Epic wildlife interactions in South Luangwa

Source: Daily Mail (UK).

When two tribes go to war: Incredible moment legion of hippos turn and flee after stand-off with more than 100 crocs in epic Zambian river battle

They are some of the most fearsome creatures to stalk the waterways of Africa.

But when a army of crocodiles got snap happy with a herd of hippos, it seems that the mammals were in no mood for a fight.

Wildlife photographer Marc Mol witnessed the ignominious retreat in a river at Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, where hungry crocs were preparing to rip one hippo to shreds.

For more images and full text visit original article in the Daily Mail.

Zambezi Traveller Destination Profile
Luangwa

Norman Carr Safaris and Chongwe Safaris collect the accolades

 

The 2014 Safari Awards were announced recently, and Nornman Carr and Chongwe Safaris in Zambia were placed in 5 of the 18 categories, winning 3 of them. Overall Zambia performed well in the awards, highlighting the country as the region's rising star.

Winner - Best New Property in Africa – Chinzombo, Norman Carr Safaris
Winner - Best Guiding Team in Africa – Norman Carr Safaris
Winner - Best Walking Safari in Africa – Norman Carr Safaris
Highly Commended – Best Safari House in Africa – Chongwe River House
Highly Commended – Best Value Safari in Africa – Chongwe River Camp

Congratulations to all. Running safaris takes a huge company-wide effort, and on top of incredible locations and fabulous wildlife, it’s the team in camp which really brings the whole experience to life; from the gardeners to the guides.

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Chongwe Safaris

 

Norman Carr Safaris Secret Season Special

The ‘Secret Season’ is upon us here in the Luangwa Valley and Norman Carr Safaris would love to share this with you as it’s generally perceived as a less than optimal time to visit, which is completely untrue! It is often one of the best times to see wild dog and the bush is green and lush and stunning. We now have more options with wildly luxurious Chinzombo, family friendly Kapani and adventurous Kakuli open to visitors.

We have launched a great last minute itinerary:

Secret Season – Week on the Wildside

- 7 nights
- Valid now until 10 April
- Combination of Chinzombo, Kakuli and Kapani
- We choose the itinerary
- $3060pp - no single supplement

- PLUS $370 Park Fees + flights
- All inclusive of VAT, meals, standard bar drinks, laundry, Mfuwe Airport road transfers and game viewing. Excluding top shelf spirits/premium wine/champagne

Email Zillah on bookings@normancarrsafaris.com for more details.

Robin Pope Safaris News

Latest safari news from Robin Pope Safaris, South Luangwa

We have had some exceptional game sightings recently at Robin Pope Safaris in Luangwa and beyond.

Fred one of the guides at Nkwali came across a caracal – a very rare cat down in South Luangwa, hardly ever seen!

It seems to be all about the leopards at the moment with many sightings this month including:

 

Leopard and kill (Image credit: Simon Cousins for Robin Pope Safaris)

 

A leopard guarding its fresh kill up on top of a sausage tree while a pesky hyena waited below, for any opportunity that could arise out of it...

 

Hyeana (Image credit: Simon Cousins for Robin Pope Safaris)

 

Read more safari news from Robin Pope Safaris here, including the story behind the following stunning image.

Martial Eagle (Image credit: Paul Waldron for Robin Pope Safaris)

 

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Read more from the Zambezi Traveller eNewsletter:
Zambezi Traveller eNewsletter (No5, Aug 2013)

Read more about the region in our destination guide: Luangwa Destination Profile

Download the latest issue of the Zambezi Traveller

Annual SLCS Conservation Fun Run and Sports Day a great success

The 2013 annual South Luangwa Conservation Society Fun Run and Sports Day held on 6th July was the best so far!! It continues to grow every year and proof of this is that we ran out of t-shirts for the runners this year. Close to 300 people ran the race and nearly 3000 people attended during the day.

Runners get ready to start the race

The event was spiced up with Zambian footballer, Chintu Kampamba who not only gave a speech and entertained everyone with his presence but he also ran the 10km’s. This year we were also privileged to have the Mambwe District Commissioner, the District Education Board Secretary, Chief Mkhanya’s representatives and many other heads of department attending and taking part in the events.

Mid race refreshments - and T-shirts!

The Fun Run has become a fixed calendar event which people look forward to throughout the year. It is a day of fun, sports and entertainment in a community where there aren’t many opportunities for such activities. The theme was wildlife conservation as usual and specific emphasis was made by the DC and sports celebrities how essential it is for each one of us to take part in caring for our environment.

Given Phiri, from Kakumbi wins the mens in 29 minutes.

The race kicked off at 8am and less than 30 minutes later the men’s winner, Given Phiri was back at the finish line in an unbelievable time of 29 minutes. The men’s runners up followed not too far behind in second and third place.

Margaret Phiri (centre) from Jumbe wins the ladies 10kms.

The rest of the day was taken up with volley ball, football, netball matches, relays and most entertaining of all tug of war.

The SLCS team beat Zambia Air Force in tug of war much to the delight of the crowds.

In a competitive tug between the Zambia Air Force and SLCS supported scouts, SLCS won much to the delight on spectators especially considering our scouts are half the size of ZAF officers!

Visit the SLCS website or follow them on Facebook.

Read more from the Zambezi Traveller eNewsletter:
Zambezi Traveller eNewsletter (No5, Aug 2013)

Zambezi Traveller - your complete guide to the region.

Luangwa - Valley of Abundance

Luangwa - Valley of abundance
By Peter Comley
Image credits: Dana Allen for Robin Pope Safaris

Rated by those ‘in the know’ as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, South Luangwa National Park is host to perhaps the most varied concentration of wildlife to be found in Africa. This agglomeration is at its peak in the dry season along the Luangwa River and its ox-bow lagoons.

A Thornicroft giraffe cooling off with a drink.

The flood plains of the Luangwa have been recognised as being of international importance and have achieved Ramsar Site status. Considered the most intact major river system in Africa, the Luangwa River is the life-blood of the 9,050km2 of the Park. For the most part the river forms the eastern boundary of the protected area. When it floods it flows with the deep red colour of the rich soil upstream.

Some impalas who clearly should be in the high jump event at the next Olympic Games.

South Luangwa was declared a game reserve as far back as 1938 but was only awarded national park status as recently as 1972, which makes it one of the original protected areas in Zambia but a fairly recent national park.

Guests observing a group of yellow-billed storks on a walking safari.

Walking safaris, now widely practised throughout Africa, originated in this park under the pioneering leadership of legends like Norman Carr, Robin Pope and Phil Berry and have been taken to a level not readily found elsewhere. Being on foot in the wild is one of the finest ways to experience pristine wilderness and its varied inhabitants.

Elephants crossing the Luangwa River.

There are more than 60 mammal species (sadly excluding rhino, which were poached to local extinction in 1987 despite Norman Carr’s best efforts to save them) and over 400 bird species to keep you company on your walk. The Luangwa Valley has a number of animals not found elsewhere including Thornicroft’s giraffe, Cookson’s wildebeest and Crawshay’s zebra which are endemic, or very nearly so, to the valley.

Read the full article from the latest issue online:
Valley of abundance (ZT, Issue 13, June 2013)

Read more about the region in our destination guide:
Luangwa Destination Profile

Zambezi Traveller Directory:
Robin Pope Safaris

Celebrity hippo flies to new home

In the March 2013 edition Zambezi Traveller reported Conservation Lower Zambezi’s orphaned hippo rescue. After three months intensive care by CLZ the calf was successfully relocated by the Zambian Wildlife Authority, with the help of Proflight Zambia, to Chipembele Wildlife Trust in South Luangwa where she starts her journey back to the wild.

'Doug' and carers

Hippos are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red Data List and although Zambia has more hippos than any other country in the world, and they sometimes seem common here, Conservation Lower Zambezi undertook the daunting task of saving one orphaned hippo with the intention of returning it to the wild as soon as possible.

Christened ‘Douglas,’ although hippos are notoriously difficult to sex and it is now thought that Douglas is actually 'Douglina', the calf was cared for by a dedicated team of four carers, 24 hours a day, at the CLZ premises in the valley. Thanks to Ross Breeders she enjoyed two egg yolks with her three hourly bottle of 1.5 litres of milk and supplements. Along with a good diet CLZ also had to ensure that the calf had safe and suitable surroundings, and a second pool was built for her after she outgrew the first within a few weeks.

CLZ and the Zambia Wildlife Authority decided to relocate the hippo to Chipembele Wildlife Trust in South Luangwa, where Anna and Steve Tolan, experienced wildlife rehabilitators, committed to caring for her and to ultimately reintroduce her to the wild hippo population in the nearby Luangwa River.

Doug and Oliver swimming

The question was, how to get her there? A road journey would be stressful for the calf and so a shorter journey by air was advised. Proflight Zambia took on the task and Doug was given a higher chance of survival in a purpose-built crate in the back of their Caravan aircraft. Accompanied by one of her carers from the Lower Zambezi, Oliver Chinuka, and ZAWA vet Dr. David Squarre, Doug arrived at her new home in Mfuwe in good condition.

Ready for boarding

Doug currently requires 12 litres of milk a day as well as supplements, and has three keepers with their daily expenses. Chipembele Wildlife Trust welcomes any assistance with these costs.

Zambezi Traveller March 2013:
Orphan Hippo Rescued

Zambezi Traveller Directory:
Conservation Lower Zambezi

Websites:
Chipembele Appeal
Donate with Justgiving
Chipembele on Facebook

News from Robin Pope Safaris

Update from Robin Pope Safaris, Luangwa, Zambia, April 2013

Tena Tena and Nsefu will soon be open again for a new season. During the past few weeks, the Luangwa River has been too low to boat across and the roads too wet to drive across to get to the camp sites so we had to wait rather patiently for the weather to improve before we could start setting up camp again. Things are now in full swing and both Tena Tena and Nsefu will be ready to open on 22nd May. See you there!

Luangwa Bush Camp welcomes George Bell

At an early age George learnt bush law and tracking from the herd boys and his bush-wise grandfather, and ever since has had a keen interest for the outdoors and wildlife. For the last four years he has been guiding as well as managing camps in the Lower Zambezi National Park and George has now found his way to South Luangwa where he will be joining the Luangwa Bush Camps Team this season. Welcome George!

Robin Pope Safaris Specials - Reduced Rates

Robin Pope Safaris are extending the 2013 discounted shoulder season rates to July for ALL RPS properties! Contact info@robinpopesafaris.net for more details.

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Norman Carr Safaris support charity football event

Norman Carr Safaris, based in Luangwa, Zambia, participates in a charity football event.

In April, Mfuwe village played host to a football team from Lusaka to play a friendly match against the local 'Salaula' team. A local NGO used the trip as a means of fund raising for both the South Luangwa Conservation Society (SLCS) and Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust. Using sport as a medium to spread information about AIDS/HIV and other social issues, it's a fantastic project and they worked with between 80 and 150 children from a local school over 2 days. Working with the community and raising awareness of local issues is close to our hearts; Norman Carr Safaris staff members played in the Salaula team and we offered the main prize for their fundraising evening of a 2 night stay at Kapani Lodge.

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Norman Carr Safaris