Wilderness Shumba Newsletter – August 2023

August was the month of plenty at Wilderness Shumba. Unusual events just seemed to happen more often and special sightings became normal. Plenty of lions were seen in the Busanga Plains, as well as elephants, and leopards, and of course, our very excited guests were just blown away!

 

 

Weather

 

Summer is around the corner. At the beginning of the month the temperatures in the early mornings and late evenings were still chilly. The lowest temperature recorded was 8° Celsius. Half way the month, the daytime temperatures started rising to around 32° Celsius. The evenings were mild, the mornings still cool – but not cold anymore. Then, during the last few days of the month, suddenly the cool south-east winds picked up making for very chilly mornings.

 

Heritage Day

 

We had a wonderful celebration of our Wilderness Heritage Day in camp, with our guests dressing up in our local traditional Chitenge wraps. Our ladies in camp did a presentation of our Zambian culture, focusing on food, dress and marriage.

 

 

Wildlife sightings

 

During the month we had so many different lion sightings that it is impossible to list them all! Most guests did not leave Shumba without having seen lions. The lions had several successful hunts, which was good for the cubs.

 

It was a very special month for leopards! A mother leopard was found just south of Shumba, with many others on Acacia and Kapinga islands; in fact, we recorded sightings of over 10 different leopards during August. Normally leopards are found close to the treeline and not often in the open vastness of the Busanga Plains. These were very exciting moments for the guests, especially those who came from other parks where they had not seen these beautiful, solitary cats! Leopards have now become a common species in the Busanga Plains, creating good sized territories and increasing the numbers of big cats in the Busanga Plains.

 

 

Generally, all the guests who visited Shumba camp had the opportunity to see lions and leopards.

 

The roan antelopes always give our guests great photo-ops. The roan in the Busanga Plains are so relaxed that you can drive up quite close, and with their clownish faces they are really photogenic.

 

Now that the Plains are mostly dry after the seasonal inundation, the zebras, wildebeest and sable are also seen in the Plains, attracting more predators.

 

A special avian sighting this month was that of green pigeons. The majestic fig trees that provide shade for Shumba carry a lot of fruit, and the green pigeons loved the fresh ‘fig jam’ so much that they would not leave camp. Many bird lovers enjoyed seeing these beautiful birds, along with many other fruit-eating birds that visited the camp.

 

 

Traditional dinner, sundowners and romantic dinners

 

The traditional Monday Boma dinners were a big success. With the staff drumming, singing and dancing, it often ended with all the guests joining the party.

 

After the game drives, we surprised many of our guests with a beautiful sundowner set up within the Busanga Plains and mostly near the water pools. Life just doesn’t get much better; sipping your gin & tonic accompanied by freshly prepared snacks.

 

For the couples who visited Shumba this month, we organised a romantic, private candlelit/lantern set-up and a delicious meal under the stars in our traditional boma area.