I’m beginning to realise how lucky we’ve been with the wild dogs up till now. Again at dawn they were in their hide out in the hills well out of reach in a vehicle. But for the last 4 months we’ve been lucky to have them denning in the mopanie, an area freely accessible, and so allowing us to document all their goings on.
With them in the hills there’s not much I can do while they’re resting all day and then they’re hunting at night at the moment. So that’s them basically out of reach. Well not from tonight when we’ll be waiting for them to come down from the mountain and hope to join them on the hunt. That means back to night shift!
With the dogs out of action it was still early when I headed down to the Chiredzi River to find a huge herd of buffalo numbering 400 to 500 strong. They weren’t too happy to hang around with me trailing. Standing like soldiers lined up in their ranks they were staring me down and testing the wind.

The wind changed, they caught my scent and stampeded, thankfully in the other direction. How the little calves don’t get trampled is a miracle. The buffalo took off into the dense brush leaving me with clouds of dust to contemplate.

In the mopanie woodland on the lower Chiredzi the elephants have taken destruction to a new level. The bulls, equipped with such strength are pushing over tree after tree to get at any green leaves. Such massive destruction comes about when elephant numbers get out of hand as is the case in large parts of southern Africa.

This bull was feeding on a mopanie tree with the bodies of other trees lying around him. It was like being in the middle of a war zone.

And inquisitively making his way around all of this was a little Four-toed Elephant Shrew. (Well of course you wouldn’t expect a Lion shrew would you?)

Cooling off in the afternoon I was down at Malilangwe dam. Again I went walking up the Nyamasikana riverbed, which was truly pleasant although I didn’t get to see much. A lone kudu bull crossed the river ahead of me always on the alert, always hesitant to make the next move. And so majestic too. I sometimes wander how these animals get through life when they’re so highly strung expecting danger around every turn. I’m glad I don’t walk around the bush feeling like that. I’d have to be on all sorts of medication to survive the stress.
Walking back to the vehicle I passed by a young elephant bull feeding on the top of the bank. He wasn’t too phased with this thing trespassing past him.
In the shallows at the top end of the dam a Marabou Stork was standing sentry watching and waiting for fish to come in range. Then right next to him a small crocodile popped up. Neither was concerned about the other, both waiting for dinner to be served.
At least I know mine is served!