OUR FIRST GAME DRIVE AT DUMA TAU OR ANOTHER ROCKJUMPER FIRST
On our way to the main lodge, we were treated to the sight of a huge male elephant feeding outside right up against the railing of the boardwalk on the left side of our rooms. Luckily we were turning right. One of the staff was trying to get past the elephant and every time she did, he threatened to charge her. She took shelter near our rooms.
We met Rogers, our driver/guide at 5:00 and drove through some dry mopane woodland when a radio call alerted him to a pack of wild dogs with babies on the hunt. He asked if we wanted to see them. Silly question. Glen said this would be another Rockjumper first - two sightings of wild dogs in one day. Rogers took his time driving towards them and we were afraid we might miss them but Rogers stopped every now and then to show us bird life along the way. No Worries. He spotted the dogs through the underbrush and we drove ahead of them stopping on the road near a clearing. Sure enough, out pranced a pack of eight adult dogs with twelve pups. Glen had never in his life seen a wild dog pup and right in front of us were a dozen. The big camera came out and he got many good pictures and video. I did too, of course. We watched the antics of the babies while the adults lay down in a huge circle around them surrounding our vehicle. The pups were born in June and had just left the den to learn hunting skills from the adult pack members. We watched them biting each other's tails, somersaulting over each other, pouncing on each other. What a treat. Another win for Munson & Kingsbury Mammal Tours. All of a sudden the adults got up and decided playtime was over and we watched as they disappeared into the underbrush. WOW!!!!
We also saw giraffe, baboon, and different species of antelope. Saw an adult male lion with a huge black mane but he was on the other side of the marsh and it was getting dark and time to head for home. Rogers was worried that the lion was very close to the wild dog den and might prey on the pups. An adult had been lost the day before as the pack were hunting an impala which ran into the river to get away when two crocodiles leapt out of the water, one stealing the impala and the other snatching an adult wild dog.
Night had fallen on our way back so out came the search lights to look for eye glimmer and nocturnal birds and animals. We added a scrub hare, a bush baby or Southern Lesser Galago, a wild cat (looked as small as our house cats), Common Genet and Central African Large Spotted Genet (small cats with very long tails) to our mammal list for the day.
Once again, we opted not to sit at the group table and after doing our lists were escorted through the dining room to a secluded area a few steps below the main lodge areas to a deck where a fire was blazing and a table was set for us. For some reason, the fire didn't add to the temperature but only to the ambiance. We wined and dined in a candle-lit setting overlooking the lagoon. Perfect. Where is my thesaurus - I can't think of another word to describe it.
On our way to the main lodge, we were treated to the sight of a huge male elephant feeding outside right up against the railing of the boardwalk on the left side of our rooms. Luckily we were turning right. One of the staff was trying to get past the elephant and every time she did, he threatened to charge her. She took shelter near our rooms.
We met Rogers, our driver/guide at 5:00 and drove through some dry mopane woodland when a radio call alerted him to a pack of wild dogs with babies on the hunt. He asked if we wanted to see them. Silly question. Glen said this would be another Rockjumper first - two sightings of wild dogs in one day. Rogers took his time driving towards them and we were afraid we might miss them but Rogers stopped every now and then to show us bird life along the way. No Worries. He spotted the dogs through the underbrush and we drove ahead of them stopping on the road near a clearing. Sure enough, out pranced a pack of eight adult dogs with twelve pups. Glen had never in his life seen a wild dog pup and right in front of us were a dozen. The big camera came out and he got many good pictures and video. I did too, of course. We watched the antics of the babies while the adults lay down in a huge circle around them surrounding our vehicle. The pups were born in June and had just left the den to learn hunting skills from the adult pack members. We watched them biting each other's tails, somersaulting over each other, pouncing on each other. What a treat. Another win for Munson & Kingsbury Mammal Tours. All of a sudden the adults got up and decided playtime was over and we watched as they disappeared into the underbrush. WOW!!!!
We also saw giraffe, baboon, and different species of antelope. Saw an adult male lion with a huge black mane but he was on the other side of the marsh and it was getting dark and time to head for home. Rogers was worried that the lion was very close to the wild dog den and might prey on the pups. An adult had been lost the day before as the pack were hunting an impala which ran into the river to get away when two crocodiles leapt out of the water, one stealing the impala and the other snatching an adult wild dog.
Night had fallen on our way back so out came the search lights to look for eye glimmer and nocturnal birds and animals. We added a scrub hare, a bush baby or Southern Lesser Galago, a wild cat (looked as small as our house cats), Common Genet and Central African Large Spotted Genet (small cats with very long tails) to our mammal list for the day.
Once again, we opted not to sit at the group table and after doing our lists were escorted through the dining room to a secluded area a few steps below the main lodge areas to a deck where a fire was blazing and a table was set for us. For some reason, the fire didn't add to the temperature but only to the ambiance. We wined and dined in a candle-lit setting overlooking the lagoon. Perfect. Where is my thesaurus - I can't think of another word to describe it.
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