Page 40 - 2017 ZAMBIA

Farewell to Zambia
Our morning drive from our beautiful Chongwe River Lodge seemed

beyond magical. We were headed circuitously back to Royal Airport for
the flight back to Lusaka where we would catch a night flight to Kigali,

Rwanda.

The morning light was golden and we saw yet another leopard loping
along at a distance but still in good view. We drove through an area that
surrounded an oxbow of the Chongwe River where the scene was

idyllic. There was an elephant family standing on the shore with some in
the water. Three females, one youngster, and a tiny baby. They were at

leisure with some drinking and some bathing. the younger cavorted
around splashing and squirting at everyone. The tiny baby was trying to

figure out how to use this long thing falling from his face. He clearly had
not mastered the muscular "hose" and made fitful starts at drinking and

spraying. One female was standing with him and she seemed to be
showing the proper action, but he was having trouble picking it up.

There were impalas, waterbucks, bushbucks, and cape buffalo in the
vicinity, all ignoring one another as each species went about its own

activities. Birds and crocs were on the banks in close proximity but
seemingly without fear.

We enjoyed picnic lunch in the rover with a lone elephant and lots of

baboons playing nearby. Driving out of the park we again saw Ginger
and Garlic (the first two male lions we had seen here) along with their
two lionesses. A perfect but reluctant goodbye to beautiful and

bountiful Zambia!

NOW – ON TO RWANDA….