James,

Welcome back!!! Will you be posting some pictures here later on? Or in your own website, perhaps? Let us know so that we can take a look....

Rgds,
Hari

Great report, but like you, I'm most impressed with meeting Johnny Bench.

Johnny Bench in Kreuger!! Now that would rank as a very rare sighting. Is he one of us fellow Africa addicts?

My only autographed baseball is one that Johnny Bench signed. This was in 80s after a mid-season strike was settled and the Reds were training in Ann Arbor MI because their stadium was not available. During practice Johnny signed my baseball and I walked away and was so thrilled at getting the foul ball and autograph I left my my wallet on top of the dugout. Johnny saw it an called me back to get it.

Prince of Jordan, Johnny Bench, such a name dropper you are! With that line up of camps, the names actually pale in comparison to where you got to go, in my opinion.

That reminds of running into some people who were recounting their first day on safari in Vumbura.

Focusing on getting used to viewing wildlife through their bincos, they said they spied, "elephant, giraffe, zebra... Susan Sarandon."

I guess she was on safari with the family.

Anyway, welcome home and looking forward to specifics and pix.

Wonderful to hear that you had such a great trip! Shall look forward to any photos you're able to share when you've had time to catch up the daily grind!

James, Welcome home!

When you have time, could you please elaborate more on your stay at Chitabe, and why it was a highlight for you? Were you in the main camp, or The Trails, and did you do an overnight at the Walking Trails camp? Who was your guide?

Thanks.

James,

Did you see the famous cheetah boys in the linyanti during your trip? Any other cheetah at any of the camps?

Thanks
H

Hi Crystalsong,

Chitabe is one of the camps we use regularly for the digital trips due to the consistent game we always have there.

Our May trip stayed at Trails and this past trip was at Main camp. Both are fine camps, but our group size is too big for Trails, so we spill over into Main.

This time we had superb wild dogs, three separate quality sighings, including one kill.

Also had very good lions - 2 males, 2 females and 2 cubs. Again, very productive for the guests, with lots of interaction between the cubs and the males.

The males nearly ambushed an unsuspecting hyena just as we were leaving at dusk. It's the fastest I've ever seen a full grown male move in all my time on safaris. Remarkable to see.

Birding was superb and the Gomoti area has now really become the place to go, as it has been getting water again consistently for the last few years (it was dry for a long time).

The Gomoti is the channel that borders on Moremi and I suugest anyone going to Chitabe ask their guide what the area is like and then drive there if possible. It's a long drive, but a beautiful area. We made two visits and had fish traps in the channel with hundreds of pelicans, storks, egrets, etc. Also night herons and the rest of the little stuff, but in great numbers and also good elies.

Finally, we were lucky to find a pair of 6-month-old male leopards together and spent the entire day with them. Quality stuff and of course everyone was thrilled. Also had 2 other leopards, one female and a lovely, relaxed male who we followed through thick stuff while he hunted early on our last morning.

Guides: A friend of mine (Grant) guided one of our vehicles throughout the trip (he guides all the digital trips) and we used Phinley for the second. I've known Phinley for a long time and, while a bit quiet, he's very good driver and knows the area like none other IMO.

Hari - We missed the 2 bros, which were up at Selinda while we were at Savuti and had been missing for some 18 days when we arrived. There's a film crew who were staying near Savuti camp and only interested in those 2 cats, so they were going a bit nuts waiting for them to return.

We did have a very good sighting of the male with the "hang-lip" though. It's a bit odd looking when you see him head-on, but he was busy marking on top of the 2 boys' territorial mounds and trees and provided great photo opps for about 2 hours one morning.

He even climbed a good sized rain tree and made a good and proper marking up IN the tree! We actually witnessed this same behavior on this trip with another male cheetah at Vumbura; apparently it's a common practice.

I'll likely post a web page with images from the guests on the trip, as well as some of mine, Dana's and Grant's.

All for now - James

Thanks for the update, James....appreciate it.

The funny lip male, i may have read about him on the WS news updates.....his normal hang out is where....Kings Pool?

Hari

Hari -

Not sure if he heads up to KP area, but I know he spends a lot of time in the Channel, which is where we saw him.

He's apparently a strong cat and quite successful. His lip looks like an injury, but it doesn't seem to give him any problems - just a bit of a unique look!

Ok. Thks

the lion with the dodgy lip has been named Windhoek in the Selinda, he is part of a coalition of three with blacklabel and carling. Though they are often not seen together, they tolerated each others presence in order to maintain a territory

James,

Thank you for the info on Chitabe. I've heard of a guide named Newman at Chitabe Trails. Was he there when you were there? He, too, has been recommended to me as someone who is amazing at what he does.

crystalsong,

I will give James a chance to answer your question.

In the meantime, have you read Gaurang's on going trip report yet? He had Newman as a guide and makes fascinating reading. Just in case, you havent had a chance to read it yet....

Cheers,
Hari