Trip Report #21 (16 - 18 July): Flat dogs, Gilbert and the Leopard

We are informed on our arrival at Flat Dogs Camp that walking without a torch at night is prohibited and that night watchmen will accompany us everywhere.  We are requested to be vigilant at all times and reminded repeatedly (reinforced by signage everywhere) that wild animals are dangerous. 

I shrug it off as a marketing ploy for international guests having heard this before at other game reserves.  Anyhow, having to walk around with a night watchman does not sit well with my restlessness and stubborn independence.  I’ll try and remember to take a torch.

For my sins I am stormed by an elephant on morning #1 as I leave our tent to join Carl-Hein and our guide for an early morning game drive.  I also get cornered the same morning for an hour and a half in the kitchen by a grumpy elephant bull.

The view from next to the refrigerator

With resignation I cut unnecessary walking about, do vigilance and stick with Joseph the night watchmen from here.

This time of the year the camp offers a range of pods and fruits whilst the rest of the woodlands are succumbing to winter.  Three resident bulls, including Gilbert, a huge bull with no tail and perfectly even tusks, spend their winter break here annually with several more groups of elephant meandering through, stopping for a quick snack on route.  With the camp located on the river bank, Hippo also graze through the camp every evening. 

I realised to what extent I have been desensitized to the reality that these seemingly docile giants are far more than the friendly caricatures we see on tv and are in fact real and wild animals. And I recall stories of foreigners getting out of vehicles for close up photographs of Lions mating – with sudden insight I understand their ‘stupidity’ :-)

Crossing the Luangwa River into the reserve

South Luangwa is the first game reserve in Zambia opened to visitors by the local Chief Nsefu who collected the entry fees.  This inventive and progressive operation of tribal lands as a modern day game reserve is attributed to the chiefs association with Norman Carr, a local ranger and legendary conservationist known throughout Africa. 

It is said that as a result of this long exposure to game viewing, the animals here has grown tolerant and almost oblivious to game vehicles and therefore sightings are numerous and often up close and personal. 

We do four game drives with Allan, our enigmatic, seemingly sullen, knowledgeable guide with an incredibly dry sense of humour.  We see Leopard on three occasions literally next to the vehicle. We see lion twice, again next to the vehicle. We see a newly born bush buck still wet and gooey and faltering on his just-born legs trying to keep up with his mom.  We see the very elusive Aardvark. We see gigantic crocodiles, overstuffed from dinner, sunning themselves in preparation of more hunting.  We see giraffe and zebra unique to this area and clearly different from the South African versions :-).  Baby elephant, baby hippo, baby baboon, hippo chomping away on Nile cabbage never budging from the convenience of their ponds to have to graze on land.  We see a variety of birds including the very rare Pel’s Fishing Owl. And many more, far too numerous to list.

This is Africa at its absolute abundant wilderness best. 

Flat Dogs have discontinued camping during the peak season in favour of the high end accommodation options they offer. So we are FORCED (tough life) to live in relative luxury in their tented camp.  We spend roughly a quarter of our entire holiday budget here on game drives, park access fees, dining, accommodation and socialising with the wonderful team running the camp.  Without any regret. 

On Saturday we delay our departure with a last early morning game drive to look for wild dogs.  We have never seen them in the wild before, have always wanted to and there has been sightings during the last few days.  It requires a bit of dedicated driving to an area more suited to wild dogs, but this is not our lucky day.  The highlight  this morning is the rickety pontoon crossing that takes us on a faster route, outside of the Park and strict speed limits, back to Flat Dogs.  

We leave the camp after a last yummy lunch at the restaurant and drive straight into winter. 

The weather, which had been wonderfully balmy, even during night game drives, turns rapidly.  I guess the cold front is heading to the camp also, but in my mind the change in weather really embeds the warm fussy feeling I have for this place.  A special thanks to Jess, Adrian, Edward, Allan, Cathy, Paulo, Nelly, Sam and all the night watchmen :-) for making this such a memorable experience.  

We only travel the short, shoddy gravel road trip to Chipata from where we can tackle the long stretch to Lusaka early the next day.  

M-L