The First Great Heffalump Hunt

Despite the short guest appearances on previous days, our hunt for elephants remains unfinished business. Zimanga has about 40, and it should in theory be relatively easy to find them, so that’s the initial focus of our morning game drive. We cross the river to the southern section of the reserve and find some evidence: broken trees and recent spoor on the road. After driving around for a bit we eventually see a large bull moving through the trees, and Tyrone manages to get ahead on a parallel route so that our paths cross in a large clearing. The elephant doesn’t want to hang around, but is happy to pass close to the jeep, so at least we get some good photos.

The search for a larger group, ideally with some youngsters, continues.

We abandon the hunt because a message comes in over the radio that the three male lions may be actively hunting. We hurry back across the reserve to the designated spot and find them. It’s very evident that the dominant male has eaten recently. The other two are less obviously full, and do seem to be following a group of wildebeest, but not with great urgency. The drive turns into a procession where the lions move a few yards up the track and then lie down for a bit. Then after a few minutes they rouse themselves to move a few yards more, and we follow until they need another rest.

There’s a brief flurry of excitement when two of the trio go off on a short side trip, and the other gets anxious until they are reunited. Initial nuzzling is supplemented by annoyed growling, but they quickly get back into their walk and rest routine.

In places the light is wonderful for portraits, but it’s not exactly edge of the seat stuff. Bloody cats…

On the way back to breakfast we see a variety of birds and herbivores. The afternoon and night are spent at the Tamboti hide, but to limited avail. Most of the night there’s no activity, plus as one of our party, who shall be nameless, snores like a jet taking off I get very little sleep.

Sod’s law, as I’m making a cup of coffee in the morning a rhino drops by, but by the time I’m at the front of the hide with camera ready he’s wandered off. Bugger!