Verney's Camp Wildlife Stories November 2025
Weather Report
This has been one of Verney’s Camp’s wettest Novembers in recent memory. The 175mm of rain we received had a profound effect on the environment. Trees came back to life, the dry, golden landscape became a lush shade of green and natural watering holes sprang up all over Hwange National Park. The area’s wildlife naturally began to spread out, leaving us with lots of incredible scenery to traverse between animal sightings.
Wild Dogs in Hot Pursuit
As the sun was setting, we noticed some unusual visitors at the watering hole near camp. It was a pack of nine African wild dogs, and they were ready to hunt. We alerted the camp via radio of a sighting in progress, and in that moment, pandemonium ensued. Kudus and impala ran for their lives, trying to escape the incoming threat. Suddenly, all the animals vanished into cover.
We looked around, hoping to continue the awe-inspiring scene. Then, without warning, the kudus started fleeing from behind one of our tents with wild dogs in pursuit. One kudu made a mistake and jumped into a natural watering hole. That slowed it down enough to let the wild dogs catch it and start feeding before it even drew its final breath.
Signs of a Kill
We were on our usual morning game drive, looking for any sightings that might pique our interest, when we found buffalo tracks just past Manga Airstrip. We followed the tracks and noticed some vultures hovering in the sky a short distance away. This told us that there might be a carcass nearby. We drove to their location and found two male lions who had each killed a buffalo! We watched the pair feed, speechless at the amazing sight unfolding right in front of us.
Cheetahs on the Hunt
During a game drive, we tracked down two male cheetahs on the hunt. Their bodies hung low to the ground as they stalked a herd of impala. The air around us felt electric. We held our breath as the pair crept closer and closer to their prey, muscles coiled like springs.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered as the cheetahs burst into a full-speed chase. The impala scattered while the predators weaved and accelerated, trying to catch just one from the herd. Unfortunately for the cheetahs, their prey slipped away. Leaving them panting and wanting their next meal even more.
Elephant Mud Bath
Elephants are some of the most majestic creatures on the African continent…and also one of the most mischievous.
We were watching a breeding pair of elephants playing in the mud when a massive bull elephant appeared. It also wanted to play in the mud and gave us a great show of it. As we were about to leave, the large bull also left, pretending to walk away.
After waiting 10-15 minutes, the bull elephant was only 15 meters away. It sucked up some mud and sprayed us twice, giving us an unexpected yet exciting mud bath.
Verney’s surprised us with plenty of incredible sightings this month. We can’t wait to tell you what we’ve seen this December.
Until next time
Stanley, Trust & Connor
Verney’s Camp
