Kwando Lagoon/Lebala June/July 2014

[madaboutcheetah]

Time for some giraffe ........

[Safaridude]

The coats of the Muvumbis are reminiscent of the "golden pack" of dogs at Vumbura (and previously at Kwara)!

[madaboutcheetah]

The coats of the Muvumbis are reminiscent of the "golden pack" of dogs at Vumbura (and previously at Kwara)!

 

I hear the current alpha female of the pack that's denning at Kwara is an almost pale/albino color.......

[Soukous]

beautiful dogs pix Hari

[SSF556]

Interlude: A little bit about the two camps at the moment ........... Lebala is currently managed by Leso; apparently he was at Nxai Pan and LK before this (First time I've met him) - He was with WS prior at Vumbura and someplace else ....... He is a bright, energetic gentleman who realizes the Kwando ethos and goes out of his way to ensure that the guests have a great experience. Kudos ............ It was a fantastic time!!! My friends thought Lebala was the best of the 4 camps they visited too. The food at Lebala was very good. Same menus as the other camps I suppose - but, chef Hoitsi really can cook!!! Menus pretty much the same as the last two years I think - very good safari food as the menus feature a lot of fresh veggies these days.

 

All that said, the concession in general is missing the likes of Lebo and Charles (who have always been part of the furniture at either Lagoon or Lebala) ........ They are currently at Kwara and LK respectively (I suppose those camps need really good camp management at the moment more so ) ......... Atleast I got to see Charles at the airstrip in Kwara. For some reason, camp atmosphere to me is part of the Kwando ethos/tradition and the managers/guides/staff have a huge role to play WRT this ......

 

Lagoon at the moment lacks camp atmosphere and the management was quite rough around the edges ......... Everything seemed to be a big huff and a puff - Lack of interest or Just a bad week, perhaps? who knows ........... Certainly very patchy - but, I still had a good time.

 

Agree on Lagoon....of the 3 camps we went to it was the one we felt a little disconnected...we actually thought in order of camp feel it was...

 

Tau Pan

 

Little Kwara

 

Lagoon

[SSF556]

also did I miss the pangolin? : )

[madaboutcheetah]

also did I miss the pangolin? : )

 

Not sure what you meant? ....... If you meant my pictures ....... I haven't edited them yet. I have tons of editing to go - will get to it later in the week.

 

Was your trip recent too?

[SSF556]

 

also did I miss the pangolin? : )

 

Not sure what you meant? ....... If you meant my pictures ....... I haven't edited them yet. I have tons of editing to go - will get to it later in the week.

 

Was your trip recent too?

I figured the pangolin picture is in the stack of pictures...I was at the 3 camps above in Feb.

[madaboutcheetah]

More Love to Lebala .......... This segment is "Quintessentially Lebala"

 

In the dry season, Elephants move through camp every day like clock-work around or just after brunch time; The famous dead leadwood in white plains by the airstrip; Sunset by the boundary with Selinda with those scenes of the palm trees; what's left of the famous Baobab tree (last year was super dry and those Elephants destroyed half of the tree which has been a very famous land mark in Lebala land)

Edited July 14, 2014 by madaboutcheetah

[Soukous]

You reallu have got the silhouette and sunset bug Hari. Lovely images.

[PCNW]

Great images Hari, really enjoying your report. I was/am on a silhouette and sunset roll also. Love them.

[Soukous]

I'm starting to get worried Hari. Post #113 and still waiting for the cheetahs

[johnkok]

... The Muvumbis are also clumsy hunters - who depend on the Lagoon girls to do the hunting...... It appears that the males are warthog specialists as they seem to sniff around warthog burrows all over the place.

I can attest to this. While we were there (April-May 2014) we watched the pack go after warthogs with the males mostly hanging back (useless buggers). Then there was this one occasion the pack stumbled upon a lone hyena and all hell broke loose. While the girls really gave the hyena something to remember, I recall seeing at least one of the males always standing off to the side.

 

The Guides and trackers at Lagoon speak of one of the females with much fondness and respect as "the best hunter"; the boys, not so much :-)

[wilddog]

I'm starting to get worried Hari. Post #113 and still waiting for the cheetahs

Try page 2 @Soukous

[madaboutcheetah]

 

... The Muvumbis are also clumsy hunters - who depend on the Lagoon girls to do the hunting...... It appears that the males are warthog specialists as they seem to sniff around warthog burrows all over the place.

I can attest to this. While we were there (April-May 2014) we watched the pack go after warthogs with the males mostly hanging back (useless buggers). Then there was this one occasion the pack stumbled upon a lone hyena and all hell broke loose. While the girls really gave the hyena something to remember, I recall seeing at least one of the males always standing off to the side.

 

The Guides and trackers at Lagoon speak of one of the females with much fondness and respect as "the best hunter"; the boys, not so much :-)

 

 

One day we saw two females flush a youngish impala in the direction of the males and they just stood there "watching" ..... useless buggers, indeed. Atleast, the males went sniffing at the burrows (same day).

 

Another day, we left the pack (dark and they went into the woodland) - we set up drinks at "wild dog Pan" - a few minutes later we see one female chase a female kudu right past us ..........

[madaboutcheetah]

I'm starting to get worried Hari. Post #113 and still waiting for the cheetahs

 

 

Sorry - been caught up with work last two days ..... Will edit a few tonight.

[madaboutcheetah]

Interlude:

 

The reason this report is all over the place with no continuity, but, rather some random bits and pieces ........ is that, I don't download my cards end of each day like most people do. I'm pretty paranoid of losing my files - I only download all my cards when I get home. Re-use the cards for the next trip when I've backed my work up....... this also allows me to enjoy a normal time in camp interacting with staff/guides/managers/interesting safaristas etc etc., instead of running around with stuff to do in camp (with cheetah i'm out most day anyways unless they sleep off a full belly) ........ Point being - I edit images not in sequence

 

You'll have to bear with me - this report isn't of the style of some stellar reports here on safaritalk.

Edited July 15, 2014 by madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

At Lagoon - a female Leopard and cub are show stoppers in recent times. I had a very good afternoon with them - yet, when my friends arrived from Tau Pan to Lagoon we were off following the cheetah. Now just when it was time for us to leave Lagoon for Lebala - pressure, pressure, pressure ..... We had to find the duo for them!

 

Would you believe it - we did find them. They were in the most unphotogenic swamp amidst tall grasses that can hide an Elephant. How Spencer and Mr.Moe were able to track them down - I still am in disbelief. Here is an image or two that I was able to come up with after the most frustrating afternoon.(later on - I learnt from other guests that one of the days after we left, they were able to get the perfect sunset with the duo on a dead leadwood tree..... go figure)

 

Other images of the two in a different setting still need to be edited (you know how that goes...... )

Edited July 15, 2014 by madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

On our final morning in Lagoon - We had to make one last ditch effort to see if the 3 cheetah boys had returned from Muvumbi ......... We were to drive to a few central marking posts(Termite mounds; camel thorn trees) of theirs to see if there were any signs of fresh tracks ...... We bumped into a couple of Hyena in super light. A few of them ran away when they heard our vehicle - but, a couple of them posed for the camera and we realized that they were probably taking off with the remains of a buffalo .........

 

Re the 3 Cheetah brothers - I had no energy or patience to return to Muvumbi after last year's trips out there (Phew! - that's harsh territory). I certainly wasn't going to put my friends through that

[Marks]

Those lions...interesting subjects indeed!

The rightmost wild dog in the first picture is a serious contender for the "Least Painted" award (still handsome, of course).

[madaboutcheetah]

At Lagoon - Tssesebe at their day spa. I've only ever seen shy/skittish ones at Lagoon, so I consider this a very special sighting. After my last trip to the Masai Mara - I'm totally into Topi/Tssesebe and hopefully one day will see other sub-species......

[Soukous]

Lovely reflections with the Tsessebe by the water's edge

[madaboutcheetah]

Tssesebe spa - Part Deux (for the life of me, I cannot remember which pan it is) ...... My bad .....

[graceland]

No matter what you are discussing species wise, what a day at the spa for them!

 

I saw my first in TZ last year and Moli was very excited so I assumed something special

 

I am one who is happy seeing every and all -

 

esp. if not sleeping.

 

Love the reflective photos, Hari.

Edited December 18, 2018 by wilddog

[Zim Girl]

Wonderful Tssesebe pictures by the pan.

 

The two in picture 3 of post 125 look like they are doing some kind of synchronised yoga!