child....well, all the others as well...

 

GREAT TR .. Niyam will have to make a book for

"show and tell"!

 

How many 5 year olds get this incredible experience, You are a fantastic dad!

Thanks @@graceland, I'm hoping to have photobook with story completed by January, so he can read it to his class. We spent quite a bit of time with that breeding and they were relaxed - unlike most of the others we came across.

 

@@Sangeeta thanks for the photos, has your daughter been bitten by the bug?

 

@@Kitsafari trust you to choose one of the big games! Availability of tickets for that game will be very tight, unless you'll get some via an official supporters club in Singapore. For the non-box office games, I should be able to get tickets so let me know when you and hubby are around in the UK.

Edited October 4, 2013 by africapurohit

[Safaridude]

I finally got around to reading this wonderful report in detail.

 

I am more intrigued about your description of Mkomazi... I am planning a visit.

 

It's also great to se youngsters like Niyam and MastZaminOz enjoying the great outdoors.

[africapurohit]

During Whiteman's first week in Katavi, he had five good leopard sightings. Three of the sightings were around the trees that are positioned at the edge of Katisunga and not too far from camp - but with the Katuma pride moving into the area, it was likely that the resident leopards had gone into hiding. He was very determined to find us a leopard, considering we hadn't seen one on this trip. We set off on our afternoon drive and came across another breeding herd of elephants. We noticed a very young calf, so gave them a wide berth. The herd was using the tracks but veered off to the side when they saw us. Then one of the adolescent bulls came back on the road and tried to intimidate us with a display of throwing sand, stamping and head shaking...

 

[TonyQ]

I really like the elephant sequence (did he intimidate you?) - and the baby looks so small and vulnerable

I also like the impala pictures - beautiful animals often ignored

[africapurohit]

It was quite comical actually, he was doing that for a few minutes until the matriarch told him to get a move on. I find it fascinating the way the "teenagers" always put themselves forward to protect younger siblings or cousins. My philosophy for this trip was to enjoy every creature great and small and it rubbed off on to Niyam.

[Sangeeta]

AP: Nina's certainly been bitten by the bug but she's not in the league of either Niyam or Master ZOz. She was a ripe old double-digit 10 on her first safari

 

But wanted to tell you guys about the sorts of things that are born from these trips. She called me from college a couple of weeks ago to say the chief of a Bots tribe was giving a talk and she was planning on attending. She came out of that talk both inspired and informed and thinking about a potential internship. I doubt she would have ever attended that talk if she didn't feel a sense of connection with Bots that grew out of her safari there. So we can all feel proud from time to time that we're raising kids who care about these things.

Edited October 4, 2013 by Sangeeta

[twaffle]

I love the story telling in your report, so many really interesting photos and experiences.

[AKR1]

AP: Nina's certainly been bitten by the bug but she's not in the league of either Niyam or Master ZOz. She was a ripe old double-digit 10 on her first safari

But wanted to tell you guys about the sorts of things that are born from these trips. She called me from college a couple of weeks ago to say the chief of a Bots tribe was giving a talk and she was planning on attending. She came out of that talk both inspired and informed and thinking about a potential internship. I doubt she would have ever attended that talk if she didn't feel a sense of connection with Bots that grew out of her safari there. So we can all feel proud from time to time that we're raising kids who care about these things.

My daughter was just a few months short of her 10th birthday at the time of her ( and my) first safari. She's still a few years from college but my son who is in college talks about Africa. So Sangeeta you are absolutely right, safaris can be life changing events for children. Niyam and ZOz Jr will probably own a safari company!

[graceland]

This is just great; love it!!

What a hilarious baby ellie....

 

Made my evening seeing this; I love a laugh.

[africapurohit]

The rest of the afternoon was spent along the banks of the Katuma River with aim of enjoying the late afternoon light by the river. Here are some of the images captured...........

 

Elephant heading to the river for a drink

Dagga boys feeding and drinking by the river

The crocs were reasonably relaxed, but if the vehicle got too close, they headed straight for the water

Two bulls facing off

Ground Hornbill

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Yellow-billed Stork

A spy!

African Wattled Lapwings

We then came across eight members of the Chada Pride lounging on a sand bank of the river. They were heading towards Katisunga, allowing us the opportunity to get closer to them over the next few days. They looked very healthy and in better condition than the Katuma Pride.

 

[pault]

We've still got a few more days to go right? I really hope so. Enjoyed this latest afternoon update, although the lions look so inactive but awake I suspect we are not yet at the end of the day.

[africapurohit]

@@pault this is the end of Day 2 in Katavi, so another 16 days of the trip still to come - expect a December/January conclusion . I could cut short my 10 days in Northern Serengeti, as @@PCNW did a great job of covering it in her trip report, around the same time I was there.

 

...............Waiting for @@Safari Cal type backlash

Edited October 7, 2013 by africapurohit

[Game Warden]

See those warning points under your avatar pic @@africapurohit?

[pault]

@@pault this is the end of Day 2 in Katavi, so another 16 days of the trip still to come - expect a December/January conclusion . I could cut short my 10 days in Northern Serengeti, as @@PCNW did a great job of covering it in her trip report, around the same time I was there.

 

...............Waiting for @@Safari Cal type backlash

Oi!!!

 

Wait no longer.

 

Very good news - I thought we had plenty of Katavi time left, but wasn't sure.

[pedro maia]

 

 

I must say Matt has a point here...

Edited December 18, 2018 by wilddog

[pedro maia]

@@africapurohit, what a great trip report, enjoying a lot.

[africapurohit]

The plan for our third day in Katavi was to visit the Paradise area. We set off for a full-day drive (with a packed lunch), and considering we would be out for around 10-12 hours, it was a chance to truly test another of Niyam's new found abilities. During the first 10 days of the trip he refused all opportunities for a "bush stop". The guides and I were surprised Niyam had such good bladder control, that he could wait until we always returned to camp. Mornings in Katavi were much cooler than Mkomazi or Tarangire, so Niyam had some new headwear that also offered protection against tsetse flies during the mornings. His new hat seemed to be a hit with the ladies and during our time in Katavi and Serengeti I had four requests from female passengers in passing vehicles asking to take a photo of Niyam wearing his hat . Our main tsetse repellant was the smoke from burning elephant dung at the back of the vehicle. This deterred the flies from following the vehicle, and invading when you stopped for a sighting, making photography much easier. Only dry elephant dung was suitable for this task and even Niyam became good at spotting good quality "fuel" as we were driving along (fresh dung contained too much moisture). Today Whiteman offered Niyam the chance to be co-pilot, which he happily took.

 

Niyam's new hat

Niyam co-piloting

Our "smoking" ride

Soon after leaving camp, it was apparent that the Katuma Pride had left the immediate area but we did find a Tawny Eagle that had just killed a Helmeted Guineafowl. It was 11 days in and this was Niyam's first experience of a kill or act of predation.

 

[africapurohit]

We left the eagle to have breakfast in peace and stopped to watch a bachelor herd of impalas participating in multiple sparring sessions. Always good entertainment.......

 

Edited October 7, 2013 by africapurohit

[twaffle]

Love that hat!

[graceland]

Niyam needs his own blog; he is too darn cute.. I'd take him on safari anytime...but I guess all the ladies say that

[africapurohit]

We continued our journey to Paradise but as we were passing the Ikuu hippo pool, Niyam asked if we could stop to watch the hippos again - and so we did. Here are some images from our morning........

 

Crested Barbet

Grey-backed Fiscal

Olfactory explosion!

Yellow-billed Oxpeckers

Spur-winged Lapwing

Cry of the African Fish Eagle

Katavi was great for viewing hippo activity during the day time

In Katavi I went through a "phase" where I was obsessed with photographing baby vervet monkeys - it lasted a few days and poor Whitman put up with it. I had to stop for every baby vervet we saw - it was my way of dealing with the absence of the two babies I had left at home

The aptly named Paradise is a true oasis in the middle of almost desert-like surroundings. It is nourished by the Paradise Springs and the Kapapa River that flows through the palm tree woodlands.

 

Niyam and Whiteman getting ready for lunch

[twaffle]

What beautiful birds, lovely collection.