Safari & Company - Safari Adventures Custom Designed

Chitabe Camp, December 2008

November-December is a hot and sultry time at Chitabe Camp - mid-summer - the first rains triggering an explosion in the density of the bush, turning the island on which Chitabe Camp is situated into a jungle populated by brilliant birds, and giant insects. The resident elephant population seemed to have vanished overnight chasing water and food elsewhere, only to come back eight weeks later in giant herds showing off their brand new little babies. In their place hippos patrol our camp perimeter at night, with leopards and the occasional lion for added intrigue.

Game viewing has been exceptional and I think the myth that game viewing isn't as good in the summer months has finally been debunked. The pack of twelve wild dogs continues to excite guests who've witnessed their skill at bringing down young impala. Two individual cheetah have been seen recently too. Leopard in ones and twos have been tracked and observed with regularity.

The two groups of three young male lions continue to hassle 'our' resident four females, who were recently seen hunting and killing a wildebeest in an act of apparent solidarity.

One group of guests were privileged to watch giraffes mating. Snake sightings include the black mamba, boomslang and the endangered African rock python. Bird-wise we've seen everything from the stately Martial Eagle to Rufous-bellied Herons, returning migrant Steppe Buzzards to the melanistic form of the Gabar Goshawk.

Photo credits and thanks must go to Monika Wolf, for her leopard and lionesses pictures.

Nick Green