I do hope that you are all well, have had a fabulous weekend and are all sitting comfortably ready for the week ahead. To set you up for the week ahead we have something slightly different. We have a wonderful poem and photo from an afternoon in the Nkwali bar, which tells the story from Maggie Jephcott.

Billy was a bush snake living in the roof

Spending everyday being rather aloof

One day when no one was looking he slithered down the pole

And there was his friend Boris waiting by a hole

They raced across the wooden boards as fast as they could go

Until a human appeared and Billy said ‘Whoah!’

Boris decided it was time to leave the floor

But Billy said I must wriggle quickly right behind the door

There on the shelf sat many knitted toys

Hippos, giraffes, ellies and animal gifts for little boys

As the humans walked towards him enjoying the wonderful breeze

Billy decided the only option was to freeze

There was Billy acting as though from “Toy Story”

Sat quietly, not moving, a bush snake in all his glory.

Classic! – Maggie thanks so much for writing and sharing that with us, absolutely brilliant.

Moving away from time in the Nkwali bar and out into the National Park, Dennis and Imogen Collins-Thomas were recently with us to celebrate their 2nd wedding anniversary. What makes it even more special for us is that they actually got married here so it was a wonderful opportunity to spoil them rotten. The first stop on their agenda was Luangwa River Camp where Daudi guided them, and aside from a whole host of fabulous sightings there was one that stood out amongst the crowd. A pack of 4 wild dogs on a kill down by the waters edge. Quite often the dogs have a habit of doing this sort of stuff in thick bush so to be able to get such a clear sighting really was a treat. They sat and watched as the kill was devoured at the speed of light before the dogs, fully fat and sleepy sauntered off to find some shade to go and siesta and digest. Fantastic, and what a way to spend your wedding anniversary.

Aside from that mobiles has sadly finished for yet another year – it feels like the season only just started, the time seems to pass faster and faster each year. The team have had yet another incredible season of sightings and why not finish off on a high with Kanga doing the last safari and having some of the most incredible sightings of lion, elephant, buffalo and a whole host of other animals, on the last day there was a massive breakfast show. Whilst everyone was sitting enjoying the sunrise, some crispy bacon and a hot cup of coffee there was a sudden eruption as a bushbuck quite simply came piling out of the bushes on the other side of the river in front of camp. As if that sudden explosion wasn’t enough the reason behind the explosion became apparent as the poor exhausted bushbuck was being chased by a pack of wild dogs. Catching up to him and circling him despite the efforts of warding them off with flailing horns, the dogs eventually won and quickly put the bushbuck out of his misery and began a rather frantic feeding frenzy. All of this happening no more than a couple of hundred meters from where everyone was sitting. Talk about ending it on a complete high.

As for me, well nothing else can really compete with these stories so I shall bid you all a very fond farewell for yet another Monday and will catch up with you all next week when who knows what will happen. In the meantime have a fabulous week with lots of smiles and laughter.