…and it is all green again! We have seen it already 20 times (in 2022 mdonya has celebrated its 20th year of activity), but yet the transformation of the landscape that happens after the first few days of rain surprises always!
The air is cleaner, the view goes forever, trees are in lush and flowers appear. All in few days. The park is a new park and Mdonya camp is a new mdonya camp (though it has still that Old in the name due to the old river…).
So, happy new rain season to everybody! And happy new year!
Time for felicitations and feasts!
The dry season has been hard on some animals: it is still not difficult to see the bones under the skin of some elephants and impalas, but now food is again available and rich in vitamins and minerals, we hope they will recover soon.
Winged forms of termites fill the crepuscular skies and dung beetles dive happily in dung (watch the videos). Frogs and toads are back!
The rains started on the 14th of December and continued irregularly for 15 days, allowing the sand rivers to flow again.
With the tree canopies full and thick we still managed to spot leopards in them. One sighting was about brother and sister on the same baobab, with the sister not happy about the brother who tried to change position on the tree… while other 2 leopard brothers were seen in better terms, playing at the mdonya signboard (watch the videos).
The ruaha big pack of dogs has been seen again. Also Babu, the elephant, has been seen and Sikio Mbovu couldn’t miss to pass by and greet us (watch the videos).
We thank the guests who spent with us the new year eve. We really had fun at the sundowner and later around the fire, where some of Mdonya staff wanted to prove their singing skills (we will always remember Benson and Henry above others) and were joined by all of us in a crazy dance until the last second of 2022. Yes, we managed to arrive to midnight!
Thanks to Henry Henry Ladislaus Magehema, Ayoub Ayoub Yaledi Nyang’ango and Malcolm for their pictures and videos.
We hope to see you soon.
Mdonya Old River Camp Team
The most of December has been a very dry month with no rain. Luckily late in the month we received a storm of 125 mm and three days later a good storm of 84 mm. The lake filled up in a 36-hour period and our many animals are ecstatic with the source of water after suffering for many months. The grass is growing, and food is now plenty.
Do wild dogs bark or howl. This short video from Zach Mligo shows them discussing their old years meal before the hunt and a hearty welcome into 2023. Zach our guide also shot a short video of them trying to hunt a warthog.
We were fortunate enough to be able to rescue a Giraffe and a buffalo this month that had got stuck in the mud. Another successful operation. Well done to the team. Both animals were able to walk off after regaining some strength. Luckily for the crew we were able to spot a Leopard up a tree snacking on a baby warthog as we were leaving the rescue area.
Elephants were a plenty in and around camp. It is amazing to see them lie down for a nap and how the herd and mothers stand around the young ones as protection. They all feel safe in the surrounds of the camp.
We even spotted a Bush pig in camp eating away. Close by, we had our camp Warthog looking, but not really interested. The Warthog was more interested in getting to know the kudus , as they were able to get to the sweeter leaves higher up.
We wish all our guests past and future a travelicious 2023. We hope to see you all again soon.
Safe travels and a prosperous new year.
Shaun, Milli and the Lake Manze Camp team.