Walking with Lions and Leopards

Zambia’s

South Luangwa National Park is at the end of the Great Rift Valley nanadtioitniasl tpharrokutghathtihse9m05e0ansdqeurairneg-kilometre Litusaonxgbwowa Rlaivgeorofnlos,wtrsi.bTuhteariievse,rr, iwveitrhine ewhlueogpoehdcalaonntd,cbseunaftnfradaltooio,plneesnopopfalarwdini,lsdli,lopifnlea, gyinisrchalufofdseti,ntgo hocthavipepeptrLao4ui.n5.a.i,n0nAgsfnwpatcaeotcnii6nieo0saGrsoopafuembnciiirdtedts1o. o8,Pwf3om2hrteasunamgiwdum…erasi’tlGeianasnmgedaoefof tawhllialkdtitnahndisismdisaisvlstercricoytlalaebpcuptnehdaearnset…t…owgbereectahtnenoruinmclhybesesartys of iSncoatntimshaml lisfesiofnanry,wDeavhiadvLeivseinegns.’tIonn1e,8u6p6o, n crossing the Luangwa River, said…’I will make this land better known to men that it mimapyobsesicbolme teoodnesocrfitbheeirtshlauuxnutrsia. Intcies.’ wWaelkwinergesianfaSroiuwthithLuoannegowfathfoermaotshtrexep-dearyt safari guides to be found in Zambia, Deb Theitrtlbee. lWt, iDthebovhears2b,e5e0n0 gsuaifdarini gwianlkSsounthder Latubanotghwiantseinrpceretthineg1t9h9e0sigahntdsiasnedxpsoeruinednsceodf the bush and at understanding, anticipating acanmd pex, Mplapinaiznig, iasnoinmeaol fbtehheanviooruthr.eDrneb-m’sonsetw cgampesdirnivtehelopoaprskf,ofuarndbefyuortnhdetrhseobuuths.yThis itshearneuanrdeifsetwurrboeaddpsaarntdofetvheenpfeawrkewr pheoreple… ptrearnfeslcattfeosrfwroamlktinhge sloacfarlilsa.nMgaupaagzei, roughly hnCeahrmicehe. efworat,htoe mexepaenrifenecteowr feowotesrtepto, ahfaitvteing There is something unique about a safari on foofodtr—y ngroanssoiusnedoefrvfeohoitc. lSeesn—sejussatrtehheecirguhnt-ch enneveedr, ynoutisceed abnedfohreaarntdhibnegcsotmhaetvyeoruy choanvesinciyoouusroefahroswasloyuodu ytroyuhr aorwdntobrwealtkhssioleunntdlys through the bush.

Nothing makes your heart beat faster than cstoamrtilnegdfacyeoutonfga,cfemwaitleh laeolepoapradrads. Wsheehad descended from an enormous tree. Deb khnerewkiltlhienltehoeptarredehaafdewstadsahyesdearpliaertaonfd ftihnoduhghert tinhetrhewaraesaa. Wcheaanpceprwoeacmheady sthtielltree qcoumieitnlygadnodwsnu.rSphreisdeid nth’teslpeotpuarsduanstislhsehewas ohnadlyatlhlefonutrhfaetesthoenlothoekegdrouupnadn, adnsdawit wusa,sjust uasfefworma emtroems eanwta, yb.eMfoorteiocnolmesins,gsthoehsetarred at suenndseersgaronwd tdhi.sTaphpateafereinlignginotof ltohceking eyes waitshaamleaogpicaardl m, wohmeennwt.e were both on foot, Continuing our walk, we came to an open Aplagirno,udpoottfe1d0woirthsoacgaircaiaffeancdamsaeuisnatgoestirgehets, . psalauint.eErlianngdi,nwthateeirbgurcakceafnudl wimaypalcarogsrsaztehde idnecthideinbgacwkegrporuensden. Ttehdengoirtahffre,actl,ecaornlytinued tnhibeibrlesltohwe falmowbeler,ssotonptphiengsaoucscaagseiotnreaellsyatnod weildfoguanrdetnhriaese. mAsawleeliroentsurneleadxitnogcianmtph,e gsthlaeanidrceemo, otfhraentyirnergeesn. uUampn,feadzftetehdrebgiyrivsoiinuegrstuians.tarucsuirosnooryn sIniecsatam, pw,ewdaikscinogvefroemd tohuercoawmnp’psorsets-ilduenncth bushbuck practically in our tent. Somewhat

dheraitn, ewdeblayySloisuttlhesLsulyanognwtha’esbOecdto, mbearrmveildlidnagy alitkheloihwocoldosoef heimwjausmapnidngpornigdhetruinpgotnhteo the wrbheeoatdwrtc.eehAavtsegeoridrmsatpfoefoeaiompksepaeefrderetisdnhsigeisvtobeavunaescerherba,ialunelcaeakvaeirarnbongybdua‘hstiectdosgaes’ racsoupmmlamiamrineotariftcsfiainfsiugshlhtieneeadasgogolemlveseearshcwrtaeoitavhoditpe…yre.ud‘Rl,t’sirmoaaatreteeddl,yand Located on a bend of the Luangwa River, tMhaepcaoznisCtamntpainsdpwerefleccotmlyesibtrueaetzeedatos ictatch tchoemiensteonffsethOecwtoabter, hceoaotl.inOgntcheinthges tdeomw-n in spiedreadtu, wreessoefttohuetdoanyfhoaodt asogaminewanhdatfosubn-d ftTohwreoathswrliehpeiplelei,odbnaeswfooarfyet,hhtheeemtotohorirmndiontvgoe’lsedreoanftcfeowduiuntshtear. mdeisldcelynmd,ewneactiunrgngedroawnld. Ahseaddaerkd sfotarr‘theodmtoe’. Wbaanlk,inwgeaflounngdthweerwaiesreedfeodllgoewoinf tghaebraivdelry sbhaattlleo-wscsa. Hrruenddhriepdpsoo, flihmupgiengwtehltrso,ugh the schsciligesrhaasrttkclayihnntedhasrnaaodsnudthghihbseihtseiuispnmhbsaiodernteke.wsIswteamewnradoednrveidibsaesirbsesolhdemoiowfbnhreed would be alive the following day.

After dinner under the stars, and tired bhouyout9rf.r3so0wmpamalkdainangyd, owsfoeuxwncdeitraesmlteueecnpkt,ebhdyeu9apt.3ai5npdbmesd.ix Hours later, somewhere around 2.00am, we owwfeitarhelieowvnoe.rkTyehnreofaroirr;metrvdeeemnebpthlesedlege(raponubdnysdtohsdeeeibdmeIle)lodws ittosvoiubnradted...ahse twhaosugchlohse bwyaasnmdeirnetmheedtraersk naawnigdahyot.nwAeteorheregtauwrldoarhliiionmntescrwavlaol ltusoltdhiarsolwcuoagmyhsopruaotnatirhoens, itnhrroeusgphoonuset .tWheenfioglhlotw…ethdetyhweierrpernogervesrstoo fsaprinaew-taiyn,gbluintgnreovaer. aDsucrlionsgedaisnntheartwfiershtad haceraorsdstthheeprliavienrt;ivtheeccaalllslsocfoanltoisntubeudffarolomcalf fltaieilomlanwsesta.thosastdimlmeneat,d.bWeuhteibmceofupolradertothoneflytshauesnisruhmadiedcntohimgahtethuep rHaatveitnogobkeqeunitseoaabwrhuipletltyoaswloowkean,dmIylahyeart taahwnedankwiegahidnte.tdHheinptpethonest alriinsvtdeerne, liaenphghitpaopntothsmesspuolnaucsnhdesdof on fallen sausage tree fruit just outside our nvteaingrhtio,taucshreyoaetthnuearecrsaulclseotdnletasincarunoedsdsputlhonedtiswl doaaftweurnak. nTdohwethne Ilisoantsuwpeirnebsetidllwroaatcrhininggasa tlohneesumnacleampuekuup. tcwhohemorpisslteiontoegdlysousnu.rtIrhtoewurnaivdseeardpbbraiynvnkil,aestguielrhteo.ufetetlesdoby