Welcome to Zimbabwe! We moved from the lap of luxury to a bush camp surrounded by nature and tons of Elephants. We are spoiled in Europe and America by how easy it is to get from Point A to Point B. The distance from Thorntree River Lodge, Zambia to Somalisa, Zimbabwe is approximately 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) as the crow flies, but to arrive in Somalisa it requires multiple car transfers, a border crossing and a 50 minutes’ flight in a Cessna 182.
How to describe Somalisa? A bush camp with refined standards and a pizza oven. I was honestly surprised by the pizza oven, as who orders “Dominos” in the bush? However, I can say the “make your own pizza” was quite good, and we enjoyed the experience. It is hot and humid here. Multiple showers each day and you don’t even need hot water as the cold feels very refreshing. Yesterday, while taking a siesta, so good, we watched a herd of Impalas graze in front of our tent. Today, we are welcomed a herd of elephants at the pond right in front of the camp. Hard to beat the view of Elephants drinking water while sipping a cocktail.
Zimbabwe game guides are different than guides in Botswana and Zambia. How you ask? Well they encourage you to get out of the vehicle and stalk the elephants. When first suggested, we were a bit skeptical as the other camps all emphasized never leave the vehicle, but after three stalks I am glad we did. Safety is paramount, and our guide Trymore is with us each step, and ensures we know when to halt, duck, stand and continue. As you can see, we enter the bush packing some serious heat. Fortunately, never a shot has been fired in anger and the Elephants remain undisturbed. Trymore did share a crazy fact. Ammunition for his rifle costs $30 USD per round. I asked if he was firing silver bullets, as the typical round costs $1 USD. Guess this is one method of gun control. So now it is time to explain the blog’s title.
The Laziest Lions We have Seen to Date
We have observed lions in Kenya, Botswana and Zambia, and in each instance, the Lions are moving about, devouring game or playing, not so much in Zimbabwe. The first pair of Lions are affectionally known as Qantas and Half Tail. Why the silly names? Well it turns out that Qantas discovered how to get into the tourist’s luggage, searching for food, and the staff called him a Qantas Luggage Handler. Why Qantas and not Zimbabwe Airways? I have no idea. Half Tail is easier to understand, as he lost the tip of his tail in a fight with another lion. Each time we have seen these beasts, they are just laying about doing nothing. I swear they are teenage boys who refuse to leave home. Even the female lions are no better. Check out the pictures below to see what I mean.
Stalking Elephants
As shared in the intro, we are stalking Elephants…. I feel like Elmer Fudd when he says “Shhh. Be vewy, vewy quiet, I’m hunting wabbits.” That being said, Elmer was right, the first rule of stalking Elephants is to be quiet and remain down-wind. Before leaving the truck, we receive a safety briefing, the wind is checked, and then we head into the bush. If you are careful, quiet and patient, you can get within 15 meters of the Elephants. The most important consideration is if the male Elephant is in Musth. Musth is a periodic condition in male elephants characterized by increased aggression and a significant rise in reproductive hormones, particularly testosterone. During this time, they secrete a thick, tar-like substance called temporin from their temporal glands, which is often associated with their heightened sexual activity. Musth can and does spontaneously occur and we witnessed an Elephant go into Musth before our eyes. One minute the Elephant was safe to stalk and the next not so much. Basically, when the Bulls (male) are in the mood and looking for love, watch out.
On our first stalk, we found a bull, and slowly tracked him for 30 minutes over 420 meters through the brush. You have to carefully step to avoid dried branches and reduce any noise to avoid spooking the Elephant. At one point, we approached to within 12 meters, and the Bull started towards us. Tymore, always cool under pressure, erupted with his own challenge and the Bull veered away. Take a look at this specimen.
The following day, we stalked another male and crept very close. We also found a small herd of elephants with several baby Elephants. They were so cute, hiding behind their mothers. Elephants typically eat between 33 to 100 kilos of food daily, depending on the species and individual. They also require about 18 to 40 gallons of water each day, with some consuming even more. From what we observed, Elephants are eating and drinking machines, and can quickly deforest an area, using their tusks to scrape off tree bark and then eat it. They also poop about 150 kilos per day.
Last night the elephants entered our camp to visit us during dinner. They love to splash in the pond to drink and cool off. The bottom left picture is the “Day View” and the bottom right picture is where the elephants walked up to the deck. A surreal experience if I do say so myself.
Odds and Ends
Bugs, Bugs and more Bugs. The emerald season brings out tons of bugs, flies and other critters. You have to make peace; otherwise, you would go insane. Fortunately, mosquitoes are minimal, so we are good. Here are a few of the more interesting bugs and things we have seen. The top left picture is Mopane Worms. They are sautéed and then eaten as a snack; I must have eaten a dozen of the buggers, as they have a nutty flavor and crunchy texture. Top right is a random salamander that joined me for an outdoor shower. The feet are very cool, and it seemed to enjoy the free bath. As a shower buddy, I would rate it a 1 out of 5, and prefer Eunjae! Bottom center is a millipede. How it can keep all the legs marching in the same order is truly a mystery.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the outstanding team at Somalisa. Everyone made us feel special and went out of their way to ensure we experienced the best hospitality.
Final Thoughts
Somalisa grounded us again, and we experienced wildlife in a whole new way. Watching the Elephants up-close-and-personal was exhilarating, and provided a welcomed adrenaline boost. Being immersed in nature and watching the animals walk through the camp is a lot of fun. We are off to our final camp at Bumi Hills. It is supposed to be as nice a Thorntree, so it will spoil us again before we return to Serbia. We leave you with a perfect sunrise and a beautiful sky full of stars.
