TOP, LEFT Winter colours in the park frame the tallest
animal in the world. BOTTOM, LEFT Peter Ruddle
(front), in the boma with reserve manager Tom Barnes.
Here you can help yourself to breakfast, hot beverages
and sundowners. It’s also Duke’s favourite place to
snooze. OPPOSITE TOP Sábiè Game Park’s camp is
sheltered from the heat under nyala berry trees.
OPPOSITE BOTTOM Matilda Msindo prepares one
of the family suites. BELOW Curious waterbuck on
the Corumana shoreline.game numbers and initially opened the area up to
selective hunting to help subsidise establishment
costs. The game numbers have increased
substantially to a point where we can now offer
a magnificent wilderness game-viewing
experience,’ said Peter.
‘Honey badger,’ he announced. Turning my
head, I saw the end of a black and white body
disappearing into the undergrowth. Things move
fast in the bush. I really had to up my game.
‘Those guys are some of the most fearless
creatures in the bush and have a really tough
skin,’ he explained. ‘They can take on lions.’
Where were those lions? We were driving down
into a riverine habitat full of dongas, and just as
I was thinking this was a losing cat-and-mouse
game, the tracker pinged and Peter quipped ‘Bust!’
I couldn’t see them. ‘There,’ he pointed into thick
yellow bush. All I saw was thick yellow bush. But
gradually, my eyes adjusted and I made out slight
movements – a shiny eye, a flick of the tail. The
pride was well camouflaged. With no way of
getting an ace photo (they didn’t look like they
wanted to move), we sat for a while listening to the
sounds of the bush. What is it about the single
annoying fly that is heard above anything else?
Later that day, we came across a herd of buffalo
mooching about on the plains near Corumana
Dam on the park’s southern border. What a scene
to behold, at least 800 of them. I love these94 M AY 2 0 1 9
Travel MOZAMBIQUE