The Dogs of Danger Mountain: Return to Gorongosa - October 2022

[Pictus Safaris]

Day 5:

 

This morning our drive took a route that will be familiar to many who visit Gorongosa, heading through the two expansive sodic areas to the east of Wild Camp, through the dense bush around routes 2, 6 and 8, all the way up to Lake Urema and Paradise Pan. It didn't take long before we had audio of baboons barking near the first sodic area, and there were fresh tracks on the road from two lionesses and two cubs - very likely the same small pride we had already encountered. The unhappy baboons were not too far away and, given the total lack of vegetation, a quick off-road session offered us the chance to get a little closer. Unfortunately, the bush closed in on us before we could reach whatever had caused the baboons to get up on the wrong side of bed this morning, so we returned to the main track and continued on, hoping to bump into lions or 'mabecos', as wild dogs are known locally, as we went.

 

The bulk of the drive, though, was fairly quiet, minus the diverse supporting cast we had already enjoyed many times over. As always, Paradise Pan was a no-brainer for a check-in once we had reached the floodplains, and we were instantly rewarded with an elephant bull emerging from the vegetation on the far side of the pan. A truly handsome guy, this gentleman was in musth and was keen to show off - what followed was a truly special sighting of the bull rolling in the muddy shallows of the pan, grumbling away and, eventually, wandering up to us to have a close inspection. He was, of course, curious more than anything and, after enjoying his very close attentions for a few moments, we gave him some space to go about his day. By the sounds of it, the vehicle that arrived just as we left got a slightly sterner examination.

 

 

 

Rather than loop back as we had done previously, this morning we took my very favourite route in the park, via the Hippo House. Like the Lion House, the Hippo House is abandoned but offers lovely views of the tail end of Lake Urema, complete with, you guessed it, hippos, a few crocs and plenty of birdlife. A moment of hilarity ensued when a grey foam-nest tree frog mistook Richard for a tree and circumnavigated him a few times, and this was overall a lovely and peaceful stop - until a chopper dropped in to say hi. The game count team stopped by to pick up some fuel that had been dropped for them near the lakeshore, and we had the chance to have a brief but lovely chat with them. Most interestingly, they reported seeing a herd of 380 buffalo in the far SE of the park - a number far higher than the population re-introduced here, so it is thought these guys moved in naturally from Marromeu. They were too far for us to drive to, but lovely to hear of nonetheless.

 

We then headed east along the channel on route 11, which is by far the quietest corner of the park, and is very rarely visited at this time of year. The road was slightly overgrown and covered in fresh elephant sign - clearly this is where they'd been hanging out. The route was quiet in terms of game, waterbuck and nyala aside, and the absence of pelicans was notable on the channel after my last visit, although we had seen a significant number passing overhead in recent days. A fresh aardvark burrow was the highlight before we emerged onto the colonial-era road that passes through this section of the park, complete with Portuguese-built bridges. This section of the park is a good bet for hartebeest and sable, but by now it was hot, and a trip north to the 'pontoon' yielded only dwarf mongoose and little bee-eaters.

 

On our return south, by now at midday, we diverted across to the lovely Sable Pan (another location used by Wild Camp), in the hopes of spotting the eponymous antelope. Besides spooking a lizard buzzard and a heap of bushbuck and waterbuck, it looked like we were to leave empty-handed from the pan, until we spotted an unfamiliar shape making its way between the pan and some welcome shade - a spotted hyena. Now, we've all seen hyenas before, but it's still special to locate any species when you know they are freshly re-introduced, and there are only four in the park. This male, the only male hyena in the park, was a little skittish and, after a few minutes, we left him to enjoy the limited shade available to him. Unexpectedly, the hyenas have all gone their separate ways since their introduction, and their tracks were commonly seen on top of both dog and lion tracks across the core area of the park during our stay. Needless to say, this sighting was a great way to end our morning drive.

 

 

Our afternoon drive began with stunning views of Narina trogon before we had even left camp, and the birding theme continued as we spent a good portion of our time in the sodic areas near camp admiring southern carmine bee-eaters and european bee-eaters - always a privilege. Mammal-wise this was perhaps to be our quietest drive of the trip, with four vehicles all in the core area of the park (which is about as busy as the park gets) and all of them struggling for game.

 

 

As is so often the case, the radio crackled to life only once we had begun to set up for sundowners. The two male lions had been seen just a few hundred metres away - we were on the move, pinot grigio forgotten for now, swiftly. It took just a few minutes to spot the other vehicle pulling away from the sighting, and the next 45 minutes were spent sat quietly with the two dominant boys in this area. Named after a local beer due to their propensity to pass out as if drunk, these guys were true to form tonight, not moving a muscle until it was completely dark. But, as always, it was a real highlight to spend the evening in the rarified air of these lovely animals.

 

 

 

We only moved on when we absolutely had to and dinner was calling, and we were amused to see that the other three vehicles had driven past a pride of two lionesses and two cubs a few hundred yards down the road. We had them under spotlight for a few moments until the remaining vehicles arrived, at which point one of the lionesses took exception and moved away into the bush. Unfortunately, one of the guides decided to drive off in pursuit of the lioness, and the pride scattered - a bit of a shame to see such poor bushcraft, but I would stress that 99% of the guiding in Gorongosa is excellent, and tonight was an aberration rather than the rule.

 

The remainder of the drive was short, as we were close to camp, but still allowed us the chance to spot civet, genet and white-tailed mongoose.

[Pictus Safaris]

Day 7:

 

Today was probably the longest of the entire tour - but will likely be the shortest report. I tend only to take photos with clients' permission at extended sightings, and today we would be leaving the park entirely, as wildlife-viewing was not our focus, so apologies in advance for the lack of visual aids.

 

It was mountain day! The rough plan for the day was to meander out through the remote north-west of the park, eventually reaching the EN1, which would take us first to the coffee processing factory in Gorongosa Village, and then on to the coffee plantations themselves high up on Mt Gorongosa. Given the rich history of the mountain, the scenery, the birding and the chance to understand more about the coffee project, which is arguably the most impressive element of the Carr Foundation's community engagement programmes, a visit to the mountain is in our opinion a 'must' for anyone visiting the park. However, it is worth knowing that a visit is a full-on day (up to 7 hours in the vehicle total).

 

Our morning drive was surprisingly productive, taking us to an open woodland area of the park only really visited by those visiting the mountain. We saw our first blue monkey and slender mongoose of the tour on this drive, and plenty of Lichtenstein's hartebeest, common wildebeest and Natal red duiker. As we reached the buffer zone, it became clear that an uncontrolled burn had come through in the last few days, which meant some of the game-viewing was muted, aside from yet more Narina trogons. After just over an hour we reached the park gate, and we immediately began to drive through small villages thereafter - the friendly greetings you get here are wonderful, and remarkable given how recently conflict has been a real issue here. Eventually, we arrived onto the paved EN1, which is in terrible shape, which we followed to Gorongosa Village, the beating heart of this area.

 

It is here that all the processing and sorting of the coffee that has been picked on the mountain is done. The amount of produce sorted here is quite remarkable, which we were able to get a sense of, despite there not being any processing being done as it was a Sunday. If you are particularly keen to see the process in full-flow, be sure to visit during the working week. Impressively, Gorongosa coffee is now truly a worldwide brand, and many of the beans coming through there are now exported to markets including the US, Canada and the UK. Having had Gorongosa coffee in the UK, I can assure you that nothing beats the real thing just a few miles from where it was picked though!

 

After spending half an hour or so in Gorongosa Village, we continued to the mountain itself. The road, as one might expect, deteriorates significantly and gets very steep in parts as it snakes its way up the mountain. About halfway up, you re-enter Gorongosa National Park, as this is now an integral part of the park, albeit within an exclave. It is worth being aware that there remains some controversy and upset in the local community about how this part of the park was gazetted, which is a complex discussion I won't dwell on here. One of the key drivers for protecting the mountain is that almost all of the water in Gorongosa comes from the mountain and, as we were told many times during our stay, there is little point restoring the main park without protecting the waters it relies upon.

 

Far up the mountain, so far you can see where the most recent RENAMO camp (used until the mid-2010s) and the birding site visited by those seeking green-headed oriole a few hundred metres higher up, you reach the epicentre of Gorongosa's coffee operation on the mountain. Here, coffee beans are collected after being taken from the small plantations scattered across the mountain and prepared for transfer down the mountain to the village. The normally stunning views from here were obscured today by the smoke from Malawi (for those who don't know, Malawi is struggling for power after cyclone damage to their main hydro-electric dam, which has greatly increased the amount of burning this year), which was a shame, but the mountain remained a humbling and beautiful place to be.

 

Lunch was taken next to one of the many coffee plantations on the mountain, in the cool shade of the trees which the coffee plants rely on - all of which have been provided by the national park. The breeze and cool water of the nearby streams were both very welcome as it was sweltering down at the main park - for those visiting earlier in the season, there are some waterfalls that are worth a visit too, although they are largely dry in October.

 

Shortly after lunch, we returned down the mountain, pausing to bird en route. The highlight in that regard was excellent viewing of a pair of Livingstone's turacos, but the general diversity of birdlife here was quite impressive. Nothing particularly special, with the near-endemic found higher up in the undisturbed forest, but a rewarding way to spend an hour or so without a doubt. Our return to the EN1 meant a long and painful drive to the main gate, where we connected with the graded road to Chitengo. 

 

By now, heads were beginning to loll as fatigue set in after a long day, but all were at attention about midway along the road when we finally got a view of our first herd of sable of the trip. Usually, very easy to find, they had given us the run-around this week. Good views were brief as the herd of a dozen or so scattered once we pulled to a stop. Our return route to camp saw us head back through Sanctuary with the aim of spotting leopard or buffalo - alas, we had no luck, but again the ungulate volume and diversity was stunning.

 

Dinner in camp was swiftly followed by a beeline for bed for most, but one client and I wandered down towards the pan to see what wildlife might be doing the rounds. I'm glad we did! Not only did we disturb about ten bushpig in the pan, a marsh mongoose and a civet, we also enjoyed prolonged views of another spotted-necked otter, this time with a youngster in tow. The otter population seems to be doing well here, and just a few weeks before our visit, an African clawless otter was seen near the main lake for the first time in many years. A lovely sighting after a long day!

 

Apologies for the lack of photos today - here's a preview of the following morning...

 

 

[Pictus Safaris]

Day 8:

 

Our final day in Gorongosa had sadly arrived, and our plan for today was to focus on lions this morning, and to make a final effort for the dogs this afternoon. Our hopes for a lion sighting were high as the audio the previous night was particularly loud, and the tracks of the two males were just a few yards away from camp. Based on the alarm calls around the pan next to camp, we suspected they had come for a drink about half an hour before our wake-up call, so we headed directly to the first sodic area on the other side of the pan.

 

A careful comb of the area saw us leave empty-handed, and we continued on to the second sodic area about half a km further on - again, no dice. No tracks had crossed the roads that bisect these areas, so we returned to our first spot close to camp for a second try. This time, it didn't take too long before we spotted a lioness drinking from one of the very few muddy puddles left in this part of the park. This was the same lioness we had seen as a part of the pride of five a couple of times during our stay, and we followed her at a distance for a few moments. Despite being collared, she was fairly skittish, but led us directly to the rest of the pride, all slumped in the shade of the smallest bush for miles.

 

What followed was a charming half an hour spent in the company of these three lionesses and two cubs. Periodically, the adults stood and stared intently towards camp, and audio made us suspect that the males were nearby too, but they remained out of sight. What a lovely way to start our last day in the park.

 

 

 

Once it became clear the lions were well and truly flat cat, we continued on in a northerly direction, hoping to get some sense of where the dogs were hanging out. Outside of the usual cast of ungulates, the drive didn't produce any other marquee sightings, taking us to a long pan that was teeming with waterbuck, impala and bushbuck. We enjoyed a coffee here, and a quick survey of the trails around the pan indicated the dogs had visited the water this morning before heading off into the thick block to the east. A brief walk into the block led to quite a cacophony from the local baboons, and we hoped that the dogs might return to the water this evening. We formulated a plan to return here this evening and stake-out this likely spot for the dogs.

 

Our afternoon drive followed a similar pattern as our morning drive, first stopping off near camp to pay a final visit to the lions, who were healf-heartedly stalking warthogs despite the heat.

 

 

Eventually, they disappeared into the bush, and we continued on to the 'dog spot', where we enjoyed prolonged sundowners and waited for the dogs to appear. Alas, they ultimately failed to keep their appointment, but we were compensated with superb views of a lone bull elephant at the far end of the pan, who took to chasing waterbuck away before settling in for a quick drink. As the light faded, we made our way back to the main floodplain, and stopped off at a drying pan en route, where we spooked a first for us of the trip - a breeding herd of elephant. Six elephants gave us the typical reaction associated with Gorongosa elephants, with lots of ground-scraping, ear-flapping, grumbling and trumpeting. Given a wide berth, they slowly made their way away from the pan and melted away into the bush. A real privilege to book-end our drive.

 

We had one final surprise in store for the clients, with a bush dinner atop the Lion House. Great food and company was enjoyed, and finding ourselves at a location deeply embedded within 'safari history' was a unique experience not lost on anyone. We chatted about the superb sightings over the last week, and of course the dogs were the highlight for most. We touched on some of our misses - some were expected, like leopard, and some were very odd. In particular, we were perplexed at the lack of sightings of porcupine, despite their relative abundance here. Still, it seemed strange to dwell on misses after a great week, and this was a wonderful way to end our stay.

 

However, someone must have been listening in, as the short drive back to camp was brought to an abrupt, skidding halt, as a porcupine burst out of a bush next to the road and dived under the front wheels of the car. Luckily, we avoided a collision and great views of this rodent were had by all. Gorongosa never fails to surprise!

 

Day 9:

 

Our return to Chitengo, and then Beira, went smoothly today. A bit of birding en route offered sightings of a few species, most notably good views of scarlet-chested sunbird, and we ticked off a few mammals on the way out of the park including nyala, bushbuck, impala, waterbuck and hundreds of baboon. 

 

All in all, this was a hugely successful and enjoyable trip, and we are already looking forward to being back in 2023. We recorded 40 mammal species and 156 bird species during the tour, which is not bad at all given Gorongosa remains an ecosystem still undergoing restoration.

 

Mammal List – 40 species

 

Species	Scientific Name	Location(s)*
Carnivora – 13 species
Marsh Mongoose	Atilax paludinosus	GNP
African Civet	Civettictis civetta	GNP
Spotted Hyena	Crocuta crocuta	GNP
Common Genet	Genetta genetta	GNP
Common Dwarf Mongoose	Helogale parvula	GNP
Common Slender Mongoose	Herpestes sanguineus	GNP
Spotted-Necked Otter	Hydrictis maculicollis	GNP
White-Tailed Mongoose	Ichneumia albicauda	GNP
Serval	Leptailurus serval
African Wild Dog	Lycaon pictus	GNP
Banded Mongoose	Mungos mungo	GNP
Lion	Panthera leo	GNP
Pale Fox	Vulpes pallida
Cetartiodactyla – 14 species
Impala	Aepyceros melampus	GNP
(Lichtenstein’s) Hartebeest	Alcelaphus buselaphus	GNP
Natal Red Duiker	Cephalophus natalensis	GNP
Common Wildebeest	Connochaetes taurinus	GNP
Hippopotamus	Hippopotamus amphibius	GNP
Sable Antelope	Hippotragus niger	GNP
(Common) Waterbuck	Kobus ellipsiprymnus	GNP
Oribi	Ourebia ourebi	GNP
Common Warthog	Phacochoerus africanus	GNP
Bushpig	Potamochoerus larvatus	GNP
Southern Reedbuck	Redunca arundinum	GNP
Nyala	Tragelaphus angasii	GNP
Bushbuck	Tragelaphus scriptus	GNP
Greater Kudu	Tragelaphus strepsiceros	GNP
Chiroptera – 5 species
Banana Serotine	Afronycteris nanus	GNP
Little Free-Tailed Bat	Chaerephon pumilus	GNP
Angolan Mops Bat	Mops condylurus	GNP
Schlieffen’s Bat	Nycticeinops schlieffeni	GNP
African Yellow Bat	Scotophilus dinganii	GNP
Eulipotyphla – 1 species
Unidentified Shrew Species	Crocidura sp.	GNP
Lagomorpha – 1 species
African Savanna Hare	Lepus victoriae	GNP
Primates – 4 species
Blue Monkey	Cercopithecus mitis	GNP
Vervet Monkey	Chlorocebus pygerythrus	GNP
Southern Lesser Galago	Galago moholi	GNP
Chacma Baboon	Papio ursinus	GNP
Proboscidea – 1 species
African Savanna Elephant	Loxodonta africana	GNP
Rodentia – 1 species
Cape Porcupine	Hystrix africaeaustralis	GNP

^{*B – Beira, I – Inchope, GNP – Gorongosa National Park, MG – Mt Gorongosa}

 

Bird List – 156 species

 

Species	Scientific Name	Location(s)*
Accipitriformes – 21 species
Little Sparrowhawk	Accipiter minullus	GNP, MG
Tawny Eagle	Aquila rapax	GNP
African Hawk-Eagle	Aquila spilogaster	GNP, MG
Wahlberg’s Eagle	Aquila wahlbergi	GNP
Brown Snake-Eagle	Circaetus cinereus	GNP
Southern Banded Snake-Eagle	Circaetus fasciolatus	GNP
Black-Chested Snake-Eagle	Circaetus pectoralis	GNP
African Marsh-Harrier	Circus ranivorus	B
Palm-Nut Vulture	Gypohierax angolensis	GNP
White-Backed Vulture	Gyps africanus	GNP
African Fish Eagle	Haliaeetus vocifer	GNP
Wahlberg’s Eagle	Hieraaetus wahlbergi	GNP
Lizard Buzzard	Kaupifalco monogrammicus	GNP
Long-Crested Eagle	Lophaetus occipitalis	I
Gabar Goshawk	Micronisus gabar	GNP
Yellow-Billed Kite	Milvus aegyptius	B, I, GNP, MG
Hooded Vulture	Necrosyrtes monachus	GNP
Martial Eagle	Polemaetus bellicosus	GNP
Gymnogene	Polyboroides typus	GNP
Bateleur	Terathopius ecaudatus	GNP
White-Headed Vulture	Trigonoceps occipitalis	GNP
Anseriformes – 3 species
Egyptian Goose	Alopochen aegyptiaca	GNP
White-Faced Whistling Duck	Dendrocygna viduata	GNP
Spur-Winged Goose	Plectropterus gambensis	GNP
Bucerotiformes – 5 species
Southern Ground Hornbill	Bucorvus leadbeateri	GNP
Trumpeter Hornbill	Bycanistes bucinator	GNP
African Grey Hornbill	Lophoceros nasutus	GNP
Green Woodhoopoe	Phoeniculus purpureus	GNP
Crowned Hornbill	Tockus alboterminatus	GNP
Caprimulgiformes – 3 species
Little Swift	Apus affinis	B, GNP
Fiery-Necked Nightjar	Caprimulgus pectoralis	GNP
African Palm-Swift	Cypsiurus parvus	GNP
Charadriiformes – 13 species
Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	GNP
African Jacana	Actophilornis africanus	GNP
Water Thick-Knee	Burhinus vermiculatus	GNP
Curlew Sandpiper	Calidris ferruginea	GNP
Whiskered Tern	Chlidonias hybrida	GNP
Collared Pratincole	Glareola pratincola	GNP
Black-Winged Stilt	Himantopus himantopus	GNP
Pied Avocet	Recurvirostra avosetta	GNP
African Skimmer	Rynchops flavirostris	GNP
Kurrichane Buttonquail	Turnix sylvaticus	GNP
Blacksmith Lapwing	Vanellus armatus	GNP
Senegal Lapwing	Vanellus lugubris	GNP
African Wattled Lapwing	Vanellus senegallus	GNP
Ciconiiformes – 5 species
African Openbill	Anastomus lamelligerus	GNP
African Woollyneck	Ciconia microscelis	GNP
Saddle-Billed Stork	Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis	GNP
Marabou	Leptoptilos crumenifer	I, GNP
Yellow-Billed Stork	Mycteria ibis	GNP
Coliiformes – 1 species
Red-Faced Mousebird	Urocolius indicus	GNP, MG
Columbiformes – 4 species
Rock Dove	Columba livia	B
Laughing Dove	Spilopelia senegalensis	GNP
Ring-Necked Dove	Streptopelia capicola	GNP
Emerald-Spotted Wood Dove	Turtur chalcospilos	GNP
Coraciiformes – 8 species
Lilac-Breasted Roller	Coracias caudatus	GNP
Broad-Billed Roller	Eurystomus glaucurus	GNP, MG
Brown-Hooded Kingfisher	Halcyon albiventris	GNP
Striped KIngfisher	Halcyon chelicuti	GNP
Grey-Headed Kingfisher	Halycon leucocephala	GNP
European Bee-Eater	Merops apiaster	GNP
Southern Carmine Bee-Eater	Merops nubicoides	GNP
Little Bee-Eater	Merops pusillus	I, GNP
Cuculiformes – 5 species
Black Coucal	Centropus grillii	GNP
Senegal Coucal	Centropus senegalensis	GNP
White-Browed Coucal	Centropus superciliosus	GNP
Green Malkoha	Ceuthmochares aereus	GNP
Red-Chested Cuckoo	Cuculus solitarius	I
Falconiformes – 2 species
Red-Necked Falcon	Falco chicquera	GNP
Dickinson’s Kestrel	Falco dickinsoni	GNP
Galliformes – 4 species
Crested Francolin	Dendroperdix sephaena	GNP
Crested Guineafowl	Guttera edouardi	GNP
Helmeted Guineafowl	Numida meleagris	GNP
Red-Necked Spurfowl	Pternistis afer	GNP
Gruiformes – 2 species
Grey-Crowned Crane	Balearica regulorum	GNP
Black Crake	Zapornia flavirostra	GNP
Musophagiformes – 2 species
Grey Go-Away Bird	Corythaixoides concolor	GNP
Livingstone’s Turaco	Tauraco livingstonii	MG
Otidiformes – 1 species
Black-Bellied Bustard	Lissotis melanogaster	GNP
Passeriformes –  57 species
Plain-Backed Sunbird	Anthreptes reichenowi	MG
African Pipit	Anthus cinnamomeus	GNP
Pale Batis	Batis soror	GNP
Red-Billed Oxpecker	Buphagus erythrorhynchus	GNP
Grey-Backed Camaroptera	Camaroptera brevicaudata	GNP
White-Browed Scrub-Robin	Cercotrichas leucophrys	GNP
Bearded Scrub-Robin	Cercotrichas quadrivirgata	GNP
Scarlet-Chested Sunbird	Chalcomitra senegalensis	I
Yellow-Bellied Greenbul	Chlorocichla flaviventris	GNP
Collared Palm-Thrush	Cichladusa arquata	GNP
White-Bellied Sunbird	Cinnyris talatala	MG
Pied Crow	Corvus albus	B, I
House Crow	Corvus splendens	B
Wattled Lapwing	Creatophora cinerea	GNP
Common House Martin	Delichon urbicum	B
Fork-Tailed Drongo	Dicrurus adsimilis	GNP
Square-Tailed Drongo	Dicrurus ludwigii	GNP
Black-Backed Puffback	Dryoscopus cubla	GNP
Common Waxbill	Estrilda astrild	GNP
Grey Waxbill	Estrilda perreini	GNP
Lesser Striped Swallow	Hirundo abyssinica	GNP
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	GNP
Mosque Swallow	Hirundo senegalensis	GNP
Red-Breasted Swallow	Hirundo semirufa	GNP
Wire-Tailed Swallow	Hirundo smithii	GNP
Red-Throated Twinspot	Hypargos niveoguttatus	GNP
Red-Billed Firefinch	Lagonostricta senegala	GNP
Tropical Boubou	Laniarius aethiopicus	GNP
Thrush Nightingale	Luscinia luscinia	GNP
Grey-Headed Bush-Shrike	Malaconotus blanchoti	GNP
Southern Black Flycatcher	Melaenornis pammelaina	GNP
Southern Black Tit	Melaniparus niger	MG
Flappet Lark	Mirafra rufocinnamomea	GNP
African Pied Wagtail	Motacilla aguimp	B
Eastern Nicator	Nicator gularis	GNP
Capped Wheatear	Oenanthe pileata	GNP
Black-Headed Oriole	Oriolus larvatus	GNP
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	B
Southern Grey-Headed Sparrow	Passer diffusus	B, GNP
Yellow-Streaked Greenbul	Phyllastrephus flavostriatus	GNP, MG
Terrestrial Brownbul	Phyllastrephus terrestris	GNP
Dark-Backed Weaver	Ploceus bicolor	GNP
Village Weaver	Ploceus cucullatus	GNP
Spectacled Weaver	Ploceus ocularis	GNP
Southern Masked Weaver	Ploceus velatus	GNP
Southern Brown-Throated Weaver	Ploceus xanthopterus	GNP
Dark-Capped Bulbul	Pycnonotus tricolor	GNP
Red-Billed Quelea	Quelea quelea	GNP
African Stonechat	Saxicola torquatus	MG
Brown-Crowned Tchagra	Tchagra australis	GNP, MG
Black-Crowned Tchagra	Tchagra senegalus	GNP, MG
Orange-Breasted Bush-Shrike	Telophorus sulfureopectus	GNP
African Paradise-Flycatcher	Terpsiphone viridis	GNP, MG
Arrow-Marked Babbler	Turdoides jardineii	GNP, MG
Kurrichane Thrush	Turdus libonyanus	GNP
Blue Waxbill	Uraeginthus angolensis	GNP
Pin-Tailed Whydah	Vidua macroura	GNP
Pelecaniiformes – 15 species
Great White Egret	Ardea alba	GNP
Intermediate Egret	Ardea brachyrhyncha	GNP
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	GNP
Goliath Heron	Ardea goliath	GNP
Black-Headed Heron	Ardea melanocephala	I, GNP
Purple Heron	Ardea purpurea	GNP
Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides	GNP
Hadada Ibis	Bostrychia hagedash	GNP
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis	I, GNP
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	B, I, GNP
Great White Pelican	Pelecanus onocrotalus	GNP
African Spoonbill	Platalea alba	GNP
Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus	GNP
Hamerkop	Scopus umbretta	GNP
African Sacred Ibis	Threskiornis aethiopicus	GNP
Piciformes – 3 species
Golden-Tailed Woodpecker	Campethera abingoni	GNP
Bennett’s Woodpecker	Campethera bennettii	GNP
Black-Collared Barbet	Lybius torquatus	MG
Psittaciformes – 1 species
Brown-Headed Parrot	Poicephalus cryptoxanthus	GNP
Trogoniformes – 1 species
Narina Trogon	Apaloderma narina	GNP

^{*B – Beira, I – Inchope, GNP – Gorongosa National Park, MG – Mt Gorongosa}

 

Reptile List – 6 species

 

Species	Scientific Name	Location(s)*
Crocodylia – 1 species
Nile Crocodile	Crocodylus niloticus	GNP
Squamata – 5 species
Western Yellow-Bellied Sand Snake	Psammophis subtaeniatus	GNP
Striped Skaapsteker	Psammophylax tritaeniatus	GNP
Southern African Rock Python	Python natalensis	GNP
African Striped Skink	Trachylepis striata	GNP
Nile Monitor	Varanus niloticus	GNP

^{*B – Beira, I – Inchope, GNP – Gorongosa National Park, MG – Mt Gorongosa}

 

Amphibian List – 1 species

 

Species	Scientific Name	Location(s)*
Anura – 1 species
Grey Foam-Nest Tree Frog	Chiromantis xerampelina	GNP

^{*B – Beira, I – Inchope, GNP – Gorongosa National Park, MG – Mt Gorongosa}

[TonyQ]

@Pictus SafarisThank you for a really interesting report from a very productive trip

[michael-ibk]

Seconded, a very interesting report, thanks for sharing this very successful trip with us. 

[Pictus Safaris]

Thanks @TonyQand @michael-ibkfor following along.

 

I hope this TR has been of interest and value. My closing thoughts about Gorongosa is that it is a real divergence from many of the more established safari destinations in Eastern and Southern Africa - it isn't, I don't think, a destination for first time safari-goers. For now at least, you will not pick up rhino, giraffe, small cats etc, and you could easily miss lion, leopard, buffalo, wild dog, hyena and even elephant if unlucky during a short stay. For this same reason, it is probably not a destination for forum members who would come away disappointed without the 'Big Five' in the bag.

 

This all being said, Gorongosa as it is today is somewhere I would highly recommend to any forum members looking to move away from the Maras, Deltas and Krugers of this world, but who perhaps don't have the desire or inclination to venture much further off-piste to areas like Zakouma, Dzanga-Sangha or the parks I love in West Africa. Gorongosa now strikes and provides a lovely balance between adventure and a relaxing, enjoyable safari holiday. You might not leave the park with tales of leopard, cheetah and rhino, but you will still get good, and sometimes exceptional, wildlife experiences, coupled with stunning scenery, the warmest of welcomes and the chance to be a part of a remarkable story of restoration and the establishment of peace in an area that was once greatly troubled.

 

And, if you are still unsure as to whether the game-viewing will be of sufficient quality for you, there are plenty of exciting plans in the works for 2023 and 2024, and I have no doubt that Gorongosa will soon be offering game-drives comparable in quality to many more-established destinations. Should anyone be on the fence about visiting Gorongosa, I would urge you to pencil in a visit before too long.

 

Very happy to answer any Qs about visiting the park - and happy travels and travel planning to all!

Edited November 15, 2022 by Pictus Safaris

[Caracal]

Many thanks for this fascinating and informative report about Gorongosa which hopefully is on the way to restoring its former glory as one of Africa's premier parks.

 

On 11/12/2022 at 12:20 AM, Pictus Safaris said:

taking us to a long pan that was teeming with waterbuck, impala and bushbuck.

 

I found this observation interesting as I've always thought of bushbuck as being fairly quiet solitary animals.

[Pictus Safaris]

You're very welcome @Caracal

 

During this visit most bushbuck sightings were of twos or threes (one female with young, sometimes with a male in attendance). Such was the lack of water, that pans of a decent size generally held several of these small, clearly segregated groups during the heat of the day. Nowhere near the densities of waterbuck, impala and kudu now found in the park. But generally it would be unusual to go on drive and not see waterbuck, impala, kudu, bushbuck, nyala, wildebeest, hartebeest and oribi at a bare minimum.

[Kitsafari]

@Pictus Safaris thank you for sharing your Gorongosa trip. astounding numbers of ungulates and lions given the park's recent history of rebirth. Greg and his entire team have done a marvellous job in reviving the park and its residents. 

I really  hope one day I will realise my dream of visiting the park. 

[Atravelynn]

Thank you for the very uplifting park background and your opinion on where to stay.  Nice hint on visiting the pangolin rehab when they are out feeding in the bush.  35 dogs is a huge pack for dogs, the 0% mortality from pups you mention is to thank--at least for now until the hyenas take hold. That waterbuck didn't have a chance with the pack of dogs.

 

Fascinating variety of wildlife.

 

Looking forward to the bat detectors.

 

[Hads]

Just Finishing reading your wonderful trip report @Pictus Safaris. Very enjoyable indeed and Gorongosa sounds like it should be put on my bucket list.

Great to hear Wild dog numbers are at healthy levels.

[Peter Connan]

Gorongosa has been a destination I desperately wanted to visit for almost my whole life.

My dad and a friend were there about a week before the civil war broke out, and as youngsters were often regaled with tales of that trip.

It is unlikely that I will get there any time soon given the costs involved and the gauntlet of corruption that a road trip from here would entail, but should it become possible, are there any camping facilities in the reserve, and can one self-drive @Pictus Safaris?

Edited November 29, 2023 by Peter Connan

[Pictus Safaris]

Hi @Peter Connan

 

Yes, there are indeed camping facilities at Chitengo - now that construction work at the main lodge is tapering down I would imagine it is a more pleasant place to be than my last visit, but this site lacks wilderness appeal and there is no opportunity to camp outside the confines of Chitengo. However, for many years, self-driving has not been permitted - as far as I'm aware that remains the case for next season, although I will ask the question when I'm back in July. The decision was made not to permit self-driving owing to a few close calls between vehicles and the notorious Gorongosa elephants. There was talk of opening up a new route network solely for self-drivers in areas very rarely used by the elephants, but this always struck me as a strange idea - the one thing Gorongosa does not need is more roads in the core game-viewing area, and I can't imagine self-drivers would be too enamoured with the idea of having to use roads in significantly less game-rich areas of the park.

 

For now, those camping in Chitengo can only use the safari vehicles shared with other guests staying at the main lodge.

[Peter Connan]

Thank you very much @Pictus Safaris.