- Lagoons, Luxury and
Elephant Shaped Soap
- Fears, Feasts and Mud
Fights
- Insects, Sex and Sachets of
Gin
- On the Move, On the Stove
and On the Hunt
- Lie-ins,
Lounging Leopards and Laws of the Jungle
- Dung, Dust and a Midnight
Snack
- Wading, Wobbling
and Fond Farewells
- Candles, Crocs
and Customised Showers
- Picnics, Puppies and Crocodile Cookies
- Sausage Fruit, Socks and a Lifetime of Memories
Sausage Fruit, Socks and a Lifetime of Memories
The morning chorus at Kuyenda has to be heard to be believed. The
tuba-like booming of the ground hornbills were joined by the Hueglins
robins who sang with a sweetness and volume that totally belies their
diminutive size.
This was our last day at Kuyenda and this morning we were going on a
giraffe hunt. The Thornycroft giraffe is actually the animal responsible
for the creation of the South Luangwa National Park. Unique to this part
of Zambia, the Thornycroft is slightly smaller than other African
giraffes and always looks to be wearing long pale socks as it has no
markings below the knee.
As we set out on our morning walk, Phil talked of his twenty-seven year
obsession with this species. Over that time he has recorded literally
trunk-fulls of daily details about the giraffes. Sketches of each
individual giraffe's markings (the equivalent of a human fingerprints),
the time of day he sees them, what the weather conditions are - even how
many bites it takes them to chomp through a huge tuberous sausage fruit
- all this is meticulously observed, written down and filed for future
reference.
Awed by the depths of Phil's knowledge, it almost came as a bit of
surprise that the giraffes didn't stroll up and shake hooves when we
came across them ("Morning Phil", "Morning Spot, how are the leaves
today?")! The first ones we saw were quite an elderly pair according to
Phil as he scribbled down undecipherable notes and checked the time.
They ambled majestically amongst the trees, benign expressions on their
faces as they thoughtfully chewed at the leaves. Talking quietly, Phil
told us his nicknames for each giraffe, how many calves they had had and
what they had been up to recently. The original pair were then joined by
several other couples who were accompanied by leggy, shy babies and Phil
told us their ages and at what stage they were at in their development.
We were all happily snapping away and the giraffes seemed perfectly
content to let us watch them without too much concern.
Heading back to camp for brunch, we came across what were, by now, all
the normal animals - pukus, zebras and monkeys. Behind us, now in the
distance, the giraffes slowly wandered off in search of new leaves and
way over beyond the river, we could hear a pair of lions roaring to each
other. This last walk really did round off one of the most memorable
holidays of my life and I knew that I had seen and done things in the
last ten days that would stay with me for ever.
Suddenly I had a tremendous reluctance to return to the city - maybe I
could stay here and retrain as a guide perhaps, or learn to heat water
to the correct temperature for a refreshing shower? Mad thoughts
assailed me all through the last excellent brunch at Kuyenda and our
farewells to Babette, Phil and Andy.
By the time we set out to drive back to Mfuwe airport, I was still
feverishly planning my future career as a bush babe. The beauty of the
landscape and the wholesome purity of watching animals without
interfering with their lives or habitat had exerted a powerful influence
over me.
Although realistically, I knew I couldn't live forever in an environment
where pizza delivery is an alien concept, part of me would always remain
in the Valley.
We had been present at a lion kill and almost touched a leopard, shared
a midnight feast with an elephant and romped with baby wild dogs. There
are very few places left on this Earth where you are allowed such close
and intimate glimpses into the lives of other creatures and I was proud
that I had been part of this trip. One thing was for sure - I would be
back soon, and next time, hopefully, with a Tarzan of my own in tow to
share the spectacular sunsets and very special memories.
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