Many changes are afoot with the current rebuild of DumaTau, and great progress is being made to meet the scheduled opening – read the latest update of the progress here . But while we wait to see all the innovative changes, Tops Xani – Linyanti guide and Olympus visionary – has shared some amazing wildlife photos to instil excitement for the big reveal...
While we are certain everyone will love the changes coming to this enormously popular camp there are a couple of things that will always stay the same. Most importantly, the amazing wildlife sightings in the Linyanti.
With access to the Linyanti Swamps, floodplains and mopane woodlands, an outstanding combination of habitats, DumaTau is a wildlife haven. Osprey Lagoon, on which the camp is situated, is a productive spot for many species, birds and mammals, while the floodplains brim with fantastic predator sightings.
Using his Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera the talented Tops has captured some truly remarkable shots. Enjoy his photographic safari below, for a taste of what you can look forward to with the re-opening of the camp in August.
Built on the banks of the lagoon, hippos are often seen in and around camp. Nothing says “welcome to Africa” more than being lulled to sleep by snoring hippos.
The iconic hippo yawn requires great patience and a quick finger to capture at the perfect moment. But don’t be fooled – this “yawn” does not mean they are tired, but is actually a territorial challenge.
Learning about the wilderness is key during any safari – here Tops explains the flow and formation of the river courses that feed into the Linyanti River
Water – the life flow of the wilderness. Water birds at DumaTau are abundant, including the grey heron
Classified as vulnerable on the IUCN red list, the martial eagle is Africa’s largest eagle, and is known for its distinctive underwing and belly markings
Like humans, elephants can be classified as left or right “handed”, discernible by which tusk they favour. The more wear and tear to the right tusk would mean that the elephant is “right handed”.
These curious cuties, infant chacma baboons may appear sweet and innocent now, but chacma are one of the largest of baboon species, and can grow to 1.5 metres tall
Baboons spend a fair amount of time sitting, and they have subsequently developed built-in cushions on their buttocks called ischial callosities
Impala or Aepyceros melampus are often seen in large herds, and are a favourite animal amongst many safari goers as they never disappoint. You are almost guaranteed to see an impala on each and every game drive in the Linyanti .
The giraffe's scientific name, Giraffa camelopardalis, comes from the ancient Greeks' belief that it looked like a camel wearing a leopard's coat
African wild dogs are endangered mostly due to human wildlife conflict; thankfully though the Zib Pack is a frequent sighting in the Linyanti, growing in number every season
Leopards have a light cream and gold coloured coat with dark spots. These spots are also called “rosettes,” named for their shape,that is similar to that of a rose.
Solitary cats, unlike the African lion, leopards are commonly seen on their own, unless in the company of their mother
More often than not these fierce cats are seen lounging on tree branches. They may seem as if they are sleeping but they are always on the lookout for potential prey.
Their posture changes significantly after they have spotted something enticing
On this day, a leopard was hunting a warthog that had just emerged from its burrow
Hoping to find a smaller warthog left behind in the burrow the leopard sadly emerged defeated and hungry
A couple days later though … the leopard was victorious. Below is a sequence of shots taken as the leopard hunted in yet another warthog burrow – proving that this cat is not only good with heights but also in small confined spaces.
Written by Tenneil Zondagh
Photographed by Tops Xani
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