Zimbabwe - Hwange National Park - Deteema Springs Camp

Change Of Plans

Generally, mornings at Deteema start with a delicious continental breakfast and a briefing on what activities will happen based on our guests’ interests. However, while we were enjoying our breakfast, a huge cloud of dust was seen coming from the Mopane treeline.

One of our guides took out his binoculars and saw that it was a massive herd of buffalos causing all the commotion. In an instant, a relaxed breakfast turned into an excited scramble to get ourselves into the safari vehicles to see the spectacular sight up close.  When we finally caught up with them, we witnessed over 500 buffalos drinking from the Deteema Dam.

You Sleep, I Don’t

August has been a blazing hot month. On one particular day, we decided to rest due to the heat, but as our guide, Ntandoe, always says, “Never plan on safari”. When we were supposed to be sleeping, we heard baboons barking and impala snorting. Our minds immediately jumped towards a possible leopard sighting. 

We collected our guests, hopped into our safari vehicles, and set out towards the source of the warning calls. When we arrived at our destination, we found the famous Deteema pride of lions snoozing near tent eight. It was an amazing feeling to introduce our guests to such a well-known pride and watch the adults sleep while the cubs played with each other. 

We’re In This Together

Masuma Dam has always got exciting things for us to see. From hippos fighting for dominance to teenage elephants pushing each other for the best drinking spot, there is always a sighting waiting for Masuma. This time, we saw something truly rare.

A lioness came to drink some water from the dam. While drinking, a group of kudu cows approached the dam as well. As if to agree with the lioness about the state of the sweltering heat, the kudus peacefully drank next to her. This shows that predators and prey can put their differences aside when conditions get unbearable for both.

Welcome To The Pride

Vultures are often a sign of an animal carcass nearby. So when our guides saw some overhead, that’s what they thought they’d find while walking towards them. Little did they know they would see two large male lions with full bellies. They stopped, watching them from a distance and staying out of sight. After watching them, they realised two new males had joined the Deteema pride. What an exciting discovery!

Refreshing

One day at the end of August, the nearby elephant families took full advantage of the drinking time. Water was coming directly out of the pipe that feeds Deetema Dam, and large elephants were surrounding the dam, drinking the fresh water to cool off from the mid-day heat. Seeing all the elephant families parading around the dam was a wonderful way to end the month.

Until next time,
Ntandoe
Deteema Springs Camp