Lion & Rhino at sundown - Duba Plains Camp

This morning I flew back south towards the main delta to Zarafa's sister camp called Duba Plains.  This camp is famous for being the home of Derek & Beverly Joubert and the site where they filmed many award wining documentaries over the years.  Duba is also on a private concession with some of the best concentrations of lion and buffalo in Africa.  The result is that lion kills are a common siting here which is very rare to witness.  In fact, in my 30 years of travel to Africa I have yet to see a lion kill and have only seen one cheetah kill.  However, if you stay 3 nights at Duba you are very likely to witness this rare sighting.  After a quick shower to freshen up I set off with my guide, Name, who took me to a fresh buffalo kill where 4 young adult male lions were lounging about with full bellies as the vultures waited patiently in the nearby trees.  The buffalo was still fresh and they had dragged it into a hollow under a log so they could feast in the shade.  These lion are so relaxed around vehicles that when we pulled up one got up and walked right up to within 5 feet of the door - now mind you we are in completely open vehicles with no doors, windows or barrier between us and the lion.  He just plopped right down in the shade of our land cruiser and looked up at me with his big yellow eyes then rolled on his back like a cat, his distended belly almost bursting. I always tell me guests that once you see a big cat in Africa you will never look at your house cat the same!  You will recognize all the little inherited traits that our common cats have from these ancestors.  After a leisurely 20 minutes with the lions we set out in search of white rhino.  Soon we found the anti-poaching team and they set us on the trail to find these dinosaur like creatures.  It took a little searching but just at sunset we came across 4 white rhinos grazing the short grasses.  They were completely calm and allowed us to approach to within 20 feet or so.  These rhino are another success story - translocating 12 white rhino from South Africa under the auspices of Rhinos Without Borders which the Jouberts and Great Plains Conservation fund using the money raised by guests that stay in these camps.  It is a beautiful synergy and a shining example of how tourism can not only help stop poaching but can also work to save and protect these magnificent beasts for future generations.  I am proud tow work with this team and my guests can travel knowing that there money is well spent on both conservation and community projects.  That is why I call these companies “non-profit conservation organizations” despite the fact that they look like big rich lodges charging thousands per night.

This evening I was invited to the Suite where I had met some fellow industry professionals and we were treated to an amazing tasting menu prepared by chef Herman who is a rising star on the culinary scene.  The camp manager, Tamryn, was kind enough to take me into the private cellar where we kicked up a bottle of her favorite pinotage (a native South Africa red varietal similar to a French Rhone Valley wine).  Some of the guides and operations staff joined us at dinner under the starts and the conversation ranged from the lowland gorillas in Odzalla, Congo to my misadventures in Uganda, and exhilarating wildlife encounters “behind the scenes” such as when the honey badger gets into the kitchen and gorges himself to the point where he falls asleep and the kitchen staff scream upon entering the next morning.  These are some of the most interesting and rewarding meals I and lucky to participate in and it is an absolute privilege to be in such august company.  Later that night I returned to my own “tented villa” where I drew a bubble bath and reflected on another amazing day in Africa.