31st. October

Our last full day at Flatdogs Lodge and an early morning, pre breakfast consultation on a program for the day. It’s decided. The morning will be spent visiting the Tribal Textiles co-operative in Mfuwe, outside the Park, and an evening game drive in the hope of spotting a leopard before we depart tomorrow morning.

Breakfast done, and on the road to the co-op, through villages and rural landscape.

On arrival we’re given a tour of the production line. All designs are created in-house, hand drawn on cotton fabric, painted with vegetable dies, and processed to fix the colours and render them proof against fading and running when laundered.

Then, inevitably, the co-op store! Hard to resist.

The road back to the Park, and evidence that creativity exists outside the co-op.

A touch more browsing in local shops . . . .

. . . and back to the Treehouse for a lunch break, Elephants, giraffes and warthogs all sharing the waterhole.

Off on our last safari in Zambia, an afternoon drive, looking for the elusive leopard. Plenty of other wildlife . . . my favourite, the Thornicroft’s giraffe – this particular species only found in this small pocket in Africa. Quietly grazing, and clearly content with her meal.

Meanwhile, African Crowned Cranes seek out their evening meal on the riverbank, while the Crowned Hornbill wait patiently for his dinner opportunity.

Then, just as the sun begins to sink below the horizon, our guide is distracted by loud cries of alarm from baboons. Surging forward in the jeep, he drives us to the spot, and there, deep in the undergrowth . . . .

four leopards! Our bush guide Robbie is very, very excited. He has only ever encountered a maximum number of three, and here are four! A male, a female and two cubs.

It appears they have just woken from their afternoon siesta, and being nocturnal predators, and getting ready for their night hunt. The cubs are more interested in playing with each other . . .

by which time, the noise of the baboons has attracted others on safari, and the leopards now have a keen audience.

Mother knows best, and the female rounds up her cubs for an evening of learning how to hunt.

They blend into the tall grass, as the sun finally sets over our last safari in Zambia.

30th October 2013

Another cool dawn, and the view from our beds in the Treehouse as the sun rises . . .

Out early on a morning safari. A cup of tea and a muffin, and in the jeep by 5.30am, the best time to view before the heat cranks up.

The Go-away bird....

Kudu...

The Eagle Owl, and Buffalo...

High 30s by mid morning, and even elephants take a nap in the shade.

Impala and giraffes browse, and hippos are always good entertainment as they wallow, snort and play.

Crocs are not immune from the heat, and this guy rests on the bank, motionless and mouth wide open not in the hope of prey stumbling in, but part of their cooling mechanism.

With the sun setting, kudu always find something to browse

and as we sip on sundowners overlooking the Luangwa River, we spy the biggest croc we’ve ever seen. We estimate, at least 5 meters long!

29th Oct. 2013

We’re settled in at Flatdogs Lodge for three days, a very different safari experience from Kafunta, although only a few miles down river.

We’ve the Jackaberry Treehouse as accommodation, an open, two-bedroom and lounge arrangement perched four meters from the ground around three mature trees, overlooking a waterhole. In fact, our very own animal-hide.

The water hole attracts all kinds of wildlife at dawn. First to arrive just as the sun peeks over the horizon are the giraffes. They approach very cautiously, watchful for predators. Their drinking stance is their most vulnerable position, and lions know this!

Meanwhile a Goliath heron flies silently overhead, ignored by the waterhole inhabitants

Finally the whole family arrives as other animals start to make their appearance.

Sacred Ibis and Yellow-billed Stork, Vervet monkey, baboons.

All so easy to watch from our vantage point.

Baboons demonstrate their vulnerability whilst drinking, but the Hamerkop doesn’t seem worried. Meanwhile the two newest members of the giraffe family make their appearance.

Finally the elephants, for whom we learned the collective is 'parade', not herd, make their appearance while the giraffes make way for them to take their turn. There seems to be definite water-hole etiquette. The Impala and Waterbuck fit in wherever they can.

Later we’re out on a driving safari, after the worst heat of the day. Flock of Lovebirds – how can people cage these sweet birds – red-billed hornbills, crested Guineafowl. Plenty to help each other watch as we stop for a sundowner.

Then finally, on the way back to the lodge, a chance encounter with an Verreaux’s (Giant) Eagle Owl, the largest of its species in the World!