Wilderness Magashi Newsletter – July 2024

For the first time in months our guests have been spoiled with a huge gathering of elephants – breeding herds and groups of bulls – making Magashi their temporary home for a few days. They were feeding and socialising in camp right in between the guest rooms, and doing some gardening for us by clearing the vegetation. One honeymoon couple even found themselves up against a wall of green when they opened their door one morning – they were greeted by a big tree pushed over by an elephant right on their doorstep… what a special honeymoon gift this guy had given them! And while we were busy chopping said tree, the naughty elephant was leisurely munching away, curiously eyeing our guests, who had to wait patiently before they themselves could graze on their Eggs Benedict before going on their morning safari.

Later that day, when our guides took the guest on a boating safari, they were even more pleasantly rewarded with the sight of a whole herd of elephants swimming and playing in the water. Elephants are amazing swimmers, completely submerging themselves under water sometimes, and they can swim for long distances, crossing swamps and rivers. It is an exceptional experience to see a breeding herd with young and old enjoying the water and socialising in a very familiar manner to us humans.  

Our guide Alphonse has also been on winning streak this month. First, he found a serval cat, a super rare and unique sighting for this area. But he was also the first one to finally find the newest VIP member of the Akagera family – a newborn baby black rhino from the mother named Olmoti. 

We had gotten word of this rhino birth three months ago actually, but the protective mother has been extremely cautious since giving birth, and she has been hiding the baby very well in thick bush so that no one could find them. Then on one afternoon Alphonse spotted a moving rock in the distance. After having a look through his binoculars, he was filled with joy and excitement as the moving rock turned out to be the baby rhino. He and his guests were on a boating safari and as they slowly approached with the boat, the little rhino became very interested in the boat – he surely had never seen anything like it before, and curiosity got the better of him. Olmoti, the proud mother, was keeping her distance as she allowed the baby to approach the boat for a closer look and say hello to the world. 

And finally, our feathered friends put on a great show this month. Some special birds were sighted by our guide Herman, and these included the majestic and mysterious pennant-winged nightjar – that develops the most unusual wing feathers during breeding season – and also the colourful and often overlooked red-headed bluebill, which hopefully will make Magashi its new residence.