Friday, January 21, 2011

Wonky Tusk did walk through the lobby at Mfuwe Lodge!

Wonky Tusk did walk through the lobby at Mfuwe Lodge!



We were so fortunate to see Wonky Tusk and little Wellington. She comes any time, night or day, so can be difficult to catch. We missed her 3 times before we caught her one morning at 6 am! The wild mangoes kept her there for 18 minutes. Then she marched her family through the lobby and disappeared into the bush.

We also caught another family under the mango tree one afternoon, just as Jonathan Scott started his talk about the Big Cat Diary, filmed for the BBC in the Masai Mara, Kenya.


It was an intense week of photography lessons, by Jonathan Scott, and history talks, given by Phil Berry, the legend of the South Luangwa. We also learned about the Wild Dog Predator Project and the South Luangwa Conservation Society from Matt and Rachel, who run these programs. We even made a visit to the Chiwawatala School, which Mfuwe Lodge and Bushcamps support. We also visited Tribal Textiles.



But we never missed a game drive; we were out an hour before the regular guests and stayed out longer at night too. Tom and I shared this experience with people from the UK, Austria, New Zealand and Ireland. It was a great week. I hope they will offer it again next year.


One of my favorite photograph is this one of a Carmine Bee-eater with a bug in it's beak. They nest on the dry banks of the Luangwa River during the dry season. They dig deep tunnels into the sandbanks where they lay eggs and raise their young, who must fly out before the river floods during the wet season.


See more pictures here