November to January

During late November and early December the first rains arrive and Mombo is literally transformed overnight. This is one of Botswana’s best kept secrets; the habitat is simply stunning and the feeling of relief amongst the animals is tangible - the long hard dry months come to an end, the waterholes fill up and the new shoots spring up through the dusty, pached plains – if ever the animals are happiest it is now!

This is the time of new life in the Okavango as many species start the birthing season. New born impala, zebra, tssessebe to name a few are everywhere; guests often see day old calves taking their first steps. The vast numbers of new born in this synchronised birthing period maximises their chances of adulthood as the predators are literally spoilt for choice – it is a great time of year to see the predators. Birdlife also comes to life as many species begin breeding and nesting.

There is no doubt that this is an incredibly beautiful time of year to be in the Okavango. Stunning changing skies are coupled with lush green grasslands and clear light; photographers flock to the area at this time to see the contrasting lights and skies with the added bonus of capturing the fascinating change in the game.

Mombo Newsletter – November 2005

Climate and Weather

November has seen the start of the summer rains. After the breathless, hot anticipation of October, the heavens finally opened in the second week of the month, and we had a phenomenal deluge - 110mm (4½ inches) of rain fell in twelve hours - approximately one quarter of our average annual precipitation in just one night! Since then we have had several less dramatic rain showers, and in total now we have had a third of the rain we would expect in a typical year at Mombo. To have so much rainfall early in the summer is of course unusual, and in previous years when this has happened, we have then had a long period without significant rain, followed eventually by late rains in February and March; that is now the pattern we are expecting this year.

The rains have completely transformed Mombo. One very noticeable change this month has been a significant reduction in average temperatures, caused by the number of cooler, cloudier days we have had. Often though we experience our hottest days just after rain, when the dust has been washed out of the air, and the sun's rays reach northern Botswana in full force.

Environment and Ecology

Many parts of our concession are almost unrecognisable now; such has been the transformation that has occurred with the onset of the rains. Dry, sandy areas have turned green overnight, as though painted with sweeping strokes - countless small plants have sprouted, rejoicing in the sudden availability of water, and a verdant carpet has spread across wide areas of once bare sand.

In the acacia woodlands, pans that were dry and cracked have become oases of life as they have filled with water again. This sudden profusion of water means that animals are no longer so dependent on the channels and floodplains, and can now spread further afield. These oases are a gift to the wading and diving birds which have flocked to them, including Dabchicks and Painted Snipe - flickers of colour darting across the muddy waters.

Grasses and trees everywhere are shining with a new lustre of life. Newly washed zebras contrast beautifully with the greenery in the lush meadows, and elephants now come in three shades of grey as they wade through channels in the gentle rain - dark wet feet, dry dove-grey flanks, and medium-grey, medium wet backs.

The rains have had a reviving effect on every aspect of life at Mombo. They illustrate the synchronicity of Nature's plan for the Delta perfectly: just as the last floodwaters dry up, and the last hapless barbel are speared by Yellow-billed Storks, the clouds gather, thunder drums across the sky like the hooves of running zebras, and then the flash of forked lightning unzips the clouds and down comes the rain. This brilliantly dove-tailed change in the seasons achieves a balance and precision that no watchmaker ever could, and ensures the ongoing survival of this area as a perfect haven for wildlife and humans alike.

New Life

The onset of the rains not only revives the vegetation and animals, but it is also the signal for an incredible explosion of new life. Termites are perhaps the first to respond, as their mounds erupt with clouds of potential kings and queens, taking to the air to search for mates and then begin new termite colonies. This nuptial flight represents a bounty for birds especially (and for birdwatchers too) as Marabou Storks, Yellow-billed Kites, Bateleurs, and even Fish Eagles gather to swoop on the millions of termites. Those that aren't taken in the air must run the gauntlet of mice, jackals, and baboons, and in some parts of Botswana, humans too: the termites are fried to make a delicious protein-rich snack. Anybody hungry?!

This week we have seen the first baby tsessebe and impala, the forerunners of a great tide of new antelope life set to break over Mombo any day now. In a further demonstration of impeccable timing, thousands of baby impalas will be born as the rains begin, and all of them within just a two-week period. This inundation of babies is designed to swamp the predators - many of them will fall prey to leopards, hyaenas, and even baboons, but many more will survive. The first few babies have taken their initial uncertain steps in the world, fur still wet from the womb, following the gentle calls of their mothers as they guide them away from danger. To watch the first moments of a new life is an incredibly heart-warming, affirming experience. No matter how many times we see a brand-new impala lamb, it is impossible not to be moved by its determination to keep up with the herd and to survive.

Lions

Of course the sudden profusion of new life is something of a bonanza for the predators of Mombo, and they have been very much in evidence this month. We have been trying to establish just how many lions we have in the area, and we think the number, including new nomadic lions, is over 90 now. This includes the mighty, 27-strong Mathatha Pride, with the four territorial males known as Bob Marley and the Wailers for their matted manes. The "missing" lions knowing as the Old Trails Pride have now reappeared to the east of Mombo, and six of their eight cubs have survived to the age of eight or nine months old to ensure the survival of our most elusive pride.

Even in these numbers, the lions don't get everything their own way, and some of our guests spent a spell-binding morning watching interaction between the big cats and a herd of buffalo. At one point, a buffalo cow had two lions on her back, but she valiantly struggled back towards the herd who came to her rescue. The lions hung on until the last moment, before giving up and dropping off their chosen victim, who lived to fight another day - there was no kill that morning.

Cheetahs

This month has seen the end of an era for Mombo's cheetahs. In a very poignant example of predator competition, a coalition of two male cheetahs killed an impala and the noise of this kill attracted a nearby pride of lions, which attacked their much faster rivals. Caught by surprise, one of the cheetahs was badly mauled and subsequently died of his injuries. This was the end of an incredibly long-running and successful partnership between the two male cheetah known as the Steroid Boys. Regularly seen on game drives at Mombo for many years now, they were justly famous for their hunting prowess and had even graced the cover of National Geographic. The second brother was uninjured in this incident, but it is hard to believe that no longer will we thrill to the sight of these two grizzled but still lightning-fast Mombo veterans gazing out across the floodplains from a termite mound vantage point, nor racing along at breakneck speed in pursuit of a fleeing lechwe. We will all mourn the passing of this very special cat. But in the bush very few stories have absolute endings, and there have been sightings of a young female cheetah in the Moporota area, who could be a breeding prospect for the surviving Steroid Boy brother.

Leopards

Logadima's mother, the Tortillis female, produced two cubs in very late October - a very exciting event, and we had high hopes that these twins would be as successful as their big sister, now fully grown, and who seems to be taking up residence in the Bird Island area. However, at just a few days old, these tiny, defenceless cubs vanished. We saw the mother return to the place where she had hidden them while she went hunting, and heard her calling for them in an increasingly plaintive voice, until it became all too apparent that they had disappeared, possibly killed by a hyaena, although we will never know. With the exception of Logadima, the Tortillis female has lost every other cub she has had, and it seems particularly cruel that she should now suffer a further, double tragedy.

Camp and Guest Experience

Mombo is such a beautiful camp that even a rainy day cannot dampen spirits here. We have all become adept at cloud watching and picking the right days for our legendary "bush brunch" picnics, and traditional boma evenings, when guests can experience the rich musical and dance traditions of the Tswana people, and sample the delights of Botswana's traditional cooking (minus the termites, of course!).

This month we finally saw an advance copy of 'Elephant in the Kitchen' - Craig's long-awaited Mombo cookery book. Much more than a recipe book, it is the story of all his adventures (and one or two misadventures) over more than five years at Mombo, and how the natural beauty we are all marinated in every day has shaped his unique cooking style, infused with the flavours of a continent and of one very magical organic pantry - the Okavango Delta.

We invite you all to come and share in this feast with us... and here are the experiences of a few of the friends who have drunk deep from the cup of plenty with us this month in paradise... A cornucopia of delights awaits!

Mombo Newsletter - December 2005

December has been an elephantine month at Mombo and Little Mombo in every sense, a wonderful finale to 2005, with mammoth amounts of all that makes this part of the Okavango Delta so very special: incredible wildlife moments, warm hospitality, stunning scenery, and a real air of celebration. Oh, and the elephants themselves! We have seen more of them here this month than ever before, which is unusual because once the rains begin they usually disperse into the mopane woodlands further south along Chief's Island. During the last few weeks however we have had several large breeding herds in the area - watching them come down to a waterhole, their excitement evident, and then drinking and splashing in the water, is a wonderful experience. The youngest elephants are still figuring out how to use their trunks and sometimes have to kneel down to get their mouths to the water. Older elephants delight in spraying mud over their backs or trying to roll over in the water, cavorting in a way that belies their immense size and pensive nature.

Splashes of colour are everywhere - from the brilliant molten gold and ruby flowers of the flame lilies in the palm bushes, to the stunning rainbows caused by the late afternoon sun being refracted through a million droplets of water left suspended in the air after a tropical shower. The predominant colour remains green - a vivid emerald lime-mint-frog-green, beaded with mercury-like drops of dew in the early mornings before the rising sun burns off the dawn mists. The pale buff shapes stepping uncertainly into this verdant wonderland are newborn wildebeest calves.. Tiny warthog piglets rocket through the grass, exuberantly exhibiting the sheer joy of being alive at such a wonderful time of year. A green paradise; they could not have asked for a better place to be born.

December's temperatures have been cooler than we might normally expect at this time of year, due to cloud cover on some days. However, we have had some very hot days following rain, once the clouds had dispersed. Temperatures ranged from maximum 35°C (100°F) to as low as 16°C (62°F). We have not had nearly as much rain as in November, but we did experience considerable rainfall on several occasions. With perfect timing, the majority of the 83.7mm (3.30 inches) of rain we received in December fell at night, and so barely interrupted game drives or meals at all.

The sudden profusion of baby impalas has been a huge boon to many of our predators, and the leopards in particular have been exacting a heavy toll on these tiny antelopes. Logadima, the young female leopard we know best, and who first graduated to killing her own impala only a few months ago, has been practicing her hunting techniques on the unsuspecting impala lambs.

In November we discovered to everyone's delight that the Tortillis Female, Logadima's mother, had two new cubs. Sadly these twins disappeared within a few weeks, and were feared dead. A veteran Mombo guide, returning to visit his old haunts, suspected otherwise, and some diligent detective work located one surviving twin. We were naturally overjoyed at this cub's "resurrection", but this was short-lived: the very next day, the Tortillis Female was seen in the same place, calling over and over again, increasingly plaintively, for her cub. There was no response. It now seems that she has lost seven of the eight cubs she has given birth to, with Logadima the only one so far to make it to adulthood. These long odds against survival only go to show that even a supreme survivor like the leopard can have a tough time of it against all the forces of Nature in what Darwin called the "dreadful but quiet war? going on in the peaceful woods, and smiling fields."

Another major predator of impalas is the wild dog - in fact at Mombo they seem to eat nothing else. There is perhaps no safari experience that is the equal of "running with the pack," the adrenaline-soaked thrill of following wild dogs on a hunt as they lope effortlessly along, looking to startle impalas in the long grass. Now that the local pack?s two puppies are able to play a more active role in the hunt, the number of kills they are notching up is truly impressive. One routine airstrip transfer turned out to be anything but (to be honest, the only thing routine at Mombo is the extraordinary). The dogs were hunting very close to Camp, and the adults soon killed one impala, which they left for the puppies to eat (typical of the dogs' co-operative attitude to life) while they ran down a second one for themselves. All of this in a blur of yellow, brown, black and white splotches, Mickey Mouse ears, and the abrupt sneezing alarm calls of impalas facing destiny.

Dinner at Little Mombo was badly delayed one evening early in the month, when the chef came into the dining room to make an announcement. No, not to ask the guests to come to the table, but to inform them that a lion had just walked past! We watched from the deck as not one but seven lionesses walked past, followed by 17 cubs, and then the four big males known as Bob Marley and the Wailers. The females were clearly intent on hunting, their lean bodies emanating concentration. In the dry channel bed stood a small group of zebras, unaware of the havoc that was about to be unleashed. As the lionesses slunk into position in the palm islands, hunger got the better of the males, and they charged headlong into the zebras. For anyone who has ever marvelled at the passivity of a resting lion, to see them run is an education. The males ruined the ambush of course, and missed all the adult zebras. One, however, collided with a zebra foal, and it was all over. The males demolished this insubstantial meal in minutes, refusing to share with even the cubs.

Another moment of high drama resulted from a zebra's birthing difficulties. She was clearly struggling to deliver, and had been for some time. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, she dropped dead. While the guests on the game drive were still absorbing what they had just witnessed, a lioness flashed past, a tawny missile in the long grass, in hot pursuit of warthog piglets. A male strolled after her, hoping to pirate her kill, and couldn't believe his luck when he stumbled over the newly-dead zebra. When the lioness returned a few minutes later, having caught one piglet, she found all her companions around the zebra, haunches shifting as they jockeyed for position.

The reintroduced rhinos continue to provide wonderful safari moments, too. At the very end of November, our monitoring team set out to look for one female who had not been seen since parting company with her regular companion a few days earlier. Often this is a sign of an impending birth, and this in combination with her vast girth and general lethargy when last seen, suggested that another calf was on the way.

The clincher though was seeing a white stork in the road on the way to the area where the female rhino was believed to be. This beautiful bird had found its way to Mombo from southern Europe, storm-tossed across seas, and blown in sand-storms across deserts. European folklore has it that these birds deliver human babies, so why not a rhino baby? Sure enough, that day the female rhino was located, with a tiny male calf, born just four or five days earlier, and as cute as a button! This was our eighth birth as a result of the joint Wilderness Safaris / Botswana Government reintroduction programme and means that almost a quarter of our white rhinos were born here, rather than being released from the bomas - a great achievement.

The highlight was undoubtedly our celebrations for Christmas. The lack of snow did not detract in any way from the unique atmosphere of Christmas in the bush, thorny dry acacia branches hung with traditional beaded ornaments and strung with tiny silver lights formed our tree, and the table was decorated with feathery wild asparagus and very cute wire animals. Craig and his team in the kitchen, fresh from the triumphant launch of the Mombo cookbook, 'Elephant in the Kitchen' in Johannesburg, pulled out all the stops: From salmon mousse à la Monty Python to a lavish Christmas main course weaving together the very best of European heritage with more than a soupcon of African magic, it was the meal of the year.

Christmas Day itself seemed appropriately wintry, even in the middle of summer. A cool, cloudy day, but none of that could detract from the excitement and happiness of the day. The morning's game drives terminated not at the Camp, but at a secret location in the bush, where tables had been set under the soaring branches of tall trees, arching over the feast like the vaults of a cathedral nave. The tinge of wood smoke blowing across the clearing as pancakes cooked in a pan over an open fire, and the unmistakeable aroma of bubbling chocolate Amarula sauce.

As the guests sat down to their picnic lunch, a lioness strolled out of cover across the floodplains beyond the trees. She was closely followed by one of the Wailers, the dominant male lions at Mombo: A magnificent animal, his dark mane rippling in the breeze. And so we were eyewitnesses as another "honeymoon couple" mated in the shade of the tsaro palms - there cannot be many people on Earth who had such a dramatic show during their Christmas lunch!

Meanwhile, at Little Mombo, Steve's fascinating PhD research into the Meyer's Parrot continues and he has begun to unravel some of the mysteries of how they select a nest site, and why they hybridise so readily with other southern African parrot species.