SIGHTINGS REPORT AND PHOTOS FROM BUSANGA KAFUE GUIDED SAFARI

Well what a couple of weeks we have been enjoying out here in the Zambian Bush. Our first guided trip in to the Kafue was simply fantastic not just because the guests all had a great time enjoying our

informal style of safari and staying in the camps which we carefully choose as our bases but because the wildlife sightings were varied and interesting. From Ants to Elephants the Kafue did not disappoint. The first afternoon in the bush we took a gentle boat trip on the Kafue and immediately the camera's were clicking as Elephants

crossed the river in front of us, of course Hippos were everywhere and the birding was spectacular, with the sun low in sky as we approached camp we spotted a Leopard at the river side.
The Kafue is a beautiful place.
The antelope species sightings alone included : Roan both in breeding herds and bachelor's sparring , Red Lechwe in vast numbers on the Busanga plains, Puku, Oribi, Impala, Sable, Hartebeest, Wildebeest who were giving birth all over the place, Kudu, Common duiker and Sharpe's Grysbok. A highlight for me and the guests was an encounter with a large herd of Elephants on the plains as for many years Ele's would only cross at night to avoid human contact but now with careful approaches they remain on the plains, sightings were exciting and interesting with a number of mock charges as we approached from protective family members but when dust settled we saw family ties being reinforced and sat quietly listening to the low rumbles as they communicated with each other.

Whilst staying with Tyrone at his camp on the Plains we had one of those special nights, which started with an encounter with the Elephants, then a great sighting of Serval, then back in camp for a bucket shower and drinks around the camp fire as we chatted I noticed a Lechwe alarm call in the darkness close by as i reached for my torch a Puku alarm and as the beam reached the plain we could see antelope running passed just 20 mtrs away with a Lioness in chase I just had time to turn to see another Lion spring from the grass ahead of the stampede taking down a poor Lechwe, we retreated a little way to out dinning room from where we ate dinner with a spotlight

on the Lions as the feed very close by. The week ended with days at Hippo Lodge where the riverine woodland provided a contrast to the plains and where we encountered not just Lions (from landrover & on walking safaris) but Buffalo and a huge Croc on her way back to river from her nest site. The birds here are always varied from raptors to finches another highlight was a spectacular pennant winged nightjar.

If you would like to know more about this safari or join one of our safaris to the Kafue please feel free to get in touch
Regards Tony McKeith

NEWS ! Wild Black Rhino Sighted In Zambia

We are so happy to be able to pass on a report of a sighting of truly wild Black Rhino in Zambia's remote North Luangwa, spotted by a guide from Mwaleshi and guests , they first thought they were looking at Elephants in the distance but soon realised they were looking at a mother & Calf, naturally they were massively excited and reported the sighting immediately.
These rare Black Rhino were last seen in Zambia in the very early 1980's when they were poached to extinction. Since 2003 a re introduction program was set up by the Frankfurt Zoological Society who brought back Rhino to a 300 km sq boma in the north, north Luangwa. Living wild the Rhino suffered some natural deaths but also 3 completely wild calves have been born, monitored closely in the boma the Rhino now appear to have moved out in to the great wilderness and this sighting marks a change for the north , safaris will not be the same again. We have always promoted the north as one of the last great wilderness destinations, an achingly wild place with hardly any visitors yet dramatic wildlife. We have lots of experience of safari in Zambia and the Luangwa valley as a whole, we often use Mwaleshi camp as our base in the North and also the few small camps which operate here, so please feel free to get in touch to discuss a safari to the North & South Luangwa.

This photo was taken by Tony on a visit to the Boma in 2005

Amazing safari facts and a quiz to test your self.

Did you know:

We know Lions mate often and for a (relatively!) long time. But why ? Well it turns out that the Lioness has evolved a strategy which requires her to mate continuously for a several days before she is able to actually conceive. The reason is that for the Lioness to be sure the male Lion is suitably strong and dominant to pass on his genes and so to produce equally strong healthy cubs, the male lion effectively proves his worth by being able to physically mate for a long period and also during that period his dominance is proven by his ability to fend of the attentions of other males who may also be attracted to the Lioness in season.

Why not test yourself with a fun and informative safari bush quiz click here to visit our friends at Remote Africa with who we offer some fantastic walking and bush camp safaris in remote parts of Zambia. click here http://www.remoteafrica.com/quiz.asp
Let us know how well you do.!

WE HAVE ADDED VIDEOS

We have added some interesting video features to bring you
even more info that may help you decide on a destination for your next safari.

Visit our Kenya - Lewa Conservancy safaris and our featured Norman Carr safaris in Zambia and

enjoy the sights and sounds of these two great safari destinations.

NEW CHOICE OF SET DATE & GUIDED SAFARIS

http://www.busangasafari.co.uk/categories/set-date-guided-safaris-in-zambia.html

With so much interest in our guided/escorted safaris we have decided to add a few more to the list to give our guests more choice. We sticking to only offering safaris that provide something unusual and special. Our guests can expect great wildlife in some wonderfully remote and wild places, like the North Luangwa and the Kafue in Zambia.

Each safari is escorted from the moment you arrive iat destination by one of our very experienced team who will ensure everything goes to plan but to also to help you get the most from your safari and be able to relax and concerntrate on enjoying the wilderness and varied wildlife we hope to encounter.

Please visit our website and we look forward to having you along on one of our set date escorted safaris.

LATEST NEWS & WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS

Hello and welcome to our short news update. We plan to try to add news and interesting sightings to this link on a regular basis.
There is a lot happening at the moment. The safaris which I am guiding in September are attracting a lot of bookings and are nearly all full but we are looking at adding new dates for this season and will certainly be adding more dates for next year, Set date & Guided safaris will be a big part of our future plans including Green season safaris in Zambia. We will continue to add carefully picked and arranged new safaris which give our guests the opportunity to enjoy only really interesting and varied wildlife safaris.
Our very latest safari ideas include A safari to see the Great Wildebeest Migration staying in a temporary bush camp operated for us by the same team who provide camps to the film crews and photographers that come to the Mara and need good guides and access to the heart of the action. Also great value offered for a 10 night safari staying at 5 camps to explore the South Luangwa in Zambia, our guests rave about this safari and we think that doing this at the end of the dry season as the bush cries out for rain is an exceptional experience.

Have a look around our website for inspiration but do feel free to call to speak to us we are around 7 days a week and always happy to hear from you.

With the dry season beginning to settle in and more guests heading of on safari the reports of interesting and unusual sightings are starting to come in. Tyrone (our man in the Kafue) has been keeping us updated " Set off with guest for game drive in late afternoon, we spotted 3 Cheetah hunting Impala and watching close by were 2 Lionesses probably hoping to steal a kill and not far away Hyena watching the Lions !. Later I spotted a family of Bush Pigs these guys are usually so hard to find. Soon after we found a pair of mating Lions. Later with the spotlight I picked up a Leopard hunting a Puku he was relaxed but we kept distance and left him to it. Back to camp and amazingly we had Leopards mating outside Chalet 3 and if that was not enough 2 Lionesses passed right through camp after dinner for all to see..."
In Botswana The consistently high flood waters have helped to caused the Savute channel to continue to flow. This will mean game and predators will move into the drier areas adjacent to water as the dry season goes on and drama will unfold. Wild dog were the main focus of excitement this month. The guides in the Kwando concession have discovered the den site of a pack of four dogs, and nine puppies. The three adults were seen regularly on Kudu kills as they constantly hunted to feed the alpha female and her young. Guests have been lucky to have been able to visit and observe the interaction between dogs and puppies throughout the month. Lion were also extremely active in the region, and among individual sightings, a pride of 5 Lions and 2 cubs killed Warthog, Zebra and a Giraffe all within the space of three days! The first Buffalo herds have also begun to arrive from the wetlands to the north as the rainwater filled pans begin to dry out.

Good bye for now.

Tony

The Migration has arrived in Kenya. Stay in a real bush camp as used by film/TV crews .

The crossing points on the Mara river have already started to see the first zebra and wildebeest herds push across drawn by the promise of fresh grazing. The noise and movement on the banks immediately alerted the crocs who wasting no time are taking there annual toll and the Cats are also beginning to see the start of the time of plenty. This is early for the migration to occur and very exciting time for visitors. This year we at Busanga are teaming up with a specialist mobile camping safari outfit who usually provide facilities for film crews (BBC ) visiting the Mara , and will be offering safaris for those who wants to avoid the crowds, staying in a real bush camp which will be built in a key location and will operate for just one month (Aug) before being dismantled , leaving no trace. We will keep you updated with a featured safari on our website and we will also be sending a news letter .
If you would like details sooner please call Tony +44 (0)1628 621685