Verney's Camp Wildlife Stories January 2026
Weather Report
Verney’s Camp and Hwange National Park experienced light showers almost daily for the first half of the month, while the latter half was dotted with thunderstorms. Mornings saw high temperatures and cloudy skies, only for the temperature to decrease when the rains arrived. Evenings were much cooler, giving both guests and wildlife relief from the day’s heat and allowing us to spot predators hunting in optimal conditions.
Thanks to the rain, the vegetation in Hwange is also thriving, bringing incredible varieties of bird species to the region.
‘Musth-See’ Elephants
Elephants are all over the Verney’s Camp concession, and every time we see them, we can’t help but think they are adorable. On our way to the Manga Airstrip, we encountered a lonely bull elephant during its peak musth.
This is an intense period when a healthy bull has a spike in its reproductive hormones. This could lead to as much as 100 times their normal testosterone levels. The bull tried to intimidate us in the vehicle, charging at us and scaring many of the passengers. But with some quick thinking, we realised it was a mock gesture. We slowly backed up, found some cover, and the elephant left us alone.
Elephants during the musth period must be given extra space, as their behaviour is unpredictable. But, as long as you keep your distance and respect that an animal of that size is not to be played with, incredible sightings may come your way.
Follow The Tracks
There were a lot of rainy days leading up to this game drive. The game in the area had been affected and moved a lot around the Verney’s concession. We drove quite far before spotting a massive herd of Cape buffalo tracks. We tried locating them, but to no avail. Since we were quite deep into the drive, we decided to take a short coffee break. After the break, the guide took a closer look at the tracks. They were in a tight group, telling us that the herd was under threat from something. They were close, we could feel it.
We backed up about 300 metres when one of our guests spotted a male lion within three metres. We reversed, giving it some space to calm down, but its focus was never on us.
The lion didn’t move from its spot, but as we moved on, we noticed more lion tracks. We were dealing with a hunting party. The lion that we spotted was left behind. It was playing its role; if a buffalo came running past, it would pounce and hopefully bring it down when the others came to help.
Verney’s Lionesses
It was a calm day when we went out for an afternoon game drive. We spotted dozens of zebras and impalas near the camp when a call informed us that two lionesses were in the area. We headed back to camp immediately and arrived at the perfect time to spot the pair watching the plains game grazing.
They were very interested in hunting, but the heat was not to their liking, so they waited for nightfall. We enjoyed watching them until dark and looked for signs of a kill. Hyenas hollaring, lions roaring, and even vultures overhead, but we didn’t find anything that evening or the next day.
January 2026 started Verney’s off on a magnificent wildlife spotting trajectory! Watch this space for more wildlife stories from Machaba Safaris!
Until next time,
Ophious
Verney’s Camp
