I was excited to lead this predator-focused safari during the dry months which is the best predator time in Zambia. We chose 3 camps in two national parks, hoping that the extended time would yield great rewards. Read on to see how it went!
Below is a photo-based account of the trip, separated into the 3 areas that we visited. If you want to see more ‘behind the scenes’ you can catch up with my daily stories on Instagram. Go to my profile page and then click the ‘highlight’ circle labelled Safari Diary: Exclusive Pan-Zambia Aug 2023 (1).
Tena Tena, South Luangwa National Park
Early morning in the Nsefu Sector. With very few vehicles around, which is a blessing, guides really have to watch the behaviour of prey species to get the best chance of finding predators. This area seemed quiet at this stage….
…but returning just an hour later, we heard the same antelope snorting and were just in time to position for this leopard moving across the floodplain, and jumping this channel in style!
I always like to stop and listen, and if there’s something fun to photograph at the same time, all the better. These hippos were wallowing in the shallow waters of the Croc River, one yawning in response to our approach and the other showing off an impressive raft of Oxpeckers!
One of the main attractions of the Nsefu sector was going to be the active wild dog den in the centre of the sector. True enough, the dogs were lounging around the den site when we approached and we knew that we would return here several times.
Luangwa’s famous ebony groves are wonderful for photography, especially when the light is strong elsewhere.
This female leopard has a very shy cub, which we didn’t manage to track down, but we had several encounters with her, notably when she had stashed a carcass in this tree.
We returned to the den site once more and were treated to the full gamut of behaviours from the adults and the pups. Adults scouting, playing with the pups and lounging in the sunshine. The adults set off hunting in the late evening and we elected not to follow. They returned soon after with gut-fulls of meat which they regurgitated for the alpha female and the 11 pups.
One bold puppy approached the vehicle and spent several minutes eyeing us up.
Back in those ebony groves, playing with light and shade and considerable exposure adjustments!
One lucky morning we followed two young male lions who were themselves following the sounds of giggling spotted hyaenas on the other side of the river. After a brief pause and scan, they walked into the river, fording it where it was shallow and then swimming the rest. The fast current carried them downstream towards the hippos and they almost didn’t make it across before they plunged into them….
Crossing the open plains is never a happy time for a leopard; she chose the most direct route, even if it took her right past this young elephant.
Lion Camp, South Luangwa National Park
This squirrel’s alarm call led me to their tree. There didn’t seem to be a threat (that we could see) so we enjoyed photographing them eating ebony fruits!
Carmine bee-eaters were starting to appear in numbers along the river; this one was partially obscured, and reminded me that we don’t always need a clear view to make lovely images….in fact sometimes the opposite.
The leopards of Lion Camp were superb; we saw them almost every day. This young male, his sister and mother were fighting with a hyaena over the remains of their carcass. The hyaena didn’t want to give it up, but that didn’t stop them trying.
Face off!
And then walking away in frustration, before being confronted by someone larger…..
I couldn’t resist the colours on show early in the morning in this forest…
Back with the leopards…this morning was a special one… firstly this male climbed up onto the burr on this tree…
….then played frantically with his sister for nearly 20 minutes….
…occasionally bowling her over!
Finally he took a walk, right out onto the water’s edge, some 300m from the shelter of the treeline!
Back in camps it was situation normal with the Lion Camp residents…
Superb light in the ebony forest. Shooting this baboon high up in the frame allows the inclusion of the flashes of gold in the bottom right, which would have been excluded with a normal framing.
The following morning was one of my most memorable on safari…watch the video below for more….
And who can say no to light like this!?
Anabezi Camp, Lower Zambezi National Park
Finally we flew to Lower Zambezi National Park where we enjoyed a bonanza of leopard, elephant and the occasional wild dog!
The first of our leopards, this female was concerned about the presence of a large male in her territory and was calling repeatedly and warning her youngsters nearby.
Once she deemed that the threat had passed, she started to call the cubs and there was a very moving reunion; she appeared to be concerned that one of them might have been injured. However, her tolerance didn’t last long and she quickly got fed up of their constant head-bumps and weaving in front of her!
Two is more than twice as good!
The leopard thrills continued with this female giving us an afternoon of climbing a variety of trees, scouting for prey and generally showing off!
We were able to play with light angles and work out the best possible positions for photos.
And finally this…..
An early morning encounter with a male leopard close to Anabezi Camp.
And later that same day, one of the young females had killed a large spotted genet and was parading it around…!
I love to show the sense of the place as well as the portraits, so we spent a bit of time talking about how to make subjects emerge from a shot, using light, shade, depth of field and colour.
An afternoon boating safari gave us elephant bulls cavorting in the river at last light; some of the best images of such that I have in my collection.
Finally, elephants feeding on the island at full moon!!
Textures and close ups….
…and then it was back to searching for leopards, like this spectacular moment in a large Winterthorn tree.
On our last evening, the wild dogs finally put in an appearance; they had been distinctly absent until now, mostly hunting at night under the full moon. We were able to get below them under a bluff and shoot against the sky, exposing for the sunset and silhouetting the subjects.
Our last morning gave us time for the leopards to put in another appearance…
…and the enjoy some time on the plain waiting for the wild dogs to appear (which they sadly didn’t!).
One last leopard sighting….
…and a meeting with the Lower Zambezi males rounded off the trip. It had filled the remit of a predator-focused safari, but we had enjoyed so much more along the way.
Thank you for reading to the end, and don’t forget to watch my Instagram for daily updates from the bush. Many thanks for following!
