Mana Magic and Hwange Highlights

[Zim Girl]

@@Big_Dog

 

I can't give you any more insight, but each of the 3 times we saw the dogs (Vundu Pack) in Mana this year they had just killed baboon. I don't remember my guide saying there was anything particularly strange in them killing baboons, other than the coincidence of finding them on a baboon kill 3 times in a row.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Zim Girl

[Zim Girl]

@@michael-ibk

 

Pleased you were able to track and find the dogs. They do have this really annoying habit of lying in the shade of trees - no thought for the photographer at all !!!

[TonyQ]

I am delighted that you found your dogs, and such a big group

[Big_Dog]

@@Zim Girl - Really interesting, thanks. Don't think i've ever read a record of wild dogs succesfully predating baboon until this. Quite exceptional!

[michael-ibk]

It was almost noon when we got back to camp, but we didn´t feel the heat that much today - after all, we had found the dogs, and we were too busy feeling happy to mind the scorching sun.

 

After another delicious lunch we spent the afternoon under our "siesta tree", very comfy on our beds which staff had carried out for us. Living like God in France Zim, as the saying goes in German.

 

A few more from Mucheni 1:

 

 

Our view. Not bad. Not bad at all. If only those lodge-atrocities on the Zambian side wouldn´t be there ...

 

 

Our tents were exactly the same as in Chitake.

 

 

Water was of course not as much of an issue here as in Chitake, but we were kinda used to operate quite economically with it by now. Get dirty, stay dirty!

 

 

Interestingly, the thing which fascinated my non-safari-friends back home the most was the long-drop toilet which takes sand, and I would get all kinds of questions about it (which I won´t repeat here.) and had to promise to take pictures of it.

 

 

Our very posh lunch, dinner and lounge area:

 

 

Best siesta place in the world!

 

 

Elephants were constantly around, even if no one was as polite as Big Vic the day before and came up to say "Hello".

 

 

 

With the number of big game around, elephants always close, hippos wandering through at times, Buffaloes a possibility and Lions to think of, it was a good thing that Doug would always, non-stop, restlessly be alert, would watch vigilantly and make sure that no harm could befall us.

 

Our guardian angel:

 

 

[michael-ibk]

For the afternoon Doug had very definite plans: Go find the lions again, have them come down to drink, and then see the Hyenas swoosh in at the Zebra carcass leftovers.

On the way to the Zebra we saw one single scavenger. Hyenas were a constant presence in Mana Pools, we would often hear them at night, but we would almost never see them during the day, and if we did they would be very shy. So I apologise to @@Big_Dog and @@Marks about the relative lack of Hyena pictures in this report. Sorry Gentlemen, I swear, we did try our best.



Would the lions still be there? Wouldn´t the Zebra be long gone? When I thought of the Kudu in Chitake I was quite sure that not one single morsel of flesh could be left by now.



"Find the lions again".



And surprisingly, there was still quite a bit left, and the lions were having fun with their banquet.

"Are you pulling my leg there?"

Although it couldn´t have been fun anymore for the lions. They were all so full that they were all panting, and eating seemed to be a very strenous affair.



But exactly like me when there´s Lasagna on the menu, they just couldn´t - and wouldn´t - stop.



Everybody loves gnawing ribs!















This was the initial trick, but the second follows quick! Edited November 20, 2015 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

We left the lions at their zebrafest and walked out to the fringe of the woodlands to sit a bit and watch the plains. And who did we find?

 

 

Boswell & friends.

 

 

Of course Boswell would play tricks again, but his familiy didn´t seem to be very impressed, he was only getting a bored "Oh my, he´s doing it AGAIN" reaction from them.

 

 

Friendly chap that he is, he would of course come over to greet us.

 

 

Interestingly, one of his lady friends seemed to have become very fond of her personal walking stick.

 

 

 

Lots of animals out there. You rarely see animal masses in Southern Africa like in the Mara, but the flood plains come quite close.

 

 

 

Suddenly peace was over - they all became very alert and looked at ...

[michael-ibk]

... one of the lionesses who had enough of blood and gore and was obviously very thirsty and heading straight for a small pool - or puddle, rather.

 

The Zebras didn´t like this intruder one bit!

 

 

We just walked after her, kept a respectful distance of course, until she settled down and we approached as closely as Doug would still deem safe.

 

 

I asked if I could get down on her level which Doug allowed. So I got down from the small ridge we were on and lay flat on my belly to take a few pictures of her. She looked straight at me for a few seconds, and that is certainly one of my "Magic Mana Moments" I will never forget.

 

 

She drank fast and seemed to be much more relaxed when she wandered off to the river.

 

[Big Andy]

I know that moment when they stare straight at you, you really feel alive and will never forget it. Something to treasure when you're in the rocking chair.

[Big_Dog]

Only a single hyaena!? I can strike Mana Pools from the dream list!
Kidding of course. Hopefully Hwange may make up for it. Though various authors have mentioned hyaenas aren't as confident or active in day than night except for the Mara (and are also vulnerable to heat stress) so it's understandable.
The lion photos are very nice, what great luck they brought down a zebra in such a pretty place!

[michael-ibk]

"Here come the others", Doug said, and indeed, the rest of the pride was stumbling, more like rolling out from the woodlands.

It was already pretty dusky by now. The setting sun, the few last golden rays of sun shimmering through the trees, the lions walking out, the Zebras just watching, seemingly paralyzed - it´s one of my perfect memories from this trip.

 

Even if they had wanted to, with their full bellies the lions would have been totally incapable of attacking. Did the Zebras realize that? Did they just want to check where exactly their nemesis was heading?

 

I had to think of the Zebra mother who had lost her offspring yesterday. We had heard her loud, sad whinnies after the kill for a long time. "They grieve. They do that." Doug assured us.

 

The Zebras decided that they were too close for comfort and repositioned themselves.

 

And the lions were coming straight at us!

 

The little ones would have made perfect bowling balls.

 

The looks they are giving you when you are just standing there ... so close ... not in the protected setting of a car ... wow, I remember how defenseless, how "naked" I felt.

 

[michael-ibk]

At first they were parading through the flood plains. The way Lions - and Tigers - move is so very special, so unlike the more careful way of other predators, it says "This is our kingdom, and we do as we please here."

 

 

 

 

And then - Trick Two: "Have the lions come down to drink".

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2015 by michael-ibk

[Soukous]

It just gets better and better @michael-ibk

 

I'm with you 100%, Lasagne beats rotting zebra any day

[michael-ibk]

In many ways, this was the most beautiful lion sighting I´ve ever had. Sapi was the most thrilling one, of course - but this was so intimate, felt so personal, again we had the feeling (or wonderful illusion rather), that they trusted us, that they would allow us to share these family moments with them. It felt ... pure.

 

But haven´t I forgotten something?

 

Trick Three. "See the Hyenas swoosh in".

 

 

Yes, of course they were there now, with the lions and the sun gone. Doug told me to try to approach very, very carefully to get closer, and I felt very "Bushman"-like when I´d use the trees for cover.

 

 

 

But as mentioned, they are very shy here, and as soon as they made us they were off.

 

 

We celebrated with sundowners (cold beer this time, not the standard G&T), and the rising moon ended this perfect day.

 

 

Dinner time was interesting again. As @@Big Andy has already told in his report a hippo decided to take a nap straight in front of our tent and we would have to go in from the backside.

Edited November 20, 2015 by michael-ibk

[Zim Girl]

@@michael-ibk

 

What an amazing afternoon!

 

Lions on the kill. Boswell handstanding again. Watching the lioness at the pool. Love the golden pictures of the lion and zebra. Then seeing the whole pride drinking, and hyenas to finish.

Brilliant moon shot at the end.

[screentraveller]

the lion familiy having their zebrameal looked so peaceful

[Big_Dog]

The sunset makes the photos glorious. Wonderful colours.
Good to see the hyaenas, even if so briefly!

[xelas]

@@michael-ibk

 

Excellent job under tough conditions, both for lions and for hyenas shots.

[madaboutcheetah]

Michael, the light looks phenomenal ......... Eye level with Lions, Wow!!!

[Alexander33]

Just a lovely set of posts, Michael. A beautiful afternoon and a beautifully written description of your experience, from the zebras grieving to your feeling of helplessness on the ground in the face of lions. And then there's that "pregnant" cub. Adorable little glutton!

[Atravelynn]

Zebrafest is right. Cool shots of the lions on the zebra. From a zebra perspective your low angle zebra approaching shot is lovely.

 

Nice hyena shots and video from the Bushman. The hyenas finally came on the scene for you. That elephant with walking stick is hilarious. Maybe she had itchy gums.

[wilddog]

What a fantastic day @@michael-ibk Doug obviously in great predictive form. Superb all around.

 

How close did you get to the hyebas? difficult to tell with the photographs.

[TonyQ]

What a brilliant afternoon - the lions approaching and walking pastwaswonderful. I love the very round cub.

You catch the light beautifully

[Africalover]

Great stuff, absolutely enjoying it. I have to do Mana one day. Thanks.

[Marks]

So I apologise to @@Big_Dog and @@Marks about the relative lack of Hyena pictures in this report. Sorry Gentlemen, I swear, we did try our best.

Haha, rest assured, you delivered with that video of the hyenas. Even as they quickly run off, it's a nice chance to appreciate their distinct, loping gait.

 

The zebras kicking up dust at dusk (there's a mouthful) make for a beautiful scene, too.

Edited November 21, 2015 by Marks