15 June 2009

It’s been a week-end of non stop sightings for our guests here at Katuma Bush Lodge. It all started for the honeymoon couple on their drive into camp soon after landing at our airstrip. They got 4 large bull elephants, 3 or 4 hammerkop fishing off the backs of hippo, several sightings of very large crocodile and just before arrival in camp they got 4 lionesses, with three cubs suckling on the one female, accompanied by a large male.
They arrived at breakfast the next morning, very excited that they had sat quietly in their tent and watched an elephant feeding on a tree so close that if it wasn’t for the tent they would have been able to reach out and touch it.
Other sightings the newly weds had during their stay include: buffalo, bohor reed buck, two male hippos having a bit of a territorial dispute, several matriarchal herds of elephant, some with young not much older than a month. They got a beautiful sighting of 3 juvenile Verreaux Eagle owls. One of the things our guests noticed here was that they were the only vehicle out there. What a pleasure being the only people at some of these sightings.
But the best was still to come. This morning which just happens to be the day of their departure, the kind couple thought that a lay-in and a late breakfast before departing would be the perfect morning. Well that was not to be. Just as it was getting light our neighbourly lions decided to kill a Topi not far from our main area. We were all up watching the action. The four females had made the kill and were introducing their three young cubs to it. Hyena, white backed vultures and marabou stork all added to the atmosphere which made an excellent sighting.
Our guests departed very happy people, but sadly . . . . . we miss them already.
Asante sana –ingi
Kind regards
Geoff Mullen.