A Small Cat Hunts
The Land-cruiser stopped so that we could watch a group of chattering banded mongooses rushing across the track. Every now and then one would stand on his hind legs and look around in case there was danger. While there one of us noticed a water monitor lizard lounging over an acacia branch above us. He seemed to have an ideal spot to enjoy a cool breeze, and we wouldn’t have noticed him if we hadn’t been parked underneath him. Then something flashed past the front of the Land-Cruiser, and a second later we heard the squealing of a distraught mongoose.
The Upside Down Tree
I am back in Ruaha national park in central Tanzania. The last time I was here was a couple of years ago. I am not sure why I like this park so much, aside from the stunning amount of wildlife I usually see here. Perhaps it is something to do...
The rarest large cat in Africa
Most people who come on safari hope to see some of the big cats – lion, leopard and cheetah. Nearly everyone will see a lion, and more likely several. Depending on where you are on safari, there is a good chance of seeing one of the other two large felines....
Leopard Luck
As we drove slowly towards our camp in the Moru kopjes area of the Serengeti we passed a herd of zebra that were moving north. Then suddenly they bolted to the side, stopped and gazed into the apparently benign grasslands. I told the guests that they must have smelled a...
An elephant sized meal
Another season of poor rainfall, and the Serengeti Plains were dry and already a tawny brown colour. Herds of Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles grazed the plains punctuated by the odd small herd of zebra. This was quite a contrast having just been down in the Ngorongoro Crater, where green grass...
An Array of Unusual Critters
A safari is always exciting and the sightings that you have are always amazing, but once in a while you have a safari where the sightings are off the charts. One recent such safari took place in The Serengeti National Park… We departed Arusha late morning, delaying our arrival into...
On Predators and Prey
The wildebeest migration was in full swing, with animals moving every couple of days because the lack of rain was forcing them to look for grazing and water. This amount of herbivores together provide a glut of food for predators, who hunt both day and night. As it was the...
Rare Daytime Encounter with A Striped Hyaena.
We left camp at dawn for an early morning game drive in an area of woodland near the edge of the vast Serengeti Plain. Next we spotted a young striped hyaena moving away from us in the grass. He had been disturbed by a passing vehicle. He stopped about a...
A night under the stars
As we arrived at the exclusive Kiba Point Lodge in the Selous Game Reserve (Tanzania), waiters greeted us with fresh towels and a frosty glass of passion juice. The lodge emanates space, even though it is tucked in the shady trees of a riverine forest. All the structures are built...
Special species – lesser kudu
The last great wilderness areas in warm climes are in Africa. Most of these areas have only been dramatically effected by man in the last 100 years. As a result we are lucky today to be able to see an astounding number of animals while on safari. Some species do...
A true wilderness experience.
After several years of conducting most of my safaris in East Africa, it has been wonderful to guide some safaris near home (Zimbabwe) again, and in very familiar territory. I had not been to Gonarezhou National Park in southeastern Zimbabwe for several years, and was recently blown away by the...
Our first day in Namibia
We had left the lush green swamps of the Okavango Delta a day before. One of the last activities we did there was riding in a mokoro alongside a family of African elephants. We were poled through the channel, gliding an arm’s length from the elephants, as they sloshed their...
