Mahale & Katavi - Tanzania (see photo's in October)

Overnight the lake sounded very rough but thanks to the lake air we slept well. Our tent was very comfortable with two single beds and an en suite bathroom to which hot water was brought every morning at 7am.

Breakfast at 7.30am with fresh fruit, bacon eggs, toast and tea then once again we picked up our ranger, Orlando and headed out to look for the Chimps.

Today we would walk much further before finding them, but at least we would see more of the forest and some of the other species which lived here, such as Blue Duiker, antelopes the size of a small dog which live mostly solitary lives and are so timid and shy they bolt as soon as they see you.

It also allowed us to finally get a good sighting of Red Colobus Monkey which till now we had just seen fleeting glimpses as they leapt from tree to tree. Now we saw them more clearly we realised they had really adorable faces, like wise old men. One in particular was very relaxed lying sprawled along a branch with his legs and arms dangling down, his body was a taupe colour and looked very soft and fluffy while his head was red.

The Sun had yet to show itself but it was already very hot and we knew we were in for a sticky trek. As we started to climb a very steep slope we suddenly heard Chimps hooting from the tree tops ahead, a magical and exciting experience, it felt like you were in a Tarzan film. On hearing them Simon looked relieved as he told us often you will climb slopes like these for hours and still not see them, we just hoped today wasn't going to be one of those days. 

From their calls Simon reckoned the Chimps could be hunting, probably Colobus monkeys like the ones we saw earlier. Having now seen a Red Colobus we were silently hoping that this time the Chimps would be unsuccessful when suddenly four Chimps exploded out of the bush crossing the track in front of us. They had definitely killed something as one a big male had something furry in his hand and was swinging it around like a trophy, it is nature but we still felt sad when we thought of the lovely Colobus we had seen less than hour earlier.

By now the rest of the Chimps were in a state of high excitement, constantly whooping and hollering. The four males had disappeared into the bush and we could not follow, however very soon we came across a group of females and youngsters who were so relaxed that we sat down to watch them. It is hard to explain but there is something special about being part of a Chimp group, which is what we were, as they observed us just as much as we observed them.

Soon more Chimps arrived each greeted in true Chimp fashion with whoops and branch swinging. The boldest would look us in the eye as they passed by, we had been told to avoid direct eye contact and as each Chimp came past the Swiss looked away but as we were filming this was impossible so we kept watching and none seemed at all put out by this.

A couple of youngsters started to mess about tumbling and wrestling with each other, we thought it was great but clearly Darwin one of the senior males didn't as he went over and sat right in front of them. Instantly they stopped playing and began to groom him, you see in Chimp society respect for your elders is still paramount.

Mind you it is not all sweetness and light, Orlando, the ranger told us that if we looked carefully we would see that one of the youngsters had no toenails and sure enough he was right. Apparently when it was a new baby they had been ripped out by one of the adult males who had wanted to mate with his Mum but she had refused so he took his frustration out on the little one - we were also discovering how ruthless and violent Chimp society can be. 

We sat with this group for quite sometime then all too soon it was time to leave. We had already had more than our allotted hour and luckily as we walked away a number of Chimps walked ahead of us on the track so we ended up being with them for about two hours until eventually they disappeared into the bush and we continued alone back to camp.

At camp there was just time for a cooling shower before lunch, it was still very hot and we could hear Thunder behind the mountains so the rest of the day would be spent relaxing, swimming in the lake which now after we told the Swiss about the Croc yesterday we had all to ourselves!

After enjoying yet another stunning sunset with G&T's it was time for a shower before meeting the other's around the campfire on the beach for a few drinks before dinner. Tonight it was Beef Stroganoff with Crème Caramel for desert, we could certainly get used to this however sadly tomorrow we would be leaving but at least it was for Katavi, our favourite game viewing park from 2006. 

We awoke early and once again the lake was very choppy which did not bode well for our trip back to Kalilani in the ramshackle Dhow. Stanislos the cook, bless him, had prepared a full cooked breakfast to see us on our way but everyone was avoiding most of it in case we got sea sick.

As we left the staff came out to see us off, most had been at Mahale without a break since May and by now they were a bit stir crazy. In East Africa the short rains start in November and then tracking the Chimps becomes very difficult therefore most of the camps in Mahale close down from around mid October onwards. In fact we were the last group due in Flycatchers camp for this year so naturally the guys were getting leave happy.

Sure enough the Dhow trip was very rough, the local guy driving it seemed to know only one speed, full, and with the choppiness of the lake instead of a nice smooth boat ride it felt more like a ride on the big dipper! On a couple of occasions the boat oscillated so violently it really felt like we would turn turtle, luckily the hull was deep and all the bags were tied down but we had just had to hold onto to whatever we could grab and with no life jackets it was a bit hairy to say the least.

Thankfully two hours later we arrived at Kalilani in one piece and as it happened the plane coming to pick us up was delayed anyway so we had to wait a while. Eventually the plane arrived and by 11am we were taking off, at Kalilani take off is an  experience in itself as due to the proximity of the mountains the only way out is over the lake and the airstrip is so short it looks like the plane can't possibly get airborne in time, so you just pray the pilot gets you off the ground in time!

Touching down at Katavi was very surreal, what a year ago had taken us a whole day of very hard driving over rough roads (resulting in two broken shock absorbers) had just taken us forty five minutes by air!

At this time of year Mahale is green and humid with plenty of water, whereas Katavi is brown, hot and very dry. Exactly a year ago we had spent an unforgettable five days here sharing our camp with a host of animals including one night with a pride of 15 Lions so for us Flycatcher had a hard act to follow.

We were greeted by Nazeem the guide/manager for Katavi and a short drive later we were at their camp where a refreshing fruit drink awaited before lunch. The mess tent looked out over a mostly dry river bed (Donga) and over lunch we watched as a succession of Zebra, Giraffe, Hippo, Waterbuck, Warthog and Topi came by in search of water.

As requested we had been allocated tent 5, the furthest from camp, which suited us fine. We were due out on a game drive at 4.30pm but until then the time was our own to relax at our tent, being too hot to have a nap inside we chilled out on the verandha instead, already we were missing the Lake.

The view overlooking a vast plain was superb, Nazeem told us  that yesterday a Leopard had killed a small Topi out there, at first a Leopard hunting on an open plain seemed unlikely but we remembered this is Katavi and from last year we knew that amazing things can happen here.

It was still unbearably hot when we started out on our first game drive. We didn't know it till now but the Swiss couple had paid an extra US$100 a day when they booked their trip to have Nazeem and a vehicle to themselves which meant as we were the only other guests we had our own vehicle too - but for free, so happy days!

Our driver for the next few days would be a warm and friendly Tanzanian called Ernest. In his first season at Katavi he was keen to explore as much as we were which again suited us fine. We headed out and pretty soon came across a Topi with a very young calf hiding in the long grass. Topi are one of the fastest antelopes and Katavi has a high proportion of predators, especially Lion, so the little one would need all it's speed if it was to survive to adulthood.

Sure enough as we drove on we came across five Lioness relaxing under a bush watching the plain where the Zebra, Topi and Impala were grazing. It was far too hot to hunt but later as we were getting ready to dine by lamplight they would be getting ready to go out for dinner also.

The park was incredibly dry and soon we came across a herd of 20 Elephants gathered round one of the few remaining waterholes. At this time of year Katavi is at it's driest, with very few places for the animals to drink, it makes for great game viewing but is very hard on the wildlife especially the Elephants and Hippo who need a lot to drink. 

We continued driving for some way when a voice came over the radio, it was Nazeem, we couldn't hear what was said but he must have told Ernest not to go any further as we started to turn back to camp arriving just after 6.30pm. Pretty quickly hot water was brought to our tent for showering after which we relaxed on our stoop with a G&T enjoying the view.

As in all camps everyone met up around the campfire to enjoy a drink before dinner, dinner was three courses with more drinks so by 11pm we were ready for bed. As we started to doze off we suddenly heard a noise just outside our tent, looking out there was a Giraffe browsing on a nearby tree - it was certainly great to be back.  

Throughout the night we heard Lions calling from further up the valley in the direction of our old campsite. Nearby is the Ikuu ranger post and the main Hippo pool which at this time of year contains the majority of the water in the park hence the Lions tend to congregate there also.

A year ago we had one of the most memorable experiences of our lives when we shared our camp with a pride of 15 Lions and a big male walked out from behind Rupert as we stood at the doors watching the others, so this year as we lay listening in our tent we could well imagine what was going on over there.

At Katavi hot water is brought to the tent at 6.45 and at 7am we were sitting down for breakfast. Readers who have been on African safari's might be thinking this was leaving it a little late to go out on a game drive and they would be right. Nazeems view was at this time of year the game is so close to camp there is no rush, which is also true - however Nazeem is not a photographer so he doesn't consider the need to go out early to catch the best light.

As we we left camp with Ernest the Swiss went out with Nazeem each thankfully going our separate ways. Crossing the Donga Ernest said he wanted to first look for a Leopard which was seen recently in the forest. However it was no surprise when we saw nothing as Leopard are mainly active at night and soon after dawn are laid up somewhere, still not to worry it was just nice being back in Katavi.

We returned to the Katuma river, at this time of year the park's main artery, but at it's driest with large stretches having no water at all, or just in small pools where all the game gathers at varying times of the day. Hippo's and big Crocs monopolise the bigger pools, forced by the conditions to share the diminishing water which by now is absolutely fetid.

At this time of year the sheer volume of Hippo's per square foot of water in Katavi is truly unbelievable. Nowhere else in Africa have we seen anything like it, Hippo on top of Hippo, all jostling for any space they can get, for the Hippo's the Katavi dry season must be like a living hell. 

In contrast the Crocs are superbly equipped to survive even the driest periods. They make large caves in the river banks which they crawl in to keep cool and once there can put themselves into a state of suspended animation. We came across some of these caves where a number of Crocs had crawled in and they were so inactive we could walk right up to the entrance, I believe we could even have touched them without getting a reaction. 

When we arrived in Botswana in the 1980's the country was going through a 10 year drought and for the two and half years we were there the place was constantly brown and dry. At the time we just thought this was the norm, it was only in our last two weeks that prolonged good rains came and the President officially announced that the drought was over!

While there we heard of a croc who had become stranded far from water and who for years had been living in a cave in this state of suspended animation, not moving and virtually not breathing, just waiting for the rains to come back. Over time this Croc became something of a tourist attraction and many people went to see him although we never did.

Sadly and inevitably some bright spark decided to try and speed up nature by throwing in some food and splashing him with water. The story went that this sudden change was too much for the Croc's system and he died!

Nowadays Botswana has so much rain the bush is thick and green, unrecognisable from how it was then, in many ways we prefer the beautiful brown and yellow hues of the bush from those days, it was certainly a better time to go into the bush, but we digress.

The biggest problem with Katavi is the Tsetse flies, when we came last year we learnt to keep away from the forested area's as much as possible and didn't suffer too much but this year for some reason even that hardly helped as the buggers attacked us mercilessly.

People often ask us what can you do to avoid getting bitten by Tsetse and in our experience the answer is very little other than close all windows, put on the air conditioner and wait till you get out of the area. We also carry those tennis racquet zappers which stun them long enough for you to squash them but mostly you just have to grimace and bear it.  

The Tsetse this morning were bad but at least we were in a covered Landrover with a game viewing hatch so we could close them out but poor old Hans & Gratziella were in an open top game viewer and Gratziella in particular got bitten very badly.

Once again it was still incredibly hot by the time we started our afternoon game drive, first stop was to check out the main Hippo pool next to Ikuu and close to where we had camped last year. We pointed our old camp spot out to Ernest who was surprised saying he had never seen anyone camped there before, certainly from the looks of things through the bino's no one had been there since us.

As usual the main pool was choc a bloc with Hippo like sardines in a tin. Next to the pool the rangers have a bore hole where you can hand pump water into Jerry's, the water looks pretty clear but when we camped last year we wouldn't risk drinking it, using it for washing while we drank the water we had brought from Mbeya. When you see what little water the Hippo's have and how fetid it is you feel guilty not pumping some into where they lay but in reality it would just be a drop in a bucket.

We carried on along the Donga, this afternoon both vehicles had stayed together but whilst Nazeem eventually peeled off and headed back to camp with the Swiss we headed off with Ernest to find some Lion cubs we had seen earlier.

First we saw the three small cubs then high up in a tree as if on sentry duty we spotted a yearling cub! Lions are not bad climbers going up and he had done very well to get so high as the branches were thin but coming down they are more ungainly so it was going to be interesting to see how he would manage.

The sound of our arrival brought two Lionesses out of hiding obviously concerned for the cubs, immediately the cubs ran up to one and were greeted with much affection as they started to suckle. Seeing this stirred the yearling into action who very gingerly started to climb down the tree amazingly without mishap. Immediately he heads over to the Lioness suckling the cubs thinking he might get a piece of the action but the Lioness was having none of it turning on him so he quickly moved to the other Lioness who licking him all over was clearly his Mum.

It's great to watch Lions at this age as like all kittens they are very inquisitive and pretty soon the three cubs and yearling were around our vehicle looking up at us with great curiosity so it was with great reluctance when we had to leave them to head back to camp. 

That night we awoke to the sound of cracking branches close by and when we looked out we could see three or four Ele's in the moonlight browsing nearby but almost immediately they melted off into the darkness, we remain convinced Ele's have a sixth sense when they are being watched.

At breakfast we saw a big herd of Buffalo walking down the valley and reckoned the Lions must have been following them as they were very vocal during the night, maybe today we would see them hunt.  Meanwhile Nazeem was looking across the plain where he said there was a Leopard sitting on a termite mound, immediately we all jumped up but when we looked the mound was a mere spec on the horizon so it was impossible to see anything.

We half expected Nazeem to jump in a vehicle and go over to take a better look but he claimed when he tried that before the Leopard ran off into the long grass before he could get anywhere near it, so we remain sceptical of it's existence.

Across the Donga we could see five Lioness watching the Buffalo, we would have preferred to have stayed and check them out but Nazeem had the day planned that we would all go on to a place called Paradise Alley.

From Nazeems description we had a pretty good idea we had driven out to Paradise Alley last time we were here and knew there was little game but lots of Tsetse. Ernest was clearly edgy as he had to follow Nazeems lead so despite the fact we would have preferred to stay with the Lions we all headed out to Paradise.

The journey takes you along the edge of Lake Chada, a lake in name only at this time of year it had now become a vast plain of dry scrub grass. Along it's fringe lies thick forest which as expected was Tsetse ridden and lifeless except for a sorry group of Hippo hiding in the bush trying to keep out of the Sun. They must have been stranded here when the Lake dried out and as  it was miles to the river and the main Hippo pool their future didn't look good.

We reached Paradise around midday, it has to be said the area is very beautiful as here the Acacia forest gives way to large stands of Borassus Palm tree's lining a small mainly dry Donga or riverbed so it looks very Oasis like. We stopped to have a picnic but as we were setting up a lone Hippo appeared, he had come to drink at a small pool of dirty water but ran off when he realised we where there and went off again. The other's didn't bat an eyelid but we felt very bad that he had probably walked a long way to get here and now couldn't drink, we felt it was a bad choice by Nazeem to stop so close to the only water for miles, for the Hippo Paradise it wasn't. 

To top it all on the way back we found in our absence the Lions had killed a small Buffalo and we had missed it all so we were not best impressed. Back to camp for 5pm we showered and had just sat down on the stoop to enjoy a G&T, Sue in a sarong, me in a towel, when we saw some Buffalo emerging from the forest across the river bed. Next minute there was clouds of dust and the Buff were running hell for leather, then we see the reason why - five Lioness were in hot pursuit and very quickly they brought down a young animal.

Now there is equal panic in our camp as we rush to get clothes on and the boys run about saying Nazeem is going to drive over to see the kill, so hurry! Grabbing camera's we rushed out leaving  G&T's behind, by the time we reach the kill it is around 6pm so the light is fading fast, mercifully the Buff is already dead but his eye's are wide open in terror, one Lioness still had her jaws firmly around it's throat while the rest had already started to feast.

If you ever worried about being attacked by Lions then this was not something you would want to see. The Lions were ripping at the Buff's skin revealing the fatty under layers and pulling out entrails and the contents of the stomach amidst much snarling and growling. Normally seen as lethargic and disinterested they now looked demonic, if you ever underestimated just how dangerous these big cats can be then this was a good reminder.

Lion's tend to eat from the backside in to reach the tasty organs first so this was not a pretty sight, especially just before dinner! The rest of the Buffalo herd had stopped a short distance away and were looking back, something we have noticed before, I must say if I was them I would have been long gone! Hyena's, having heard the commotion were already starting to arrive, hovering just out of harms reach as the Lions ate.

Luckily it was a full moon so we had quite good light to see by as no one had thought to bring a torch! We stayed with the Lions till 7pm then it was our turn to go eat, two Buffalo kills in one day, one we witnessed one we didn't, but at least Nazeem was forgiven! 

As we ate we could hear the Hyenas circling the Lions, who were growling and snarling in the darkness. This seemed to get the Hyena's into even more of a a frenzy which is when they start 'laughing' and by the sound of them a great many had arrived by now. This prompted Nazeem to tell a tale where once he had found a dead Hippo with approx 240 Hyena's feasting on the carcass, again it sounded a bit far fetched but who knows.

Later back at our tent we sat on the stoop listening to the Lions roaring, Hyena's laughing and Hippo's grunting, it was bliss, Katavi had delivered again.

Tonight being a full moon the valley and the plain was bathed in  a silvery light enabling us to see the outlines of the animals moving up and down the river bed. Some Impala were quietly grazing and as we watched a Hippo come into view happily munching on the grass.

Suddenly we heard a vehicle approaching and saw a spotlight darting backwards and forwards across the valley. Night driving is not allowed in Tanzania's national parks so who the hell was this? They drove past and it was only later we found out it was a Japanese film crew filming Hippo for Japanese TV. We don't know what they got on film as they only succeeded in badly frightening the guy we had been watching so he ran terrified into the bush and never came back! Between the Chinese road building poachers and the Japanese ineptitude it will be a miracle if any African wildlife survives into the next century.

Our last day in Katavi started badly, Nazeem was obsessed with finding a Leopard, we think at the behest of the Swiss, so we drove in the two vehicles through the forest. We felt it would be a waste of time as we left camp too late and in our experience you see Leopard at dawn or dusk and usually by pure chance never to order but nevertheless we soldiered on as the Tsetse proceeded to bite the shit out of everyone.

In the dry season the forest does not hold much game anyway so after seeing just a small herd of Buffalo, a few Giraffe and a female Bushbuck we decided enough was enough. At the coffee stop we told Ernest we wanted to head back to the river in search of the Lion, a safer bet and away from the dreaded Tsetse to boot!

Nazeem and the Swiss carried on in further search of Leopard while we headed back to the river and pretty soon it paid off as we found two Lioness relaxing on a termite mound. Suddenly one got up and started walking up the track, the other soon followed and we slowly followed. Rounding a bend we found a big male Lion with another female, all four greeted each other before the first two Lioness continued up the track, leaving the male and the other Lioness alone.

Obviously they were a mating couple and on closer inspection we realised the male was none other than 'Herron' one of the four adult males we had seen last year. With his Mohican style mane he is unmistakable as he is not the handsomest Lion you will ever see!

It was great to see he was still around but this prompted the question what had happened to the other males? Ernest said he was told one had been killed by a Buffalo, one by another Lion and one was unaccounted for. Male lions form alliances to fight off intruders and so far we had seen a total of 10 Lionesses, three cubs and a yearling but Herron was the only adult male, without the other males he would surely struggle to retain his pride and territory once new younger challengers showed up.

After staying with Herron and his partner for a while we moved off to follow the other two Lionesses again, as we were looking we spotted a medium size herd of Buffalo in bush and then suddenly there was a great commotion as dust flew everywhere and the Buff stampeded into the bush,  then the Lionesses emerged obviously having tried to ambush one without success.

Our last afternoon game drive in Katavi, Nazeem and the Swiss headed off into the forest in search of Leopard but we are on a mission to try and find the Lion cubs and the yearling we had seen two days ago. Beyond the old bridge we soon find Herron and three Lioness under a bush but no cubs, we stopped and waited hoping the Mum with the cubs would turn up then eventually one of the Lioness got up and walked behind us, was she looking to hunt?

Suddenly we hear low moans and growls and then spot the three cubs and the yearling, they had been hiding behind a termite mound all the time and clearly the Lioness had now deemed we were not a threat and had gone to them. Driving round the mound we found Mum feeding the cubs and the yearling with his Mum. After feeding the cubs decided it was now playtime but who should they play with, I know let's go and annoy Dad!  

All three troop over to Herron, he snarled a bit but more in affection and then they are jumping all over him and trying to bite his tail. The interaction between the big male and the tiny cubs was wonderful, we never tire of watching Lions in the wild and learn new things all the time, what most people think is a savage beast is very loving and affectionate to his family.

One cub in particular was very playful, hiding in the grass then pouncing on the yearling who was patiently putting up with him but you almost see he wished he had some of his own age to play with!  Suddenly the little cub hears something down in the donga below and creeps to the edge to investigate, we crane our necks and see a small heard of Ele's have just arrived to drink from a small pool.

Suddenly on spotting the cub one Ele trumpets loudly which immediately brings over the other two cubs and Mum who comes to see what all the fuss is about, spotting the Ele the Lioness gave a very loud growl which only scares the shit out the cubs who race back to Herron. Mum continues to snarl and growl down at the Ele's, clearly very protective of her kids but this only winds a young Ele up even more and he mock charges the bank and trumpets even more, eventually Mum decides she has made her point and returns to the cubs whose fault it was in the first place as the poor Ele just wanted to drink!    

In all the commotion we realise the third Lioness, the one who always seems to be  looking to hunt, had wandered off, so now we had Herron, the Lioness with the three cubs and the Lioness with the yearling, the adults chilling out while the cubs played. Suddenly we heard a sound like a deep growl or a cry, hard to say which but the Lions have also heard it and are up on their feet. In the distance we can see a cloud dust of dust and once again some Buffalo running, clearly this Lioness fancied beef tonight!

Immediately the two Lioness set off running in the direction of the Buff and even Herron stirs himself although he moved at a more leisurely pace, obviously expecting his girls to sort out supper for him! The yearling and the cubs are also up but interestingly they know instinctively not to follow, this is adult stuff.

Now we have a dilemma do we stay with the cubs or follow the adults, we decide the latter and bush bash across the Donga following Herron, the Lionesses now running hard into the bush. Heading into the bush we reach a track but no sign of the Lions or the Buffalo, looking down the track we can see a large truck stopped at the side of the road and going closer we see it has broken down with oil cans everywhere and the rear axle on the ground!

Suddenly between us and the truck Herron emerges from the bush, still not rushing he stares at the truck for a minute then calmly carries on into the bush and out of sight. The three guys   with the truck seemed oblivious to the Lions presence, one sitting on the track although we noticed his mate was staying on the roof!

We drove up to guys and they told us they had broken down yesterday with a broken axle and where expecting someone to come tomorrow to help them, they had lit a fire but had little else to sustain them. We never cease to be amazed at the equanimity of African truckers who drive beaten up vehicles into the bush then calmly sit for days sometimes with hardly any food or water till help arrives, no panic just another day at the office!

We warned them about the Lions and gave them whatever water we had with us as they were in for another uncomfortable night poor sods.  By now the Lions had disappeared but on driving back to camp we met a vehicle from Foxes, another up market tented camp across the river bed from Flycatchers.

The driver told us he had seen one Lioness attack a Buffalo then another Buffalo came over and attacked the Lioness, he didn't know if the Lioness was hurt in this attack but clearly this was the one who had wandered off. He said two other Lioness then appeared and pandemonium broke out as the herd stampeded and that was the last he saw of them and the Buff.

At dinner we re-united with Hans & Gratiziana, the Swiss couple, who had continued in the forest looking for Leopard, still unsuccessfully. Hans was putting on a brave face saying he was not that interested in Lions but we could see he was a little put out when we told him what we had happened on our drive, to top it all Gratiziana's arm had swollen up very badly with all the Tsetse bites!

We never did find out what happened to the Lioness or the truckers, presumably they all survived but it had been a great end to our last day. Back at our tent we grabbed two tonics and sat outside with G&T's looking out into the darkness, where for all we knew Herron and his ladies were prowling!