Project3sixty5Jan25

Our last elephant picture in our elephant theme is this photo of a mother and child, taken in the southern Kafue National park in Zambia. Kafue is a vast park and closed in the rainy season (December to about May) due to the inaccessible roads. Nanzhila Plains is a lovely place to stay in Kafue – a small camp miles from anywhere – and it offers both tented accommodation and chalets. For visitors to Nanzhila and the southern Kafue area, a visit to the David Shepherd elephant orphanage is really special! Follow this link to see more on the David Shepherd project in the Kafue: http://www.davidshepherd.org/project/000002/crime/

Project3sixty5Jan24

In keeping with our post of yesterday (Project3sixty5Jan23), we are staying with elephant. These large bulls, wallowing in the Savute channel, were seen from the deck of Savute Elephant Camp – managed by Orient Express Safaris. The camp was built on the banks of the dry Savute channel but – as the channel is now flowing again after several dry and dusty decades – guests are treated to spectacular sights of elephant drinking and cooling off while they sip their gins and tonics from their wooden verandas!

Project3sixty5Jan23

 

There is always something magical about seeing elephant moving in line – as in this picture of a breeding herd. The Savute area – where this picture was taken – is a superb area for large herds of elaphant. The Savute Channel – dry for many years – filled with water 3 years ago and the pans and marshes in and around the Savute Channel abound with elephant! The marshes have also attracted many waders and water birds and being in Savute these days is like being the Okavango Delta!

Project3sixty5Jan22

Roan antelope are seen quite regularly in the Linyanti area of Botswana. This young male was seen near Zarafa Camp inthe Selinda concession. It was seen sparring with another male and injured, had retreated into this waterhole for safety. As you can see, the curved horns are extremely sharp so head butting males can inflict deep wounds on each other. Males face up to each other usually when competing in territory for mating rights with females.

Project3sixty5Jan21

Power failures are quite common in Botswana – especially with load shedding so it has been difficult keeping to our daily blog! We apologise for the loading of blogs a few days late! Today’s picture is quite a contrast to many of the others – a tranquil evening on the beach at a little known village on the south coast of Kwa Zulua Natal in South Africa – Southbroom! The ‘Hibiscus Coast’ – as the south coast area is affentionately called – is very busy in the summer months especially at Christmas time. Southbroom – with only a few self catering houses and a tiny shop – is in a leafy area srrounded by a golf course and a peaceful haven compared to the hustle and bustle of the coast further north!

Project3sixty5Jan20

This weaver was photographed in the grounds of the Uroa Beach Resort on the eastern coast of Zanzibar. Can anyone identify the species? Could it be a brown headed weaver?

Project3sixty5Jan18

This beautiful cat was seen near Lebala Camp in the nortern Linyanti area. It is not often we see leopard in the open during the day – perhaps this creature had been distrurbed by lion activity in the area? What a stunning cat anyway for today’s post!