Wilderness Magashi Newsletter – February 2023

Sightings

The month of February brought the animals closer to Magashi, and we had a number of exceptional sightings in front of camp. Elephants made Magashi their home for a few nights, creating delightful entertainment from the deck for our guests, who watched them playing in the water and annoying the hippos.

We also had a hippo carcass floating in the lake for a few days that brought some enormous crocodiles out to feast. This provided excellent photo opportunities for guests, and definitely reminded us about why we have our own wonderful pool to cool down in on the hot days.

Lion saga continues

In our January newsletter, we were told the tale of the two lions in Magashi, and we are sure everyone is on the edge of their seats to find out how the story unfolds.

Therefore, we approached Isaac for the latest developments.

“Tension continues for Ntwari and Ngangare as the two younger males, M7 and M9 – AKA the Ms – continued their back and forth in the concession. This movement has caused the Magashi Queen, Amahoro and her cubs to flee. The Queen seems to be the most wanted now for the Ms to settle, while she is trying to protect her cubs!

Ntwari and Ngangare have since gone mute for fear of being discovered, giving the Ms a lot of confidence. We heard them roaring loudly in every corner of the Magashi Concession, including around camp.

For now, the Ms have moved back into the Kilala Plains, but we are sure their mission is not complete, and that they will be back soon. We will continue to monitor our Magashi Queen Amahoro to see if she makes her way back to the concession”.

Guide training

February was a month filled with training and enthusiasm for our Trainee Guides who are getting ready for their upcoming evaluation from FGASA.

The Trainee Guides went above and beyond to make sure that they can deliver the absolute best for our guests, doing bush clearing and discovering a perfect spot for seeing hornbills. They are putting every spare moment they have into their training and we wish them luck and success, knowing they are going to fly the Wilderness flag high!

In exchange, our Assistant Manager Elie Dusengimane made a visit to Sabyinyo. Elie was shown the wonders of Sabyinyo, including a delightful cultural visit in the nearby community – which is the true essence of Sabyinyo and its partnership with SACOLA. Elie came back to Magashi with amazing knowledge and enthusiasm that has inspired more of the team to visit our neighbouring camps.

Magashi & Children in The Wilderness

As the school year’s second term got into full swing, we hosted a lot of guests from all around the world who had ‘Packed for a Purpose’, by leaving some space in their luggage for school supplies. We received pencils, books, toys and clothes on behalf of our partner schools outside Akagera. The month of February has definitely set the tone, and helped all our kids get school-ready.