Kwetsani Camp - August 2008
09 Sep 2008
Weather and Water Levels
While the August winds did appear, the month has continued to produce some wonderful weather. The evenings in particular have been extremely warm and very calm and as we reach the end of the month it appears as if spectacular spring weather has arrived.
At current water levels we are set for continued boat transfers from the airstrip and boat rides to Hunda Island for a few more weeks. As always guests have had the opportunity to enjoy wonderful mokoro trips through the papyrus-lined channels and open lagoons.
Wildlife
The birds are returning to our floodplains and island - it has been wonderful to see the enormous flocks of Open-billed Storks wading in the retreating floodwaters where they snatch up freshwater mussels and snails, which they handle with the greatest of ease in their specially adapted bills. As the sun starts dipping below the horizon, hundreds of them are seen taking to the air in search of an appropriate roosting spot for the night.
The wilderness always produces new and exciting events; each month produces its own unique sighting and experience. August at Kwetsani Camp has produced an event that is one of those experiences that will be in our minds forever.
This experience happened one evening where, as usual, a cosy welcome fire was burning in the boma at the entrance to camp. On returning from their activity most of the guests had taken the opportunity of enjoying a drink around the fire. They had been chatting for a while and had decided to make a quick stop in their rooms to drop off cameras and freshen up before returning for dinner.
Just as guests Bob, David and Larry returned from their rooms, a huge commotion broke out in front of camp below the main deck. We immediately recognized the growls and snarls of lions and hyaenas; an enormous hyaena had decided to attack Broken Nose, one of our resident lionesses and her sub-adult cub. A brutal fight ensued.
Anne, who had been waiting to receive guests at the fireplace, immediately ran up to the deck to witness the ferocity of the contest between the two predators. She immediately summoned Bob, Larry and David to come watch. What transpired was completely unexpected: under attack the lioness decided to turn and run from the hyaenas. Finding the entrance to the camp, she immediately headed up the stairway seeking a place of safety. Just imagine the surprise and absolute amazement when Anne and guests stood face to face with the lioness at the entrance to camp. The lioness briefly looked up, growled and dashed past them in fear, onto the deck. Without a word, and themselves acting in blind fear, guests made a hasty retreat. The lioness took a minute to pause and contemplate her next move, seemingly surprised to find herself where she was. The lioness then headed along our raised walkways where she sought refuge in the outside shower of Tent 5.
Needless to say adrenalin was running high in our guests who by now were gathered safely in the main area. With everyone behind closed doors we flushed the large lioness out of the shower, back down the walkway and out onto the plains. Little did we know that the hyaenas were lying and waiting for the moment the lioness left the safety of camp. When she did, they immediately attacked and again had her on the defensive where she was forced to seek refuge, this time high up in the branches of a water berry tree in front of Tent 5. Here she remained encircled by four snarling hyaenas.
With the lioness now held captive in the tree, guests and staff used the elevated wooden walkways to take a closer look. The poor lioness crept higher and higher up the tree, at each stage trading snarls and growls with the relentless hyaenas below. We all had concerns that this could be Broken Nose's last night. We left for a belated dinner while the standoff continued and still had the four hyaenas lining the edge of the plain around the tree when everyone finally went to bed.
With much apprehension everyone headed out the next morning to follow the tracks and to see if they could find evidence of any serious conflict. Luckily none was found, guides and guests returned beaming with smiles - they had found Broken Nose and her cub, reunited. (Thanks to Jacques and Dominique for this wonderful picture of the two after their night of terror.)
Our resident leopard, Big Boy, also seems to be getting far more habituated to vehicles and the camp environment. We have seen him fairly regularly this month; perhaps the most exciting was for our Italian honeymooners, Stephano and Anna, who were lucky enough to get a sighting of him while out on a walk one morning. Nick and Cheryl snapped this picture of the massive leopard that was lying near the baobab tree after gorging himself on a bushbuck. For nights thereafter his saw-like coughing has been heard frequently around camp.
Each month we have guests whose experiences go beyond lucky. This month the lucky couple were Dominique and Jacques who spent four eventful and fun-filled days with us. Their list of sightings goes on and on: leopards on Hunda Island, Broken Nose, our resident lioness, and her cub, the "new" lion pride of three and so the sightings went. The cherry on top of course was the visit "into" the camp by Broken Nose.
Hunda Island has of course continued to offer wonderful sightings and tranquil boat rides back and forth. As usual, zebra, wildebeest, elephant, ostrich, giraffe, buffalo, leopard and many other species graze, browse and hunt here. The baby giraffe suckling from their mothers is one of the wonderful sights to watch. We have also discovered a litter of hyaena pups that are now safely denned in an old termite mound where we are being careful not to disturb them.
Then there are some that see wonderful sightings that are sometimes difficult to accept, like the sighting of a leopard jumping, head first, off a high branch, to snatch a steenbok that was browsing peacefully under the tree. For guests Jordi, Mariana, Marti and Robin, this was beginner's luck but they returned from their outing a little sad as their emotions took over.
That very same morning we had just witnessed the first steps taken by a tiny bushbuck that had been born hours prior. It was wobbling around its mother's legs when staff noticed the baboons approaching. The mother snorted and ran a short distance, leaving her fawn hidden under some dead branches, hoping to lure the baboons away from it. At first it appeared as if the fawn would stay put but sadly it chose to follow its mother, leaving the safety of its hiding place. Within seconds it was snatched by a very large baboon right before our eyes, a very sad sight to see. Being omnivorous, it is not unheard of for adult baboons to feed on young animals and birds.
All-in-all August has been a month of extraordinary sightings.
-Warm regards from the Kwetsani team-
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