Wildcast

The rains held back today but their effects bogged me down.
I got reports of lions on the Binya road at dawn. Not having seen lions for some time I was keen to follow up, especially as I wasn’t sure where the dogs were. I have my own little rule, where I’ll nearly always go for the bird in the hand, as I did this time.

But there was no bird. I didn’t even find any lion tracks although some impala did come scooting out the mopanie. I followed up taking the chance that the black cotton soils would have dried up somewhat. And they had. Until a little patch found me and down went the vehicle. While digging myself out and putting logs under the tyres, I wasn’t sure if the lions were around. A good friend came visiting though, a Spotted Hyaena. They will always investigate anything new in their area. He, well I think it was a he, stood around watching my antics for some time before moving on, bored.

Having only just got out of there, another report of lions came in, different ones, much further north on the Binya road. Again I was out of luck. All I found up there were numerous vultures on their way catching thermals.

Mandlovu and her herd were back out of the ‘jungles’ of Malilangwe in the area of Chimbye but heading south. This area just south of the hills is sandy soils and easily traversable. But I only caught up to them in this mud wallow.
They are all well and Chipfongwe is becoming a real elephant by the day.
All well coated in mud the herd headed south into mopanie country and black cotton soils. I wasn’t about to risk it again and let them be.

It’s not so much the getting stuck each time that really hassles me, but when the vehicle bogs down like that it leaves deep damaging ruts in the landscape, an eyesore and ecologically damaging.
Right in the very east I found the dogs resting up near a lovely open pan. It was the ideal spot for them play in the water. Well it was ideal from my point of view for filming them in a great location.

The non-ideal bit was they too were on clay soils which were fine to get me in there, but when they moved on south, without having a play session in my ideal pan, I had to abandon them too.

Trusting the weather is clearing I hope to have more access into the clay areas and better luck tomorrow.