Time seems to rush by faster and faster each month.. Either a great sign that we have been exceptionally busy or could it really mean I am getting older?

We have had a fantastic past couple of months and I know our united team has helped this all be possible. As new members to the team Conrad and Retha have immersed themselves in camp life and I am sure many of you have been in contact with Retha over bookings. Retha has taken over reservations but I am always on hand if you are old friends coming back or anyone wanting to get hold of me directly – my new email is patsy@wildlifezambia.com. (but this address is not checked on a daily basis) Conrad has been teaching the children and now will be moving into the role of campsite manager. Conrad will also be helping me do the news letters /website and other office duties. Dora and her kitchen crew received some help – as new ideas are always inspiring – from “Simon - the chef from Switzerland” The dynamic duo immerged themselves in the kitchen, testing new recipes, much to the delight of Herman and the kids. Dora has also been involved with the new bedcovers and helping keeping the camp looking its best.

Zambia is known for the term “make a plan” and we always seem to be able to transform anything into something new – and how well this goes with our ethos of minimum impact on the environment. We have made the following improvements to the camp, where possible using existing buildings and materials: A new reception and two offices were created in what once was a self-catering kitchen and the old office is being transformed into new ablutions. Our splendid campsite is undergoing an enlargement and the bush camp is now open again and has an additional shower and a new fire-place. Our entrance road from Mfuwe to the camp has just been graded. Herman is the man behind the scenes in most of the camp and vehicle maintenance and without him the camp certainly would not run as smoothly. As many of you know we operate under the auspices of the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia (WECSZ) and through your support of the camp we now donate a monthly sum of US$4000 to the WECSZ. A new Youth Centre is in its final stages of development under the watchful eye of the Chipata Branch of WECSZ. Further details of the WECSZ will be coming up on our website which we are upgrading at the moment.

Allan & Sharon Gray from Scotland came to Wildlife Camp as guests in March and returned here in May as friends and school-builders. A tour of Mfuwe village during their March-vacation convinced them to rake together enough funds to build a school in Mfuwe. Together with Wildlife camp guide turned project coordinator, Sylvester, the school now has a roof instead of tree branches to protect the students from the blistering Zambian sun.

My two banded-Mongooses, Fin & Goose, which were matchbox big in March, have turned into young and energetic insect-munching characters, much to the delight of guests and staff at Wildlife. Their territory has increased to include the whole camp and they have never failed to keep me amused with their antics as well as teaching all of us a lot about these social creatures.

Now before I delay the sending of this out any longer let me wish you all the best for the remainder of the month!

Kind regards
Patsy

And over to Conrad and the rest of the team:

As I sit in the new office, working on this letter from Zambia, a family of elephants wander past. Their matriarch has been here for longer than any of us, and she has experienced the changes in Luangwa valley more intimately than any of us. It is she who should be writing a letter about nature and her glorious mood swings, about man and his enthusiastic ventures but as I am the one with the laptop let me type about some of the happenings in and around camp:

The clouds swallowed their rain and left.
The grass went from bright to pale.
Flocks of birds at a time have made their ways to Europe.
The Luangwa river drew back to reveal the scores of trees that she drowned with her might merely two months ago.
Mud has turned into dust and rivers have turned into roads.

As always, our visits into South Luangwa National Park – whether it being in the early morning or at night, in a Land Rover or on foot - have made for many clicks of cameras that came from all over the globe to see nature at her very best.

Through a French lens there was a young python repeatedly snapping at the front tyre of Philemon’s Land Rover. Through the lens of lucky Americans there was a complete lion vs. buffalo brawl which ended in a successful night for the cats and a long feast afterwards. A camera-lens from Belgium captured a leopard stalking two fighting impalas and eventually bringing one of them down without a pursuit. A Japanese lens clicked to reveal a crowned crane defending her offspring from hungry baboons and a lens from Germany photographed Wild Dogs playing in a dried-out lagoon at Lupunga. Angry elephants, hilarious monkeys, lazy crocs and breathtaking sunsets; we had it all during the past few months

Wild-dogs are always big news. Whether someone catches a glance of these elusive creatures, or even just finds a spoor, the news is big and travels through the guiding community like wild fire. Sylvester – one of our top grade 1 guides – was lucky enough to spot five dogs waltzing right through camp early one morning. Minutes later the researchers were on the scene, but by that time the dogs was long gone, but the news surrounding them was big indeed.

Often you can hear people say that the small things in life are what really count. True as this mantra might be, when it comes the Luangwa valley, or any other wild piece of Africa, the big things are what really get the blood racing.

This month’s pick comes from Sly and Su’s Land Rovers. After bush buck hors d’ oeuvre the pride of 17 lions wanted more and set off in the direction of 600 buffalo, conveniently grazing nearby. A brilliantly executed strategic hunt saw them split the herd in three. They then picked out the biggest old bull they could find and took their time in cautiously forcing him to the ground. Unexpected to the lions, the poor buffalo, the guides and their guests, a couple of hippos decided that the lions were too close to their territory and started running at the cats in an effort to chase them off. Hell broke loose, but after a while the lions regained control over the situation and the night ended with Sleet and co. feasting away at their deserved kill.

By the way, The Mfuwe-pride of lions – seventeen of them altogether – are all still doing very well. Led by Sleet, the dictator, this pride has done very well for themselves during the rainy season and are all in excellent condition heading into the deadly summer. They also, have been the stars of many photos.

Kind Zambian Regards

Wildlife Camp

Ps: Sleet the Lion now has his own Facebook fan page. Follow daily updates of the Dictator’s whereabouts and find out how his pride copes with the deadly summer that is fast approaching.