Hwange with Julian Brookstein at Chitubu Camp

[espn24]

I did much the same itinerary with my wife, sister and kids. It was amazing. I will post the trip report over the Christmas holidays.

[Bush dog]

Just past the concrete bridge, to the left of the road, is a small open space that ends in a cul-de-sac.  And two more lions!  The male is Msila, the dominant of Masuma, previously that of Shumba.  We wondered why it seemed to tolerate the presence of the five young ones.  Not easy to answer.  Is there a filial relationship between them? And even...  It seemed to be focusing on the female that was its immediate priority and the five youngsters might have perhaps just arrived in the area.  Or, maybe it didn't want to start hostilities with them, preferring first to see if on their side they were going to start them?

 

A service vehicle from the Kapula self-catering camp, which is across the road, arrived with two staff members standing in the dumpster, which of course greatly worried Msila.  Julian was furious, yelling at them to get down.  What they did to get up immediately.  It was too much for Msila who scooted into the dry bed of the creek to go up the opposite side, very scared as we can see on the images.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the second and third images, we can guess Masuma's site at the top left.

 

Baboon at Masuma.

 

[Bush dog]

Always at Masuma .

 

Buffaloes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hippos

 

 

A big bull heading towards the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Atravelynn]

In the post with the Msila male lion photos I was conditioned to expect yet another lion shot for the final picture.  That's what my mind saw drinking--a lion--not a baboon.  In my defense that baboon does have an exceptionally hairy, black-mane looking coat.

[Caracal]

I'm finding those buffalo photos very evocative @Bush dog- they're calling me back to Africa !

 

10 hours ago, Atravelynn said:

That's what my mind saw drinking--a lion--not a baboon.

 

Perhaps you've got my complaint Lynn - Safari Withdrawal Syndrome!

I'm about to start plans to address this.

[AKR1]

Fabulous buffaloes herd images, Mike. Thanks for doing this lovely trip report. 

[Bush dog]

@Atravelynn

 

Photos are edited in chronological order.  It is true that one can take the baboon for a lion.  I hadn't made the connection but my subconscious probably did.

[Bush dog]

 

8 hours ago, Caracal said:

I'm finding those buffalo photos very evocative @Bush dog- they're calling me back to Africa !

So do it, don't pospone to tomorrow what you can do to-day.

[Bush dog]

@AKR1

 

Thanks!  More buffaloes to come.

[Bush dog]

At Masuma,variations on an elephant's bath. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Atravelynn]

Elephant Art!

[Caracal]

23 hours ago, Bush dog said:

So do it, don't postpone to tomorrow what you can do to-day.

 

Great advice @Bush dog- I'm about to start planning  a 2023 safari - in the meantime I'm  loving your report and looking forward to more.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Caracal

[Bush dog]

@Caracal

 

Thanks!  Where are you gonna go this time?

[Bush dog]

At the elephant's carcass, the little game between the lion guard and the scavengers continued.

 

 

 

 

 

In the afternoon, we went to Kashawe again and found the lions seen on day 2 & 4.  

 

 

 

We ended the day in Mandavu where we found the solitary hippo, more and more comfortable in our presence, as well as the lines of elephants heading for the water.

 

 

 

[Caracal]

11 hours ago, Bush dog said:

@Caracal

 

Thanks!  Where are you gonna go this time?

 

Will include Kafue but otherwise not sure.

 

Am wondering what the daytime temp was like ? - that photo of the lion guard in a bit of scrappy shade makes me think it was hot.

[Bush dog]

@Caracal

 

It was hot indeed, around 40°C when the sun was high.

[Bush dog]

Day 6

 

On our way to Masuma, greater kudus at Mandavu.

 

 

At Masuma :

 

Lions on the other side of the pan, close to the water.

 

 

 

 

Mainly cape-turtle doves.

 

 

Cape-turtle doves and perhaps a laughing dove but not sure.

 

 

At the elephant carcass, a black-backed jackal, a hooded vulture and two youngsters finishing it.

 

 

 

 

 

[Athene]

@Bush dog If I remember correctly, our Camp Hwange guide Moses told us, that the five sub-adult males are sons from the Supermodel pride. They were chased out by the new male Dube. Moses thought the five might come back when they are a bit older and stronger and challenge Dube for the territory. He is without a partner and it could become difficult for him.

[Bush dog]

@Athene

Thank you for this information.  In this case, their father might be Msila.

[Bush dog]

Still at Masuma, a male sable with only one horn.

 

 

 

 

We then went to Shumba, where it was very quiet, and a little further to Dwarf Goose pan, where two Dagga Boys were quenching their thirst.

 

 

Back to Masuma, we found the five subadults huddled together in the shade under one of the few bushes that offered them enough shade.

 

 

 

This left scavengers free to fight over the remains of the young elephant.

 

 

 

 

[Bush dog]

Greater kudus, impalas and helmeted guineafowls.

 

 

 

 

Red-billed queleas.

 

 

 

 

Hippos also prefer clean water.

 

 

 

In the afternoon, Julian, convinced that in Kashawe there were more lions than the only four seen there the previous days, decided once again to return.  At one point, we spotted vultures scattered among the tops of the trees.  After some research, he found three new lions.  We got closer.  A smell of carrion reigned around.  As the vegetation became quite dense, we could not go further and therefore did not see their prey.  There had to be one more if not several.

 

 

 

 

Goliath heron.

 

[Bush dog]

Day 7

 

Another full-day game drive to Robins.  We decided to go directly to be there as early as posssible.  Along the way, we met an HBC guide.  He informed us that he had found, the previous day, a dead male lion and explained to us where it could be found.  He specified that he had no idea of the causes of its death, the body showing no marks or wounds of violent death such as those caused following a territorial dispute.  On the other hand, it must have been recent because the body had been only very slightly damaged by scavengers who were not yet there in large numbers (only two white-headed vultures as he said).  Anyway, we were there four days ago and would have found it.

 

A few birds along the way :  tawny eagle, black-winged kite and at Salt pan, black-winged stilt and collared pratincole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bush dog]

We first went to the place where, four days earlier, we had seen the dead elephant with eight lions nearby.  These were no longer there.  As for the elephant, it was still just as we had left it.  Only the tusks had disappeared, no doubt collected by the National Parks.  We noticed, in the sky nearby, a circular flight of vultures.  That's where the male lion was.  On foot, we approached the corpse and there, I must admit, it was a shock.  It was the first time that I had in front of me this kind of scenery.  It was frightening, in 24 hours the bush cleaners had already gone a long way in their work.  It hardly looked like a lion anymore, but rather a creature of horror.  It had been almost completely "depilated", the mane was scattered in multiple clumps all around.  The blackened burnt earth further accentuated the dramatic side of the scene.

 

We still asked ourselves some questions as to whether there was a relationship between the deaths of these two animals at a short distance from each other.  Was it because one had fed on the other?  But in that case, we should have, it seems to me, found other dead lions.  I say this because I'm pretty sure the dead lion was one of the two males seen four days earlier, not the one that is one-eyed.  I came to this conclusion after looking at my photos for a long time.  The end of the lower left canine is broken in both cases and the alignment of the lower incisors is very similar.  I will probably never know what was the reason for its death or if it was indeed the presumed lion of which here is the photo again.  On the other hand, I decided not to add images of the dead lion.  Other than maybe scaring some people off, it won't add much to the story.

 

 

There was another reason I had requested another full day in the Robins area.  Julian during his last three visits had seen three different cheetahs including a female with cubs.  It had even caught a young kudu at Salt pan.  But this was before the fires.  I think the fire caused those cheetahs to flee somewhere else.  The proof of the presence of these is these scats, obviously not very recent, being at a crossroads on the block of signaling.  I had already noticed that, in Hwange, the cheetahs often use as marking spots slightly elevated places such as fallen trees or tree stumps.

 

 

 

Back to life, two new lions.

 

 

 

 

 

[Atravelynn]

Quite a gruesome experience with the dead male lion.  What a quelea mosaic!

[Towlersonsafari]

It must be a shock, and sad to see an apparently  healthy lion one day, and contemplate  its death soon after