THE LOWER ZAMBEZI…

Nature's Playground

The Lower Zambezi National Park ZisalmocbaetzeidRiinvesroufotrhmerin gZathmebbiao,uwnditahrtyhe abreetwa kenenowZanmfobriaitasnadbuZnimdabnatbwiel.dTlihfeis, wisitahn evaegrleysthaindg efrvoemrythheirndgsionfbeeletwpheaent. Ttohefisrhiver tithse lcfoivsehtoemd teigtoerhfiipspho. Tsoanthdecnrocrtohdiolfesthaend a4n0d92rusgqgueadreZ-akmilobmezeitErescpaarrpkmisentht.e steep oHMfotwsrtaenvsiespri,otonrrotstaathraorvuivirnedgbiesypitbohoseaartl,oowfrtehlidgoehscetiamdieredcarnasft. tohrdereivoef.wFihviech owuerrseasfpternlteoanvidnigrtLruosadk,aw, e wreiatchhdeidrtByafiuneelsa’nRdivaerclCoagmgepd. Afuselligfihlte‘rishsaude’ silonwgled-huasndeodwlyn, jeuasttallolntghe n‘sonuagchksf’oIrhmade to, tpoacrekgerdeftodreoeuprlyrowahdetnriwp…e saormriveetdhiantgcIawmaps ltuonbcehg! reeted with a bountiful and delicious oBfatinhesn’ aRtiivoenraCl apmarpkibsoloucnadtaerdy,juinsstiudpestthream GspaemcteaMcualnaragveiemwesnot vAerreath(eGZMaAm)b, weziit.hNamed after Thomas Baines, the famous 19thicnetnimtuartyealrotdisgtearnedalelyxpclaoprteur,rethsitshsemfeaelll aonf d a bygone era with its classic colonial-style buildings and casual elegance. Sritvrearigahntdafitewralusnwcohnwderwfuelrteoorfefcoonntnoetchte twdhoietwhbnuaslstlhrtehaermosuiignhdttosut,shs.oeOununardtbisoananatdlrpisdamerketl,olpsoakosfut

s elephants with babies and pods of hippos, taondthwe asiptointgwohnetrheeoruirvecranboaensk.wLeeraevrineagdtyhe mfrianignerdivweri,thwoevheerahdaendgionfgf djaocwkanlbaecrhraynannedl Natal mahogany trees. We would re-join the msoamineroifvethreafetaesriessetvecannkoieloinmgeIt’rvese. Tvehrisdwonaes. I had paddled for all of five minutes when opurt dguowidne,mLuykpea, dindfloer, masehdemweotuhladtsItceoeur ld and the current would carry us through ethxercchisaenntoelb…usronmofufcahllftohrogset‘tcinargsinaacnkys’ afntderennooornmdoruifstilnugncdho!wWnerisvpeer,nptaastrbaannqkusil teeming with birdlife, stopping briefly on an disolawnndofonroaudrrfinrsktaenvdentionwg aintcthitshbeesauuntigfoul park. Just as the sun was setting, we heard the hpuermfeoctflaynpaoesritoiponlaendetaopspereotahcehirneg,ualnard were Zpamtroblefzlig(hCtLoZf)t‘hpelaCnoenpsaesrsviantgiodnirLeocwtlyer over our heads. The park is home to lion, ‘hViuplpnoeraanbdlew’ oilrd‘dEongd,awnhgeoraerde’ ualnldliesrtetdheas IrUesCuNltRoefdpLoaiscthoinf gTharnedatehneeidlleSgpaelctireasdaesina nowroiglnda-lnpifiresoapftiritooNndG)u,Ocwt(san.sTosone-ctgououpvneitrnenr1ma9ce9tn4tthatiols,wCoLrZk, a to preserve the wildlife in the national eotfraeps)p.rCoLxZpimaraktealynd9,G0M00As(qautaortealkailroema ptorothveidDesepteacrhtmniecnatl aodf vNiacetioanadlsPuaprpkosratnd Wildlife (DNPW), administers an environmovenrt2a,l5e0d0uycaotuinong spcrhooglraarms ma yeetar,gaentdinrguns a community support programme focusing tohnehnuemigahnb/owuirlidnlgifeGMcoAn.fAlicf temr 2it0igyaetiaorns ionf working with local wildlife authorities in othf ethLeoowledresZta, mboeszt iwveall-eeys, tCaLbZlisishendowanodne iwneZlla-mrebcoiag.nised conservation organisations sInmtohoethmaonrndisnhgimwme aewrionkgeatsosahoritvseirlka,s stretching out in front of us across to the

opposite bank. Mist was rising off the wthaetebroatn,druthggeeadiruwpaisn cbrliasnpkaestsw. 2e0semt ionfuf tines apnardk3b0okuinlodmareyt,rsetsolpapteinrgwberirefalychwehdilteheour dlbiotrtialvetearwnwhdielienntltaototoesruorwrwteoaduiitstinemgntvbreayhrfkiocerldem,fsareloittmtiientsgh. eA off for an early morning game drive. Wanidthsianwmiitnsufoteostpwreinhtseaorndtthheesraonadryorfoaaldio. n aAnroaulanrdmthcealbl,ewndarwnienhgetahredrbeastbofotnhsertariosionpg foofuanlde,oipnaqrduiicnktshuectcheiscskioetn.,Ctahrersypinogoronofwe whyeerneareaanldlythbeanckwinildthdeobgu…shw.e knew we Aspmecyireisahdaovfebbiredesnsruercroorudnedeidn uths;e3p7a8rk. Rswedo-obpileldedtharnoduygehlltohwe -tbreilelesdlihkeorcnlobwillnss fwliittthedthoenirthoveerrisviezrebdabneka,kasw, bolaocllky-cnreackkeesd ostnoerkofpmreyenpedrsiotnseallffianvtohueristheas,llgorwous,nadnd ihfohrenabdililnsg, sttoroadneimacprorstsatnhtemlaenedtisncga.pLeuakse papopinatreednotluytnwoht autnwcoams mneown tlocmalely, ,baupt air of collared palm thrushes. sRtouumnbdliendg uthpeonbeanldioineassdsrlyeeripvienrgbiendt, hwee dperevpiowuhseveelhriuctlsesle. fTthbeeghuinideisnktnhewsahnedrby manudstsahiadvsehheidhdadentwouotyofusnighctunbesatrhbayt. Wshe wasaidtcehferdomansdowmaei teindyfolironsofmooetptirminet,sbiuntthe ssctaleanaydro,lywutehodefyisdiwng’hettrs.eeoebaetyriancgemofutmhe’sboarbdierss;

to Spotting some vultures swirling high in the sky we headed in their direction, ethveyntsueaelmlyedretaochbeincgotnhceesnptroattoingw. Thhicehtrees wehriteew-beaicgkheed vduolwtunrebsy, blauptpweet-cfaocueld afind no trace of any fresh kill. We did however ofifnadntheelerpihpaen-stm, realtlhinegr,cmuroinotuhs-loyladlocanrgcsaisdse Lanukeequfialllelyd duessiinccoantetdhecrsotocoryd.iAlepcpaarrceanstsl.y, tnahametuoprnraotlhmceaisauersleoiesf.ra,Ttfhee dcer,loehpcaohddawinleta,lhkaaetdtdrdafrcieotdemdotbfhye mriveert thoisfeoawstnofnattehienetlheephjaawnst mofeatle, onplayrdto. The rest of our morning was a journey tohfreobuognhietsh,elepaidctwuoreosdqsu, eacraivceiarsinaenldanfidgscape twreinetse,rptahsotrNnsataanldmbaahtotlgea-nscieasr,rieldalbaapoablmabss,, ulunmtiilnwoeusrleyagcrheednawniothxbwoawtelrakhey,acinth, Wwheewre rweewsatotcphpeeddbfyoraapboudsohf broebabkifnagst. hippos and we, in turn, watched an old, tlohnroeubguhffmaloucthofumlspionfgt heisuwnayppmeotirsoinsegly water hyacinth.

Sshayifitnegd gaoloitdtlbeydeotwo nBsatirneeasm’ R, icvleorseLrotdogtehwe e pZamrkbgeaztieL, oanddget,oaopkiuctpuresiqdueen,ctehatcRhoeydal olofdtghe sritvuear.teSdeatttinogneouotf ftrhoembrtohaedleosdtgpeo, aints isnetdoaatenaufnterxnpoeocntebdogaatmcreu-ivsie wsoinogn otuprpnoerdrtuivneirtyb:awnek;fofiuvnedsusbev-aednullitomnsarlestaingd otwn othe Zyoaumnbgefzeim. Tawleosolaf zthinegyonunthgembalneksslaoyf rthigeht ownatchheinedgguesoinf tehnetolyv,enrohtarnegminogterliyvesrhybaonrk, utism, widh. Toheasdesweurme aagcrosuspt,htheerigvueirdfersotmold Zimbabwe, looking to claim new territory. Worn out by the ‘rigours’ of safari life, I vdehcidcleeds taontdaekaertlhyemnoerxntidnagywoaffkefr-oump cbaollast.s, Wpuaskhinmgyaht u5s.3b0aanmd ,ojutstolfotnhge ednoourgahndtooff on a fishing expedition, I allowed myself a sleep-in, a cup of tea in bed and a leisurely breakfast alone while all the other lodge Bguuetsatsdwayeoref roeulat xoinng‘adctidivintoietsm’. ean a day vntdheeoervtmvoteoidtcgomomfotwinonkitglehdtyeloisfametna. eiWgm!eAhdailplass,nrttehIacammotcbadiyouidushhsan,vyoheoteudslpnteoigcnpidged fwitosaresalfdntioastpmraoycntuetnhdaeattdtealnuydnbecehdd.blAorfectaaetdreldruonollcnhwo,huIirletIired pwriidveatreivveerrbanandkah. Atnhaetnjourtmteoduosumt ovneirtotrhe lfirzoamrdusnudreprrniseeadthmthe ebyvesruadndeanhl.yNaoptpearing trhemorotueglyhliyntinimveidstaitgeadtibnyg mthe, aitrteoaobkeiftosrteime Iamhabdliangraotfhf.eOr npcleaesnasnctonnacpe,doonnlytshteirdrianygbetod bcheencekatwhhtahtewdaesckm. Takhinsgtuthrneerdusotulitntgonboeistweso wthhuergneet edlaxortwegnendeIelwedpafhatcamhnietlsdiectslhorsfeewebayr.tAhsogths,ewsiutnh mrivaelervionlfernotn-ltoofkoinugr rcorocmo,dliyliensg‘fmishotiniogn’ lienstshe in the water with their mouths slightly open, waeilctionmg ifnogr ajaswnsa.ck to simply swim into their Odeufrinlaitsetlyniognhet itno trheemLeomwbeerr.ZDarmivbienzgi awsahsort darisrtivaendceindoawclnesatrrienagmwfhreorme athleonlogd, lgaen, twerenalitfutallbmleowoans, tsheet sukpyfoabr oavbeuusshldikinenaebrluankdetr of shimmering stars. Lions roared across the cwhaotierr’ oanf ldodwgeewstearfef.sHearelfnwadaeydthbryoaungh‘Adfrinicnaenr we heard splashing behind us in the water astncrdeoatsmusrtnohifenrgreifvslaewrc,theadelaomdnioenogenloeliupgrhhatwniantywi,tasasdwiilanvkeger—y Idhiraedctvioisnios.nBsuotftdhienerlespshcantttereinagchinedalal deep wchaatnenr.eRleinsutrhfeacriinvge,rhaencdhdainsgaepdpedairecdtiuonnd, er uhneaddisintugrdboedw.nItstwreaasma manadgilcealveingdotouradinner magical trip.