So just shy of one year here in the heart of the Selous Game Reserve and its time to move onto the next adventure...Greystoke Mahale. The year has flown by, each day having many highlights, but there are a select few for us that stick out.
Our first experience with the Selous Dogs, a radio call from not far away and we set off and found the pack of 12 with 6 adults and 6 pups that were a handful for the adults non-stop.
Our first meeting with Forest, the male Leopard we share our territory with. He killed a Zebra foul just outside camp and took it up a Chestnut Tree.
Cheeka, the naughtiest but cutest monkey with an addiction to milk powder...daily raids on the office in the dry season were messy times.
The evening a Brown House Snake (harmless to people) decided to eat a Gecko at Kate's feet in the office.
Daily encounters with what I believe to be the most beautiful bird the Selous has to offer.
Meeting the dominant Lion of the Sand Rivers area.
The lodge hippos have always provided us with great entertainment at a stone's throw away.
The African Golden Weavers came in and gave everyone hours of joy building the nests right in front of the lodge for days on on end.
Our good friend with no ears and one eye gave an insight into the life of a handicapped animal, showing his feistiness among the others.
The first major storm that disrupted lunch with horizontal rain hitting the back wall at the serving station.
The Northern Carmine Bee-eater and its symbiotic relationship with our vehicles, the vehicles ousted insects for the birds to feed on and they gave us a great experience flying in and around the vehicle.
Finding this pack of 21 Wild Dogs in the Beho Beho River bed, this is the biggest pack of Wild Dogs we had ever seen.
Terrence the Terrapin was found along the path to the managers house and moved into his new home, the fish pond at the mess, where you can still see him from time to time.
Hippo fighting can be brutal and leads to a croc feeding frenzy which is a great way to see the power of the Nile Crocodile ripping flesh using it's infamous 'death-roll'
Our guide training with Sacha was a great time to get out in the field and see what we could find, but when a pride of Lions come strolling down the road it really makes a guides job look rather easy.
Getting out onto the newly formed sand banks after the river subsided to see these young African Skimmers was a fantastic experience, showing off their hiding capabilities in bare open ground was amazing.
Baby Hippos are just the cutest little cocktail sausages and when they came out of the river to see the other side of the world they got the attention of many people.
Our final encounter with Forest, having killed and eaten a baby Giraffe then slinking off into a leadwood to let his belly hang out.
Thank you Sand Rivers Selous for the amazing experience, we are sure to return one day.
Im sure that new managers Jeff and Ilze look foreward to welcoming you.