Kafunta - Day 1

Our wake-up call on our first full day at Kafunta was at 5:15 to be ready for a 6am set off and as it was still dark when we were ready to go to the main area we had to open the door, clap our hands and wait for an escort.

The usual tea/coffee toast/cakes was on offer and then we loaded into our respective vehicles and were off across the flood plain to the river itself which we proceeded to cross on a pontoon – great fun.

We had to get out whilst it drove down the steep, sandy bank and onto the pontoon then we clambered back up and watch two poor guys pulling on a metal cable to haul us across.  All the time being watched by wallowing hippos.

A few more sightings from today

Martial Eagle – Africa’s largest

Saddle-billed Stork

Warthog (Pumba from Lion King!)  As their necks don’t articulate, they have to go down on their front knees to dig flower tubers out of the ground.

Brown Hooded Kingfisher

Female Kudu

Water Buck (easily recognised by the white, toilet seat shaped, markings on its butt)

Impala (common as muck, but so sweet)

Elles of course

We came back to the lodge around 10:30 and brunch would be served around 11:15, meanwhile we had a quick shower and change of clothes.  Ian was sitting on the patio when this small herd of Elles came by – the little one was so cute.  In front of the main lodge there is a very wet area with lots of Nile cabbage growing (we subsequently found out they actually pump water into it to keep the area so wet – presumably to encourage sightings) and the little one had great difficulty wading through. 

This one just wandered into camp

After lunch we had time for a quick dip in the infinity pool (forgot to take a picture) but it was lovely; refreshingly cool and overlooking the plain.

View of our lodge from the plains.

After a couple of hours siesta we set out again and after crossing the river I managed to get this shot of a Lilac Breasted Roller – not the first we’ve seen by any means but the best shot so far.

More zebra – my favourite animal.  Apparently the reason they always looked pregnant (males included) is that their stomachs are full of bacterium which enable them to digest both fresh and dried grasses.  When the foals are born they don’t have any of the bacterium so eat their mother’s dung for a few months once they are weaned to get what’s necessary.

This baby one was lovely and didn’t seem to mind the ox-peckers on its back

This giraffe was so close, he only just fitted in the frame!

Carmine Bee Eaters – this colourful birds arrive in late August and burrow into the soft, sandy river bank to make their nests.  Practically impossible to capture one in flight.

The very rare, red necked, pot bellied Crook (I'm a fine one to talk!)

After sunset we saw this cat-like Genet.

And, finally, what for many would be the perfect end to the day on safari; a leopard up a tree with kill.  The leopard had managed to drag this poor female Impala up a tree and when we got there it was lying over the branch, head on side, back legs the other and with a gaping red, bloody, hole where its tail once was.  I did take photos but decided I wouldn’t ever want to look at them again so I’ve deleted them.  After he’d hauled the Impala into a different position I did take a few more.  The spot lights the trackers use make the lighting very harsh and of course it’s quite grainy due to the high ISO needed.

And finally lionesses, although the picture is dreadful!

After dinner we clapped our hands for the escort back to our chalet where the upstairs bed had been made up for us.  Although Ian was convinced we wouldn’t last the night up there, we both slept pretty well but the sounds in the night were amazing, loads of hippo, hyena and roaring lion.  The trip to the loo was a bit dodgy by torchlight but the experience was well worth it.