It is the driest year John and Carol have experienced in over 40 years in the Luangwa and the river has now dried up in several places with the water only flowing slowly beneath the sand. Luckily, however shallow, water is still visible from all of our camps and it’s attracting an abundance of wildlife.
Tafika Camp’s waterhole hide has been very active with Kwela (Tafika’s resident female leopard) becoming a relaxed and frequent visitor in the evenings – especially when she kills a bushbuck. One kill was made in camp at dawn, when everyone was waking up, so she left it the whole day before dragging it to a bush by the waterhole that evening giving us a good show from the hide.
The Tafika hide and waterhole has become a welcome attraction for puku, bushbuck, giraffe, buffalo, elephant and displaced hippo. Wild dogs and lions prefer the vast beach in front of camp and dogs have been spotted trotting through the sand during breakfast and sunset.
Tafika and the walking camps have been enjoying more wild dog sightings this month with three different packs roaming through our area; the Nkonzi 2, Milioti and Mupamadzi packs. The Milioti pack numbers are now bolstered with 5 pups born this season (from an original litter of 9).
The three lion prides that cross over in our area have also been front and centre; the Nsefu, Salt pan and Hollywood prides. An Nsefu pride female has just had three little cubs which are a swoon worthy new addition. All of these prides cross the river frequently and when the Hollywood pride is on the east bank they seem to like staying close to Tafika and prey on thirsty buffalo close to home.
The river is a hot spot and predators are juggling for position by the water, greedily awaiting thirsty prey.
October is the month that vervet monkeys drop their young so the trees and bushes around camps are suddenly filled with slender mothers folded over sweet little black bundles of baby clutched to their tummies.
Even though the river is ankle deep in most places the elephants still cross at their usual spots, you just have to be quick with the camera as a crossing only takes a moment these days.
The walking trails are enjoying great game viewing on walks as well as from camp with wallowing elephants, herds of wildebeest, dazzles of zebra and impressive herds of roan now venturing in from outlying areas. Sausage trees come into flower and new leaf from August to October so the dry bush is alive with vibrant green from this life-giving tree.
The Carmine Bee-eaters gather in huge breeding colonies to nest in the exposed river banks and they are always a beautiful attraction – their colonies alive with crimson and their musical calls.
The North Luangwa camps have enjoyed the abundance of wild dog sightings this year and the pups always provide great entertainment. Walking with these beautiful animals has been a real highlight.
Walking safaris are also about appreciating the smaller things, like these beautiful Wattled Lapwing eggs and sometimes a lot of action can just be observed from the quiet of camp. Recently Moffat observed a Shikra killing a White Fronted Bee-eater right in the middle of Takwela Camp. Seeing a kill is always a sad sight especially when it’s a beautiful bee-eater but it’s a reminder that every creature needs to eat.
The Mwaleshi river by Mwaleshi camp continues to flow despite the dry year which is a pleasure for us and our guests and a vital source of life for the North Luangwa wildlife. Elephants feeding along the waters edge are easily observed from the comfort of the chalets.
This year Brent has enjoyed wonderful sightings of wild dogs playing and hunting in and around the river. Rhino sightings are on the rise at Mwaleshi and Alex even enjoyed an hour-long sighting of a relaxed rhino from the vehicle recently.
Given the high profile wildlife in the Luangwa it comes as no surprise that we had a film crew in the Nsefu sector for a few years. We had created a private camp for the crew and as the project came to an end last year, we converted this film camp site to a tourism camp, called Olimba.
The camp is built on our private property which borders the Nsefu sector of the South Luangwa National Park and is nestled under huge ebony trees with sweeping views of the Luangwa river. The camp will open next year and is named, Olimba, in celebration of Olimba the leopardess, the spectacular feline that graced our game viewing area for over a decade.
On that note, we are very sad to share that after 14 years, Olimba was fatally injured during a puku hunt a few days ago. Olimba became a favourite in her early years with her relaxed nature and charisma. Bryan originally named her pink nose till she became more commonly known as Olimba, her name in the exceptional film, Leopard Legacy (Into Nature Productions), which captured her story over several years.
The fate of her latest male cub, Kupela, is now very uncertain but we are hopeful that he will survive as he’s about 8 or 9 months old and can catch small prey. It’s the end of an era and she will be sorely missed. Having held her territory till now, we’d like to think of her as ‘going out on top’.
Just a few weeks ago Olimba took down a kudu – a big prey species for a leopard, especially a female – and these photos were taken by a guest very recently highlighting her strength, mobility and hunting prowess despite her age.
While some epic stories are coming to an end, it’s a relief to know that there are other bright new stories that are just beginning. On a more positive note, Leo, our resident man-cub is becoming more in tune with his spirit animal.
The Tafika Fund
Our term 3 school scholarships were handed out and our pupils started their third and final term of the year. We have supported 13 school pupils in grades 10, 11 and 12 in 2025. The grade 12s were already at school attending holiday classes in preparation for their final exams. We gave stationary packs to each pupil using lots of the lovely donations brought by thoughtful guests.
Term 3 school supplies were donated to Mkasanga for term 3 ensuring that all pupils are equipped with pens, pencils, erasers and books.
The Football for Wildlife league finished with the South Luangwa teams victorious; Yakobe Eagles winning 1-0 against the Chingozi Lions in the nail biting mens final, The Kufupi Cup, and the Chasera Roans winning 3-2 against the Chingozi Lions in the ladies Shipikisha Cup finale. We have no doubt the North Luangwa will come out with renewed vigor next season.
We even put on an extra game for one of our lovely guests who got involved sharing some new skills.
A very big thank you for all of your generous donations that make all of these initiatives possible.
WALKING SAFARIS OF AFRICA
We’re very pleased to feature so prominently in Denis Costello’s new book Walking Safaris of Africa. When Denis and photographer Kim Paffen spent time with us, they combined a stay at Tafika with Tafika Walking Trails, and then flew to North Luangwa to walk from Mwaleshi Camp. The result is the inclusion of a narrative of the very special walking experience there, alongside some fireside reminiscing with John here in Tafika.
The book covers guided walking safaris in nine Southern and East Africa countries, and of the 350 pages, 24 are devoted to the Luangwa Valley, reflecting the history and importance of this area to the most authentic and immersive form of safari travel. Zambia’s small scale and seasonal camps are very much designed to appeal to folks who appreciate ‘slow safari’ style and include time on foot during their visit.
Walking Safaris of Africa includes plenty of information for first-timers (and even old-timers) about how to prep for walking and what to expect when on trail. As well as camps like ours, there are walks to cover all abilities and budgets from backpacking safaris and sleep-outs in South Africa to the animal-portered multi-day journeys of Kenya.
Published in March 2025 by Pelagic Publishing (UK), Walking Safaris of Africa is available now at pelagicpublishing.com (Use code WALK25 for 25% off) as well all major UK bookshops, Amazon worldwide, and Mzansi Books in South Africa. It’s very giftable for anyone interested in nature, walking or African travel.
