News from the camps - August and September 2022

Mdonya Old River - Ruaha National Park Tanzania - August 2022

 
This month we share with you the story from Charlotte and Paolo about their stay in Mdonya in August.

“My partner and I spent five magical days at Mdonya in August. We were guided by Henry and Godson, and were treated to some spectacular sightings thanks to their incredible spotting skills.

One of the most impressive spots was when we were driving around the Mwagusi River and some nearby impala started alarm calling. Henry quickly looked into the bushes where the impala were staring and spotted a leopard slinking past. We watched as she disappeared back into the bushes, and Godson quickly drove the car around to a loop of road on the other side. As we rounded the corner, a male impala burst out of the vegetation, running in our direction with blood around his nose and mouth. We drove towards where he came from and spotted the leopard again, panting in the shade of a sausage tree with blood on her face. We had clearly just missed an attempted hunt – and the impala had clearly got lucky! We sat with her for close to an hour as she caught her breath before walking into the thick bush by the river bed, and were lucky enough to be the only car there the whole time.

What’s most amazing about our trip is that this was not our only exceptional leopard sighting: we spent multiple hours sitting with a male as he rested in a tree on the road to Mdonya; spent quality time with another male sleeping in a tree on the bank of the Great Ruaha River; saw a young female moving silently through the bushes near the road one morning (another fantastic spot by Henry); and even saw a beautiful female climbing up into a baobab by Kimilimatonge.
It wasn’t just about the leopards – we also had some brilliant lion sightings including a mating pair, saw countless elephants with babies, saw a huge herd of buffalo, and even encountered a serval on our way out of camp early one morning. But even if we hadn’t been so lucky with the wildlife it would’ve still been a great trip, thanks to the beauty of Mdonya Old River camp and the warmth and hospitality of everybody there.”

Pictures and video by Charlotte Searle and Paolo Strampelli.
We hope to see you soon.
Mdonya Old River Camp Team

Mdonya Old River - Ruaha National Park Tanzania - September 2022

 
The last couple of months have been very busy with sightings in the park and in camp.

While the park reaches its peak of the dry period, animals are gathered only where water is available.
We have seen more often the big lion prides of 20 and more animals, their sightings are about many lions covering the land while sleeping or while just resting, so it is fun to count how many lions appear in one shot!
We have also witnessed different hunts involving various predators.

Guests they been lucky to see the pack of 26 dogs this month, 2 guests met the 2 male lions of mdonya pride were while walking to their tent after dinner and one evening, during dinner time, a cheetah walked in front of the camp.

This is also the time for many vervet monkeys to deliver their babies after 4/5 long months of pregnancy. A very lucky guest witnessed one of the births during her lunch in camp.

Thanks to guides Godson, Henry, Ayoubu and Sostein for sharing with us their pictures.

We hope to see you soon.

Mdonya Old River Camp Team
 

Lake Manze - Nyerere National Park Tanzania - August 2022

 

Guests come and go but they take a colossal amount of memories and experiences back with them, which in the end drives them back for more.
The sightings this month have been out of this world with Leopard and Lion in camp and the even more elusive Civet.

Elephants in camp have caused more traffic jams than the M2. Guests having to wait while the Masai try and clear the traffic or a bush walk around the elephants to be able to get to or from the dining area. Our luggage porter had a great time rearranging the luggage to its liking.
It seems that one of the Elephants has total trust in its environment in camp as it takes a well-deserved sleep from foraging all day. The load breathing could be heard from quite a distance in the quiet of the early morning

You are very likely to see some buffalo on a game drive or a lonely one on its own but when a nearly never-ending large group thunders past creating a mini dust storm it is definitely a sight to behold.

The Manze herd of Elephants have passed through camp on a couple of occasions this month with a new additional mom with a very young baby. The question that arises. How did the little guy lose his tail and how will he keep the flies off his behind?
It is amazing how men, sorry elephants, like to push each other around to see who is the biggest and the strongest. The two bulls playing in front of the dining in a display enjoyed by all guests.

It has been a great month and we look forward to our next guests to enjoy it all.
Safe travels.
Shaun, Milli and the Lake Manze Camp team.

                 

 

Lake Manze - Nyerere National Park Tanzania - September 2022

 

The bush will never stop amazing and entertaining you. The unexpected happens in a flash.
Imagine a lion walking around at night in camp and then sneaks into the dining area and steals one of the dining chairs pillows. He needs a pillow to sleep on. We have the evidence.

The Elephants have been in and around camp for many months now and have met up on occasions pushing and shoving each other around, maybe in a show of dominance or just playful banter. Check out the video, parts in slow motion of some of the action.

Elephants do not sleep a lot but when they choose the pathway leading to the dining to catch a nap it leaves this feeling of contentment. He gets up from there and plops down again right next to the dining to have another little snooze. This leaves the guests in total awe of the magnitude of what has just transpired. It feels as if there is a full sense of trust in its surroundings and the camp.
Nature will give you all the answers you need, if you listen. The baboons were barking, the impalas snorting and the vervet monkeys making a racket. Just next to Lake Manze and about 200 odd meters from our main area a leopard had made a kill. We were fortunate enough to find the spot, get the shot and admire it from the comfort of his hunting area.

Our guests Chris and Helen Winwood were at the right place at the right time. Game drives are exciting especially when you come across a Leopard waiting to pounce on a solitary Impala.

Having to completely rely on solar power and solar lights you need the sun to charge everything. Our small dining lights getting a recharge were admired by the baboons. Watch this clip on how amusing a baboon looks at himself as the reflection in the solar panel gets his complete attention.

Safe travels

      

We hope you enjoy the read and photos.

Shaun, Milli and the Lake Manze Camp team.

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