South Luangwa - A photo safari in the valley of the leopard
In October Will and I took three of our favourite guests down to South Luangwa, braving the intense heat for remarkable sightings.
The Valley of the Leopard
The October heat in the Luangwa Valley can be intense. Too much for some but for those wildlife photographers and wildlife enthusiasts willing to put up with +40ºc temperatures then there really is no better time to be on safari in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park.
Will, myself and three intrepid guests decided to brave the heat and the dust and make our way to Zambia back in mid October. South Luangwa is somewhere I have spent a great deal of time and where I spent the majority of my lodge based guiding career. I have always found that October is the prime time for game viewing as the vast majority of the inland water reserves have dried out and the only remaining source of fresh water is the Luangwa river itself. This means that all the game is concentrated in a much smaller area and you never really have to go far to find what you are looking for, whatever that may be.
Shenton Safaris
Our homes for this eight night photographic safari were Shenton Safari’s Mwamba Bush Camp and Kaingo Camp. Located in the northern part of South Luangwa they are perfectly placed in what I believe to be one of the best game viewing areas in the whole of Africa. And our experience over the eight nights certainly backs up that claim.
Apart from their prime location, what really sets Shenton Safaris apart from the rest is their unique series of specially designed photographic hides. The last waterhole hide at Mwamba is always full of activity, certainly at the end of the season and it did not disappoint. We arrived in camp after our short flight from Lusaka to be told that the Mwamba Kaingo Pride were at the hide. Not a bad start!
Quelea fly in front of a male lion at the Last Waterhole (Mwamba). Image by guest Gerry Armstrong.
Mwamba Camp
The next four days at Mwamba continued in the same vein as which they started. Not shortly after we arrived and spent some time with the Mwamba Kaingo Pride at the hide we departed for our first game drive. Before we knew it we were with the Hollywood Pride who had taken down a buffalo early that morning. The whole pride was in attendance, as one would expect with such a big meal on offer, including the cubs who kept us entertained for the duration of the safari with their antics.
Leopards or wild dogs?
The next morning really set the tone for the rest of the safari. We decided to head back to the Hollywoods and photograph them in the perfect morning light. Shortly after finding them we were notified that the wild dogs had been found in the famous Kaingo ebony grove. We bid the Hollywoods good day and took off in the direction of the dogs, anxious to get there as quickly as possible as wild dogs have a tendency to move and at great pace once they decided it’s time to go. As we were making our way to the ebony grove we came across Chipadzua, a famous resident leopard in a sausage tree near the dogs.
I must confess, I was more excited about this news as I was the dogs. What could be more exciting than wild dogs, I can hear all you safari aficionados say? I would usually agree with you. However ”Chips” is a very special leopard who I have had the great pleasure of following since she was three months old when I first saw her as a cub back in 2014. She has provided me with countless “once in a life time” sightings over the years and has always wowed guests with her calmness and photogenic ways. Luckily the Sausage Tree she was resting in was enroute to the dogs so we stopped by to say a quick hello before continuing on. We would be back! We needn't have worried about the dogs as they were exactly where they were reported to have been.
This was the first of many lion, leopard & wild dog game drives we have on this safari. For those of you who have had the fortune to be on safari before will understand that having one of these game drives is usually a rare experience and for us to have multiple drives over an eight day period is nothing short of extraordinary. BUT knowing the area as well as I do, I was not surprised.
Photography Hides
Shenton Safaris are known throughout the wildlife photography fraternity for their network of photographic hides. Hides which we made full use of between leopard, lion and wild dog sightings.
The Carmine Bee Eater Hide
The Hippo Hide
The wildlife at this time of year is extremely concentrated in areas around the remaining water. Herbivores gather in great numbers which naturally attracts the predators so not only are your chances of seeing them increased, you may well see them in action - not a given on safari.
I think it’s safe to say that this safari was one to remember, certainly one I will not forget in a hurry. A huge thank you to the team at Shenton Safaris and to our fantastic guests, Silke, Nicolas and Gerry.
We are going to be returning to Shenton safaris in October 2025 for our Kaingo Exclusive Wildlife Photography Symposium. To learn more send us an email below.
