A penny for the number of times that the word “unprecedented” has been used in recent weeks….! However, current global circumstances certainly justify that description; there is no blueprint, no prior experience to draw on (except for the recent experiences of other nations) and certainly no one to consult. This makes for very worrying times where Google doesn’t have the answers and there is no way of buying a solution.

I hope that you are all safe and taking whatever measures you can to protect yourselves and your families from illness, and from the severe restrictions that are being placed on life in general. From where we stand, we see the Governments of European countries taking bold steps to curb the spread and protect the people; their response may not be perfect, but I generally feel that they should be commended for bravery in the face of a monstrous challenge. The provisions for businesses to help them through the crisis is also most impressive and shows an understanding that businesses ARE communities and one cannot be provided for without the other.

Zambia could well learn from that. Too often business is seen as the enemy of the people, just making profits and protecting its own interests. In fact, of course, businesses are made up of people and they provide employment, incomes and support to them. The Zambian government should stop seeing business as a source of endless funds, and start to view it as a fundamental driver of prosperity in the country. I am sad to say that there has been little bold leadership in Zambia in the face of this crisis, and I fear the people will suffer the more for it.

It is for this reason that I am asking all my guests who have safaris booked for 2020 to consider paying their final balance payments on the scheduled date in 2020, even if the tour is postponed to 2021. We will not keep these funds. We will immediately pay them on to the camps which will accommodate you when you travel here, but which are, at the moment, simply trying to stay afloat and look after their staff. Your payments are absolutely crucial in ensuring that these superb operators will still be around in 2021 when we want to visit these areas once more.

So far, we have postponed (to 2021) the tours of most of the guests who were due to travel with me in the first half of 2020. Most have made their final payments to us and enabled us to send immediate payments on to the safari camps. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that we are supporting them and their staff in such a tough time and I wanted to share that with you all – thank you. We’re all in this together.

Before I go, I wanted to leave you with some images of spotted hyaenas, the most maligned of all bush residents. I can see the problem: they trail behind the big cats in appearance, their abundance makes them less record-worthy than other predators and they do little to help with their eerie and unusual vocalisations. But, while they might never be endearing, they are of course, interesting, charismatic and essential in the bush ecosystem. Here are a few images and captions to explain.

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

This is surely how we think of hyaenas; waiting, bloody-faced, on the margins of large carcass, hoping that they’ll get their share.

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

Often, the spoils available are the discarded parts that big cats are not interested in!

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

Youngsters, such as this one from Liuwa Plain, retain a long fluffy coat that soon thins and shortens with age.

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

Being highly social, it’s not unusual to see small groups of hyaenas socialising and greeting, especially in the early evening. These three are congregated around the scent mark on the grass stalk that the central hyaena is examining.

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

Dragging off a prize!

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

This youngster strayed into another clan’s territory and was soundly punished for it.

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

The very unusual sight of a hyaena carrying the tail of an elephant back to the den.

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

Sometimes hyaenas are set upon by larger or more numerous predators; but their tough hides and strong necks make them highly resilient.

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

In high leopard density areas, hyaenas are often found skulking around the base of a tree, waiting for the spotted cat to drop scraps while it feeds.

Wildlife image from photo safari with edward selfe in south luangwa national park.

It is a highly distinctive shape, recognisable anywhere by that sloped back and strong neck.

And finally a great video of hyaenas taking over a buffalo carcass from a male lion:

All the best and stay safe.