Coming Soon(ish) - Stretched to the limit - Mana Pools (Stretch Ferreira Safaris) and Hwange (Camp Hwange) - September 2022.

[Julian]

Returned a few days ago from Zimbabwe ( our first visit), spending a day at Victoria Falls ( we had been before on the Zambia side) then 5 days at Camp Hwange followed by  5 days at Stretch Ferriera Safaris ( previously Called Goliath Camp).

Now need to sort, reduce and edit the photos and videos, plus we always write reviews on Trip Advisor and detailed feedback to ATR ( who we always book with ), before I start the trip report. 
 

So how was it ?

 

Hwange - very good and even had a couple of firsts, but a bit disappointing overall.

 

Mana Pools - Ultimate closeup encounters with bull elephants, lions and wild dogs, walking with Stretch every morning and afternoon. A truly awesome experience which  matched and even exceeded all the hype we had read regarding Stretch, and we will hopefully return to there very soon.

 

Edited September 25, 2022 by Julian
Typo

[Whyone?]

Time spent with Stretch is never going to be dull!!!

[Julian]

My progress with sorting, editing photos has been a bit slow - too many jobs/ other things to do - and it is now even slower as I have Covid for the first time.

Add to that Christmas is not far away and its our turn to host family, so it will be after Christmas before I start this report.

 

However I'll post a few photos and video clips from the trip in the meantime:

 

[Youtube]

 

 

Sitting on the ground about 15 metres away from 8 lions feeeding on a carcass they just stolen from a pack of hyenas

 

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Julian

[Biko]

Woow, that all looks very scary. But I guess it was not…

[Julian]

1 hour ago, Biko said:

Woow, that all looks very scary. But I guess it was not…

@Biko

Actually, it was a bit scary, because none of us had ever been in quite this situation before, following Stretch into dense bush where a pride of lions were aggressively and very noisy feeding on a carcass they had just stolen. Every so often as they jostled for position a lion would notice a group of people had appeared and were watching them closely, and stare hard at us. Later that day we went back to the spot and there was nothing left, just a blood stain on the ground, but what we could then see clearly was just how close we had been sitting to where they were feeding - that was a more scary reality check.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Julian

[Kitsafari]

wow, in both situations, the ele and the lions would have heard my fast-thumping heart! amazing you all stayed calm.  

[Athene]

@Julian We also stayed at Stretch's camp in August but were guided by Doug Macdonald. I remember one morning when we came upon this pride of  8 lions in the open but heading towards the high grass. Doug informed Stretch and he came with his little group of guests. While we were trying to find the lions on the other side of the grass driving around, Stretch walked right into it with his guests. 

Having said that, we loved Goliath camp and the kind of guests we met there. Like @Whyone?said, time spent with Stretch is never dull.

[ElenaH]

We've been also this September in Mana and met Stretch after his guide shoot an elephant. Interestingly, that we passed that elephant cow with the baby an hour before and it was all ok. We just made a big circle around those ellies to avoid stressing the mother. Wenn we were heading back to the car we heard 5 shots and screaming elephant and then we saw Stretch walking on the road. He looked very worried. He was wondering why we were not scared to walk alone in the bush and on our questions about gun-shots he mentioned that ellie charged the guest and was shot by his guide. 

So, I don't know what to think about Stretch, to be honest. We thought that his group got too close to ellies. As we pased those ellies they even didn't notice us and were busy with feeding.

We heard that Stretch used to come too close to the animals. Well, I cannot confirm it becasue I wasn't with him on safari. But I am convinced that one must respect the comfortable zone (or flight-zone) of an animal. Perhaps, if a man has a gun than he has more courage.

On September 19th or 18th we heard a pride of lions making a lot of noise by a carcass near Chine pool and then saw them drinking together with hyenas!! There were 8 lions and about 5-7 hyenas. Perhaps, it was the same carcass, @Julian? We were wondering why lions tolerate hyenas by drinking so close to each other? But now I understand. Becasue the carcass belonged to hyenas and not other way around. who knows?

[Julian]

6 hours ago, ElenaH said:

We've been also this September in Mana and met Stretch after his guide shoot an elephant. Interestingly, that we passed that elephant cow with the baby an hour before and it was all ok. We just made a big circle around those ellies to avoid stressing the mother. Wenn we were heading back to the car we heard 5 shots and screaming elephant and then we saw Stretch walking on the road. He looked very worried. He was wondering why we were not scared to walk alone in the bush and on our questions about gun-shots he mentioned that ellie charged the guest and was shot by his guide. 

So, I don't know what to think about Stretch, to be honest. We thought that his group got too close to ellies. As we pased those ellies they even didn't notice us and were busy with feeding.

We heard that Stretch used to come too close to the animals. Well, I cannot confirm it becasue I wasn't with him on safari. But I am convinced that one must respect the comfortable zone (or flight-zone) of an animal. Perhaps, if a man has a gun than he has more courage.

On September 19th or 18th we heard a pride of lions making a lot of noise by a carcass near Chine pool and then saw them drinking together with hyenas!! There were 8 lions and about 5-7 hyenas. Perhaps, it was the same carcass, @Julian? We were wondering why lions tolerate hyenas by drinking so close to each other? But now I understand. Becasue the carcass belonged to hyenas and not other way around. who knows?

@ElenaH

with regard to the cow elephant being shot, Stretch never attempts to take any guests close to cow elephants- because he has always said they are unpredictable and too dangerous to go up close ( probably because of their instinct to protect their calves ). He only ever takes guests close to mature bull elephants, and even then he is extremely careful when doing this. I can only assume that guests were walking with one of his guides, and for some reason, the cow elephant, with her calf saw them as a big threat and charged at them from some considerable distance. It would have to be a considerable distance if multiple shots were fired , ie warning shots first before actually needing to target the elephant.
with regard to the lions , yes that was the same lions and hyenas near Chine Pool. Hyenas killed the animal, lions stole it within a few minutes and ate their fill, hyenas returned and ate the leftovers and all the bones and remainders, then they all drank at Chine Pool close to sunset.

[ElenaH]

22 hours ago, Julian said:

yes that was the same lions and hyenas near Chine Pool

 

I made a few photos of people by Chine Pool that evening. I assume, you are not here?

 

The green vehicle perhaps, looks like from Stretch safaris, they do have cars without doors. But I am not sure... 

The hyena is the same (there is no two but only a one hyena). I took pictures as she was running and then made a panorama, otherwise thee car will be cut. 

 

It was probably your last evening in Mana?

 

 

 

[Julian]

@ElenaH

None of those vehicles are the three vehicles that Stretch uses. We all got out of our vehicles and followed Stretch on to the bank where we sat down just the other side of the stream where the lions and hyena drank from. We had our sundowners sitting on the bank watching the lions who were resting about 25 metres away. This was the pool that only had water in the stream. It was our last evening. By the time we were sitting on the bank I think all the other vehicles had gone or were leaving.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Julian

[Atravelynn]

Clever title, and very fitting for the encounters you had.  Thank you for sharing these intense experiences.

[Julian]

A short video clip of when we walked up to the lions feeding. 

Turn the volume up.

 

[youtube]

[/youtube]

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by Julian

[ElenaH]

I remember that sound! We stayed in the car and didn't see much. But we heard it!  

[Galago]

Interesting clip at the beginning of the video where the Orange One, (not exactly a sensible bush colour), walks right in front of the other guests lenses, (just not done), and blocks someone's view. 

 

I know the feeling, we had spent all day tracking the eles in Zakouma, a herd that is exceptionally skittish and nervous. As the light was fading, we saw them from a very narrow- and tricky vantage point, where you could easily slide into the river and, of course, we were instructed not to make a single sound because they had detected us and were very nervous crossing the river. The two guests from hell stood, blocking the view for us three and, even though the guide tapped them on the shoulder, they were body/ lens blocking us. It was my second visit to Zakouma and, having not seen these famous eles first time around, I was thrilled we caught up with them this time, but those two ruined it. 

 

Shame you couldn't throw the Orange One to the lions! 

[Atravelynn]

Thank you for the intimate look at the lions' table manners.  Cool!

[Julian]

16 hours ago, Galago said:

Interesting clip at the beginning of the video where the Orange One, (not exactly a sensible bush colour), walks right in front of the other guests lenses, (just not done), and blocks someone's view. 

 

I know the feeling, we had spent all day tracking the eles in Zakouma, a herd that is exceptionally skittish and nervous. As the light was fading, we saw them from a very narrow- and tricky vantage point, where you could easily slide into the river and, of course, we were instructed not to make a single sound because they had detected us and were very nervous crossing the river. The two guests from hell stood, blocking the view for us three and, even though the guide tapped them on the shoulder, they were body/ lens blocking us. It was my second visit to Zakouma and, having not seen these famous eles first time around, I was thrilled we caught up with them this time, but those two ruined it. 

 

Shame you couldn't throw the Orange One to the lions! 

@Galago

The guy in the orange top was not one of our group. He appeared suddenly a few minutes after we were all sitting down in silence. As he walks along in front of us you can see it almost causes one lion to charge at him. Stretch is much more careful with how he gets the guests to get close and sit down. In most cases he will get us sitting down further away and then if the wildlife is still relaxed, he gets us to shuffle along the ground while remaining seated- one person first, then another, then the rest of us. Shuffling along the ground while you are sitting with camera equipment isn’t easy, but it’s necessary! He would never allow someone to be standing and then walk upright in front of the group- it’s obviously very dangerous. 

[offshorebirder]

On 12/9/2022 at 1:52 PM, Galago said:

Interesting clip at the beginning of the video where the Orange One, (not exactly a sensible bush colour), walks right in front of the other guests lenses, (just not done), and blocks someone's view. 

 

And he drew the attention of / disturbed two nervous lions.  One-man walking disaster.

[Atravelynn]

Blaze orange for a bush walk?  Sensible attire when in the woods during deer hunting season to alert other hunters you are human, but on a walking safari?  The orange one lacks both good sense and manners.

[Galago]

@offshorebirderand @Atravelynntoo right! But what I'm curious about is that the Orange One wasn't just a passer by, he'd have had a guide, so why didn't the guide deal with him? Or was he one of those who just climbed out of the vehicle anyway (yep, bin there, seen that - but at least the guide told him in no uncertain terms to get back in!)

 

Interested to hear the background @Julian!

[Julian]

44 minutes ago, Galago said:

@offshorebirderand @Atravelynntoo right! But what I'm curious about is that the Orange One wasn't just a passer by, he'd have had a guide, so why didn't the guide deal with him? Or was he one of those who just climbed out of the vehicle anyway (yep, bin there, seen that - but at least the guide told him in no uncertain terms to get back in!)

 

Interested to hear the background @Julian!

@Galago

he could just have been in his own vehicle with his wife/ partner/family. There are plenty of private vehicles in Mana Pools and therefore it’s quite likely there  was not  a guide with him. The commotion of the hyenas taking the prey , then the lions stealing it, in what was a busy area of the park on that morning, meant that there were quite a few vehicles at that sighting. By the time we had spent a few minutes there and were ready to leave there were a few other guides standing back behind us, as well as one guide with a group of guests who was waiting to move into our spot.

[Julian]

Making slow progress with sorting + editing photos, too many other jobs and other things that have to be done, dso in the meantime here are  a few more of our photos/videos :

 

Stretch takes one of the guests closer to Boswell . Watch Boswell breaking a thick branch with his teeth......

 

[youtube]

[/youtube]

 

 

A large bull elephant known by various names inclding Toothpick, Spike, and (possibly) Tusker , due to his right hand tusk being very straight and long , almost reaching to the ground. Sadly the tusk had almost all broken off not long before we saw him.

However he did eventually come very close to us while we sat on the ground in slence, touching several of us with his trunk.

 

This is him checking us out just beforwe he got really close:

 

[youtube]

[/youtube]

 

 

 

 

[Julian]

No description necessary:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Atravelynn]

Handstands!