July has been an interesting month in the Selinda reserve. This was a month full of extra-ordinary sightings as well as a month of water challenge for both the guides and the maintenance team. Selinda camp has now turned to what we can call an island camp as all game-drive excursions have to tackle the depth of the waters to get to the dry lands. With rapid rise of the water the maintenance team had to explore all the options to make sure game-drives take place and at the end finding a rather shallow crossing just less than 200m from camp.

The Selinda magic starts in camp with a great glow of the sun coming behind a line of palm trees like a big bolt of fire. Cameras start exercising at this moment with the Bradfield’s hornbills glorifying the break of dawn around the fire place and giving guests a great photographic moment of the sun in the background.

The thrill of the wilderness is forever ongoing in Selinda, starting with the grunting of hippos at night and all through the sizzling action of the day by wild dogs, lions, leopards and cheetahs sometimes. Of recent we had an amazing interaction of the three carnivores; Wild dogs meticulously taking down an impala, then the leopard hijacking it from them and all the hyenas could do, was watch the leopard enjoy its succulent meal up the tree (www.greatplainsconservation.com/bushbuzz/?p=5561). Wild dogs dening in the reserve is yet another bonus. Game viewing was remarkable this month.

Elephants were regulars on game drives and boat cruises. Herds of elephants roamed the Selinda reserve everyday and most of them ending the day in the Selinda spillway. The elephants crossing through the differing depths of the spillway made the boat cruises a very unique experience. What was even more special was to watch the newborns snorkeling through the water with the help from the mothers. For those guests who chose to enjoy the tranquility of the camp by skipping an activity, the elephants would come to them. There was this particular bull which has made it an obligation to take down trees around camp and later napping next to guests’ tents.