07 Apr, 2007

The forest was humming with animal life including tssessebe, impala and giraffe, against a blaze of colourful trees and the morning chorus of hundreds of birds.

Near the crossroads west of camp on the Kujwana sand tongue we drove into the forest, where we found an impala male with his harem and a herd of tsessebe.

The early morning light was crisp and there were deep shadows stretching west through the trees. The area had recovered well from the fire, judging from the short green tufts of growth coming through everywhere, amongst the blackened stalks and branches of the trees.

The mopanes are particularly attractive at the moment, with their vibrant colours from deep oranges to deep greens. They’re at their best in the morning as they catch the early light.

There was an incredible atmosphere in the trees. Birds called continuously and game wandered undisturbed in the clear light. 

It seemed a pity to move as the birds took up their song again and the game stopped snorting at us and continued feeding, so we stayed put.

After the impalas and the tsessebe moved away, two giraffes arrived. Neither paid any attention to us, gliding past with their pesticide friends, the oxpeckers, attached to them like feathered leeches.

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