By Rob Barbour: I was recently in Ruaha with some clients from England, staying at Kigelia Camp. Although it was still considered green season I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of wildlife which seems to be resident there all the time. These lions were found on an overcast day sunning themselves out in the open after a chilly night.
We had a wonderful siting of a young female leopard in a baobab tree who was also very relaxed. From her lofty vantage point looking out over the Mwagusi Sand River she had a perfect view of everything around her, whilst catching the warmth of the early morning sun.
I was also very happy to come across these 5 adult dogs as it has been a while since they have been sited. They were not the prettiest or healthiest dogs I have seen but, none the less, wild dogs.
We also had great sitings of both lesser and greater kudu and the usual congregations of elephant. One bull elephant (with exceptionally thick tusks and the same degree of confidence) seems to have taken a liking to our camp area and was drinking from my shower bucket on more than one occasion! To find out more about Kigelia Camp, please see our previous posting entitled "Fantastic New Camp in Tanzania" (Sept 08).