Christina’s Journey Journal

Tag: lioness

  • South Luangwa National Park – Day 2, Zambia (July 10, 2024)

    South Luangwa National Park – Day 2, Zambia (July 10, 2024)

    The wake up call was early (5:00 am) but we had to be ready for breakfast by 5:30. Since it was dark, we were walked to the lodge by a watchman. We then ate and left at 6:00 am.

    It took about an hour but we found a place free from lions to do our walking safari. We brought along a scout, Kesius, who has a rifle. This is required on all walking safaris.

    Our crew for the walking safari

    The hour+ trek allowed us to explore nature that is difficult to see when you’re in a vehicle. Things like—animal tracks, termites, nests, trees/bushes, lots of dung and what the animals eat! We heard the lions roaring so went to find them in the jeep.

    Alec is explaining more about the diets of the animals via their scat (aka poop)

    So we went in search of the lions and here is all we saw!

    Wild dogs
    Catching up with the pack

    And we found them!

    Here comes the lion

    In this particular area, there is a Pride of 17 lions — two males and rest female and cubs. Here’s one of the males.

    King of the jungle
    Part of the pride having a lazy afternoon!

    We also had a surprise for brunch—a picnic overlooking the hippos!

    With our new friends
    Brunch is served!
    Delicious spread of food!
    Our bathroom…make sure you turn the sign to “Engaged”
    After such a fantastic breakfast, this is how we all felt. Nap time 😴

    Because we booked this tour through Smithsonian Institute, there were 4 lectures over the course of the trip that Robyn Keene-Young provided. The one this afternoon was about the sounds animals make. It was interesting to identify an animal by its sound—and learn what the different sounds mean (warning call, territorial, etc).

    This afternoon was another game drive at 4 pm and what a drive it was! It started with us having to wait for 500+ African buffalo to cross the road. As one of our guides says, these fellows look at you like you owe them money!

    500+ African Buffalo cross the road to get to the water. The older male buffalos are extremely dangerous. These “dagga boys” are unpredictable.

    Add on zebras, giraffes, impalas, lovebirds, hippos, warthogs, Vervet monkeys, a whole lot of beautiful trees like the Tamarind, Baobob, and Sausage Trees! It’s interesting to see how the impalas have a friendship with the baboons.

    The zebras were out
    Another gorgeous sundowner.
    A sundowner is a refreshing drink (typically alcoholic) taken at sunset in the African bush to end the afternoon safari game drive
    Our group from the Smithsonian Institute Tour

    After sundowner and we admired the colors of the sunset, the sky turned dark and was filled with so many stars and a crescent moon. Then it was time for the night game drive to look for those nocturnal animals—and we found a few more tonight: Scrub hare, civit cat, lion, and a few leopards.

    The leopard stalking their prey at night

    And let’s end with the story of the lion. He walked right beside the jeep, at night, as calm as ever. What an amazing animal!

    One more note I’d like to point out — our guides were outstanding. They’re highly trained for years before they become a guide. They are skilled in the animals and their behavior, in fact, they are highly skilled in all the floral and fauna of the area. They follow the rules of the park, value the safety of their clients, and the safety of the animals. They are environmental conscious and I saw them stop the vehicle to pick up trash more than once. To say they’re impressive is an understatement.

  • South Luangwa National Park – Day 1, Zambia (July 9, 2024)

    South Luangwa National Park – Day 1, Zambia (July 9, 2024)

    We were up before dawn, 4:15 am to be exact, to start the last leg of our trip from Botswana to Zambia! Here’s the route:

    1. 15 minute drive (via bus) to the border, dipping our shoes/tires (being cautious about Foot-and-Mouth disease). Exit Botswana and enter Zambia.

    2. Drive another 30 minutes to Livingstone, Zambia and take a 40 minute flight from Livingstone International Airport to Lusaka (the capitol).

    3. Wait an hour

    4. Take another 40 minute flight from Lusaka to Mfuwe.

    5. Finally, a 40 minute drive to the Mfuwe Lodge located within the South Luangwa National Park.

    Some facts about Zambia-

    *The country is really doing well! Lots of farmers migrated from Zimbabwe to Zambia and farming has boomed!

    *Zambia’s official language is English, which is used in education and business. The main local languages are Bemba, Nyanja / Chewa, Tonga, and Lozi.

    *The currency is the Zambian Kwacha

    *We are staying at the South Luangwa National Park, which is 9,050 sq km in size.

    *Our lodge is the Mfuwe Lodge (part of the Bush Camp Company) and it’s simply incredible. The people are amazing! They knew our names within the hour. There are no fences around the property so the animals can roam freely. At night, we need a watchman to take us to our room. We are NOT allowed to leave our rooms at night alone as we could find ourselves face-to-face with a lion or another predator. There are no phones and no WiFi in the rooms. All 18 rooms are named after an animal found in the park. I can stand on my balcony and admire the hippos, listen to the lions roar, and hear the elephants trumpet throughout the night. There is air conditioning but there are also fans and screens. Sleeping last night was extremely pleasant!

    Welcome to one of the most unique places I have ever stayed,
    Mfuwe Lodge
    There are two identical sides to relax and lounge
    From the deck of the lodge
    Pool view
    Elephant room where we stayed
    Inside our room (which we shared with a rather large spider who eats mosquitos)
    The deck on our room that overlooks the water
    View from our deck

    We had our first game drive from 4-7 with our local guides, Alec and Francis. Because the sun sets at around 5:30 ish, our drive included a night time viewing after sunset for those nocturnal animals! (One of the guides had a spotlight to look for those nocturnal animals. No light is shone on the non-nocturnal animals and very briefly on the nocturnal ones).

    Ready to go!
    With our local guide, Alec

    Highlights:

    We saw a leopard from behind for a few seconds in Chobe but here’s the real thing!
    We saw a hyena!

    We took a sundowner 1/2 way though, had some refreshments, and watched the sun set over the South Luangwa River while the hippos grunted and moaned (sounds like a cow’s moo). They do this when they’re marking their territory.

    The sunset with the hippos “mooing” and grunting in the background to protect their territory. Hippos leave the water at night to find food.
    Life doesn’t have to be complicated. Take time to listen to the hippos 🦛
  • Afternoon (and our last) adventure in Botswana (July 8, 2024)

    Afternoon (and our last) adventure in Botswana (July 8, 2024)

    We spent the afternoon (3:00-6:20) on another game drive in Chobe National Park. And what a game drive it was! We ran into a lion, lionesses, and their cubs. More than once. And the second time, we almost ran into her when we were on a break and out of the car! The driver said very quickly, “Get in the car right now!” She was on the other side of the trees. We followed this lioness for a while as she stalked her prey—an impala. She was intensely focused.

    Side note—it’s the lioness that is really the “king” of the jungle. She has the babies, cares for them, and hunts. They live in prides and the lionesses and their girl cubs will stay together for life. When a boy cub is around 3, they get kicked out of the pride to go find their own pride (and avoid inbreeding). Lions live around 10 years and lionesses up to 15 years and can have up to 4 babies at a time! Speaking of babies—we watched 3 of them playing together. The definition of cute!🥰

    Unfortunately, the day prior we saw a baby elephant that was sick. He had something wrong with his leg and walked with a limp and what appeared to be an abscess on his bum. Very sad as our guide said he won’t live out the week. He will be easy target for lions and other predators.

    The Elephants🩶 — playing, bathing, caring for their calves, trumpeting. I could watch the elephants for hours, for days…they are fascinating. Their behaviors, their culture, their elegance while swimming, the way they bathe and protect themselves from the sun. They may be #1 of the Big 5 for me. In Chobe they are around every corner—every few feet in some cases!

    But let’s not forget about the kudus—the males with their stately antlers and white stripes; the Impalas-the McDonald’s of the animal kingdom in Chobe as we saw hundreds!; the Zebras – not as dominant here but we may not have been in the right place at the right time; the Sables—another antelope with prominent antlers and more rare to see; a whole bunch of Guinea fowl; Giraffes —who seemed the most skittish around our vehicles; Hippos – lazily laying on the river front; Crocs—also being lazy on the river front; Baboons—what can I say, we descended from them and they are awesome!; Vervet monkeys-the cutest little faces but they bite; African Buffalo—one particular older male didn’t like it we drove by so we bolted!; Leopard—got the “tail” end; Fish Eagle—reminds me of the majestic American Eagle; and a whole lot of birds that I need to look up.

    And then there’s the sunrises and sunsets. I am not sure which is prettier and it’s like a competition, with each one more stunning than the next. During our time in Kasane, Botswana, we saw two sunrises and 3 sunsets. I will never forget them.

    Here’s the safari vehicles and how they stack up:

    • In Zimbabwe – Land Cruiser – smooth and very comfortable

    • In Botswana – Nissan Hard Body – not as smooth but still comfy

    • Upcoming in Zambia – Land Rover

    Tomorrow it’s on to a new country and another adventure as we start the last leg of our trip—Zambia! It involves a 40 minute drive (via bus) to the border, dipping our shoes/tires, and then a 40 minute flight from Livingstone International Airport in Livingstone, Zambia to Lusaka (the capitol). Another 40 minute flight from Lusaka to Mfuwe. Finally, a 40 minute drive to the Mfuwe Lodge located within the South Luangwa National Park.

    Facebook Reel from this afternoon:

    https://www.facebook.com/share/r/ahowq2HaZZjWAfJ1/?mibextid=WC7FNe