November 2008.

Hwange Green Season Adventure (25-29 November)

It all started with a message in June asking us to organise a surprise extension to a safari to celebrate a special occasion in November for two guests. A short safari that had unique walking and photographic experiences. This being our specialty we found great pleasure in working on this safari. Finding an area that is accessible and prime in the early part of the rains considering the possibility of an early season was a challenge that led us to think in the direction of Hwange National Park. After a few weeks of organising and a few months of waiting and preparation, we started the safari from Kasane, driving on the scenic road to Hwange National Park Main Camp where the adventure began. We had by then, already seen our first herd of elephant bulls on the Main Road and we continued our journey, this time at a much slower pace absorbing the fresh green surroundings as we travelled. There had been some rains for about a week and this was evident in the little puddles on the road which caused a bit of concern as to the concentrations of wildlife in the area. The first two days were relatively quiet and overcast and even though, from the tracks on the ground we could see that there were a few elephant bulls and a large herd of buffalo in the area, there was pressure on the guide to deliver. Even a secret white-rhino midden was unfortunately not active and we agreed he had moved further inland, surviving on the small puddles for drinking water and following the new budding grass. Needless to say there was plenty happening as we spent hours photographing dung beetles and tortoises and identifying bird calls around us.

After 2 days of constant sunny weather and no rain we knew our fortunes were about to turn and catching up with the big herd of buffalo was a real highlight. We approached these alert bovines on foot with stealth, resulting in some excellent photographs and memorable experiences. Various other encounters included new baby zebras and an on foot encounter with 2 bat eared foxes. I knew however, that in Hwange the most memorable experiences are usually with elephants and this stood true for the safari. Spotting a herd of 8 very mature bulls we dedicated time to them and politely showed our intention to join them. After a few hours of quality time with the same elephants on foot in the open plains of Hwange, they became completely relaxed about our presence, carrying on with their activity and mud baths as if we were no strangers to them. We were fortunate enough to watch one of the bulls roll over onto his side in a small pan and go to sleep. The heavy breathing (polite name for snoring) could be heard from where we sat and eventually we left this bull in his sleep as we went back to camp to indulge in a late brunch.

Later that day we decided to share our afternoon drive with the same elephants, only to find that the sleeping bull had hardly moved 50 metres and the rest of the herd was within 500 metres of where we left them. This was a remarkable level of relaxation and while we were watching the elephants we witnessed an unusual sight, a near phenomenon. The termites had decided that this was the chosen afternoon for them to take to the wing and venture off to start new colonies. After an hour of these fascinating insects emerging from the ground we were surrounded by possibly millions of flying termites and hundreds of migrant raptors including tawny eagles, Walberg’s eagle and a variety of falcons all feeding on the protein rich flying ants. Antelope, baboons and Matebele ants also took part in the great feast and in this frenzy we watched a few successful termites pair up and excavate their holes which one day might be mature termite mounds. It was a challenge, if not impossible to capture this scene in a photograph but seeing this was a truly amazing experience. The next day the vultures reported that there had been a “murder” in the area. Closer investigation revealed that 4 big male lions had killed an unidentified adult male buffalo. We watched these impressive cats make a meal of this huge animal. With the size of their stomachs and the need to carry on with territorial patrols these boys cleaned up the carcass in a mere 36 hours, carrying on to leave scraps to the jackals and patient vultures.

On our last morning we found the herd of buffalo again and tracked them as they were moving at quite a pace. Going ahead of them and choosing a safe, hidden vantage point with a view in the form of a termite mound we let them walk onto us and even though a few of the lead cows suspected the air was “contaminated” with the fresh smell of human beings, the rest of the herd were completely unaware of our presence and the camera shutters going in an attempt to capture panoramic photographs.

We finished off with a game drive to Main Camp and then a road transfer back to Kasane in time for dinner and, on a very high note, we parted as our safari came to an end.

Guest comments on the safari:

Lieber Humphrey, Wir haben die Zeit mit Dir sehr genossen, speziell die Zeit im Somalisa Camp. All die Elefanten, die Baby Zebras, Kwezis, Impalas und vieles mehr. Du warst fuer uns einer der besten Guides den wir kennen lernen durften und das Fotografieren mit Dir war spitze. Vor allem auch die Panorama Photos.....Danke fuer alles.
Mirella u Chrigu, Switzerland.

To find out more about a Hwange Adventure Extension to your Botswana, Namibia or Zambia Safari please click here.