Standing Elephant at Mana Pools…

I came across this bull at about ten in the morning so none of that glorious light! He was very polite and let me take photos although I kept my distance (I have a very healthy respect for Elephants!)

He is tagged with a collar (you can see the square thing sticking above his head.) and has learned how to stand on his hind legs to get at browse higher up than trunk-height.

He even allowed me to take a video! I was brave enough to get out and cower behind the car to take this video

I love the way he gets himself in perfect position before he stands. I guess its because he cant afford to waste any energy when food is scarce – and worse, fall! Imagine all that weight landing badly!

 

 

At the long pool at Mana Pools…

I decided to spend the day at the Long Pools – just watching the world coming and going.

Sitting there, I saw a bushbuck walk along the sand to get water:

Later, I went walking around this pool. Standing near a bank, a bush-buck just walked straight towards me – it was a magical experience – to be so close to a wild animal as beautiful as this one:

She looked right at me, and then just carried on walking, directly towards me!

The greatest thing at Mana Pools, for me, is that one can walk in the park. You have to get a permit and I also paid for a guide! That is not obligatory!

I’m not sure I breathed much while I took those! I was having to pull the zoom into the camera with each step she took

 

 

Mana Pools – kudu…

I took these photos while on my guided walk. I paid for an armed National Parks guide! Ok, I’m a woosie, so sue me!

The last pic here was taken at the pool very late in the evening…

 

Mana Pools…

 

Early morning on the Zambezi…

 

 

Dawn at Mana Pools…

I woke up very early in the morning (after sharing my camp site with a herd of buffalo!) to this view:

The sounds begin very early – the birds, the early morning hippo grunts. I even heard a ground hornbill, but that was very early in the morning, maybe 3.00am?

 

Mana Pools..

I’m told that hippo yawn as a sign of aggression – well, I’m not sure why he felt threatened, but I kept my distance!

 

 

There are a lot of hippo in the Zambezi – I always marvel at people who paddle the river in canoes or kayaks – I have a healthy respect for hippo!

Mana Pools

I’d paid for a night at this camping spot, so I took a drive down there to check it out – I didn’t want any surprises!

There wasn’t much going on – everyone seemed to be asleep!

This is taken at the mouth of one of the many streams that flow into the Zambezi River. In that opposite bank is a carmine bee-eater colony. They fly over, delighting with their awesome colours, and athletic manoeuvres. I don’t have a pic, I’m afraid, they moved too fast for me and my zoom wasn’t big enough to capture them as they come out of their nests.

I spent a lazy day here, just driving short distances from the camp site.

…watching as the light slowly faded and the heat dissipated somewhat.

I wanted to get myself all set up before dark.

Mana Pools camping…

Foreshuwa, Africa is not for sissies and I could feel that, as I set up my camp for the night, all alone on the banks of the mighty Zambezi, where wild animals are wild! I don’t use a tent, I usually just sleep on the top of the hilux, with a mozzie net tied to a convenient tree.

From this safe vantage point, I took this photo! I love the sausages, hanging down as the last of the sun shines from around the bend in the river.

Just before it got dark, a herd of buffalo just strolled into MY camping area ….!!!!!

Found somewhere they liked to sleep…

…and settled in! The cheek of it!

Watching them, in the fading light, I realised that they are just like cattle! They smell like them, sound like them! And I also realised later, why they invaded my camp site. Half way through the night, lions came to visit and the buffalo just moved closer to my car! That pretty much freaked me out! My “high” vantage point wasn’t that high when lions were around and my mozzie-net pretty thin protection!

 

I took these as the sun threw its fading light on the clouds and the still water of the Zambezi River

Mana Pools Buffalo…

A buffalo bull taking a very slow walk to water!

 

Mana Pools Light…

There is something very special about the light at Mana Pools – its sort of blue!