South Luangwa Travel and Tours

02/10/2022

Did you know that female hyenas have evolved to possess a pseudo- p***s and a pseudo-scrotum? And that males are dependent on females at feeding time?
The hyena is a very interesting animal for several reasons. Although they may resemble dogs, this African mammal is more closely related to cats, but hyenas do not belong to either of the two previously cited families, but form a family of their own called Hyaenidae.
Female hyenas have three times more testosterone in their bodies than their male counterparts. This results in them being more muscular and more aggressive—as if that wasn’t enough, the female hyena have a pseudo-p***s.
This makes it incredibly difficult to differentiate between male and female hyenas. Females don't have external va**na and urinate through the pseudo-p***s, just like male hyenas. And, in case you're wondering, yes, they're capable of an er****on. Which is even bizarre because the pseudo-p***s is actually a giant cl****is.
Just when you thought it couldn't get weirder, the poor female hyenas need to give birth through their pseudo-p***s. No surprise here, but it's a rather painful process for the mother and often tragic for her babies.
Hyenas usually carry litters of two to four cubs, but sadly about 60% of cubs suffocate on the way out. Mothers are also in danger, as the birth canal is only one inch in diameter, often making the birth process fatal, as demonstrated by the high mortality rate for first-time mothers.
The origin of the pseudo-p***s...
One of the several theories for the origin of this pseudo-p***s postula that evolved with a protective function: in order for the hyenas to mate, the female must voluntarily retract the channel of is the pseudo-p***s to facilitate copulation.
This gives females, unlike many other species, the ultimate mating decision. This is why female hyenas are extremely selective about who they mate with.

07/09/2022

02/08/2022

15/07/2022

13/06/2022

25/04/2022

HYBRIDIZATION.
🍀Hybridization is the mating of genetically different individuals within a species OR crossing individuals between separate species OR refers to the process of producing offspring by mating two animals from different varieties or species.

🍀The offspring of a male lion (Panthera leo) and a female tiger (Panthera tigris) is called A LIGER.

🍀The hybrid of a male tiger and female lion is called a TIGON or TIGLON.

🍀Ligers and tigons are only found in captivity they don't occur in the wild because tigers are mainly found in Asia while lions are mainly in Africa as the natural habitats of lions and tigers do not overlap.

24/04/2022

The African Wild Dogs are amongst the world’s greatest hunters. They work as a formidable team and deploy variety of strategies and tactics when it comes to the hunt.

The African Wild Dog hunt to kill ratio is around 80%! The reason for this is teamwork. They hunt with a common objective and shared leadership.

Wild dogs hunt in packs of 6 to 20. The dogs have a peculiar rather playful ceremony that bonds them for a common purpose and initiates each hunt.

African wild dogs are nomadic creatures and are used to traveling close to 50 kilometers in one day. They have phenomenal stamina.

African wild dogs are also extremely agile and adaptive during the chase.

21/04/2022

Swahili Basics and Useful Phrases for Travelers

Greetings

Hello: jambo/ hujambo/ salama

How are you?: habari gani

Fine (response): nzuri

Goodbye: kwa heri/ kwa herini (more than one peson)

See you later: tutaonana

Nice to meet you: nafurahi kukuona

Goodnight: lala salama



Civilities

Yes: ndiyo

No: hapana

Thank you: asante

Thank you very much: asante sana

Please: tafadhali

OK: sawa

Excuse me: samahani

You're welcome: starehe

Can you help me?: tafadhali, naomba msaada

What is your name?: jina lako nani?

My name is: jina langu ni

Where are you from?: unatoka wapi?

I'm from: natokea

May I take a picture?: naomba kupiga picha

Do you speak English?: unasema kiingereza?

Do you speak Swahili?: unasema Kiswahili?

Just a little bit: kidogo tu

How do you say... in Swahili?: unasemaje... kwa kiswahili

I don't understand: sielewi

Friend: rafiki

Getting Around

Where is the...?: ni wapi...?

Airport: uwanja wa ndege

Bus station: stendi ya basi

Bus stop: Kituo cha basi

Taxi stand: stendi ya teksi

Train Station: stesheni ya treni

Bank: benki

Market: soko

Police station: kituo cha polisi

Post office: posta

Tourist Office: ofisi ya watali

Toilet/ bathroom: choo

What time is the... leaving?: inaondoka saa... ngapi?

Bus: basi

Minibus: matatu (Kenya); dalla dalla (Tanzania)

Plane: ndege

Train: treni/gari la moshi

Is there a bus going to...?: kuna basi ya...?

I'd like to buy a ticket: nataka kununua tikiti

Is it near: ni karibu?

Is it far: ni mbali?

There: huko

Over there: pale

Ticket: tikiti

Where are you going?: unakwenda wapi?

How much is the fare?: nauli ni kiasi gani?

Hotel: hoteli

Room: chumba

Reservation: akiba

Are there any vacancies for tonight?: mna nafasi leo usiko? (Kenya: iko nafasi leo usiku?)

No vacancies: hamna nafasi. (Kenya: hakuna nafasi)

How much is it per night?: ni bei gani kwa usiku?

Days and Numbers

Today: leo

Tomorrow: kesho

Yesterday: jana

Now: sasa

Later: baadaye

Every day: kila siku

Monday: Jumatatu

Tuesday: Jumanne

Wednesday: Jumatano

Thursday: Alhamisi

Friday: Ljumaa

Saturday: Jumamosi

Sunday: Jumapili

1: moja

2: mbili

3: tatu

4: nne

5: tano

6: sita

7: saba

8: nane

9: tisa

10: kumi

11: kumi na moja (ten and one)

12: kumi na mbili (ten and two)

20: ishirini

21: ishirni na moja (twenty and one)

30: thelathini

40: arobaini

50: hamsini

60: sitini

70: sabini

80: themanini

90: tisini

100: mia

200: mia mbili

1000: elfu

100,000: laki

Food and Drinks

I'd like: nataka

Food: chakula

Hot/cold: ya moto/baridi

Water: maji

Hot water: maji ya moto

Drinking water: maji ya kunywa

Soda: soda

Beer: bia

Milk: maziwa

Meat: nyama

Chicken: kuku

Fish: samaki

Beef: nyama ya N’gombe

Fruit: matunda

Vegetables: mboga

Health

Where can I find a...?: naweza kupata... wapi?

Doctor: daktari/mganga

Hospital: hospitali

Medical center: matibabu

I'm sick: mimi ni mgonjwa

I need a doctor: nahitaji daktari

It hurts here: naumwa hapa

Fever: homa

Malaria: melaria

Mosquito net: chandarua

Headache: Naumwa na kichwa

Diarrhoea: harisha/endesha

Vomiting: tapika

Medicine: dawa



Animals

Animal: wanyama

Buffalo: nyati/mbogo

Cheetah: duma/ chita

Cow: n'gombe

Elephant: tembo/ndovu

Giraffe: twiga

Goat: mbuzi

Hippo: kiboko

Hyena: fisi

Leopard: chui

Lion: simba

Rhino: kifaru

Warthog: ngiri

Wildebeest: nyumbu

21/04/2022

GIRAFFE SPECIES.
🍀 The name “giraffe” has its origins in Arabic xirapha , meaning ‘one who walks swiftly”. The first European explorers to see giraffes named them ‘Camelopard’ derived from the ancient Greek for camel and leopard, referring to their camel-like shape and their leopard-like colouring.

🍀This is the basis for the scientific name camelopardalist which was once thought that there was a single species of giraffe, with between five to nine sub-species. Taxonomists are now clear that giraffes should be split into four separate species, namely;

Southern giraffe (Giraffa girffa),
Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi),
Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata),
Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis).

20/04/2022

Did you know , that Zambia has the title of the worlds largest mammal migration. Between October and December each year over 10 million straw-coloured fruit bat visit Kasanka national park (northern Zambia) each year coming from the depths of the Congo rain forests.
The interesting part is straw coloured fruit bats have been observed by a number of bat specialists and are said to be synchronized breeders, meaning a colony will have babies almost at the same time. But when the bats arrive in Zambia, they are all in different stages, some arrive with babies, some pregnant and some in different stages of development of adulthood which suggests they come from different colonies. Apart from the fruits 🍉🥑🍊🥭🍒 they come to eat the question still remains to WHY Do THEY MIGRATE??????

20/04/2022

SPUR WINGED GOOSE.
🍀The spur-winged goose's diet makes it poisonous. Don't plan on eating a spur-winged goose if you happen to come across one during your travels. These birds, natives of sub-Saharan Africa, have flesh that's often poisonous to humans, thanks to their diet of blister beetles, which contain the deadly cantharidin poison.

19/04/2022

ANIMALS FERTILIZATION.
🍀Fertilization in animals is a biological process that involves a s***m (male gamete) merging with an egg (female gamete or o**m. There are some kind of fertilization in animals;

OVIPAROUS/OVIPARITY.
🍀Animals that lays eggs. Oviparous animals produce eggs that later hatch to an offspring after being propelled out of the body of the female.Eg
birds, lizards etc are oviparous.

VIVIPAROUS/VIVIPARITY.
🍀Are those animals in which fertilization and embryo development occur inside the mother womb. Viviparity is a form of reproduction found in most mammals and in several other species. Viviparous animals give birth to living young that have been nourished in close contact with their mothers bodies. Humans,primates, dogs, and cats are viviparous animals.

OVOVIVIPAROUS/OVOVIVIPARITY.
🍀In ovoviviparous animals, egg fertilization takes place internally, usually as a result of copulation. Ovoviviparous animals develop their young inside the egg in their body, but the baby is born alive. The embryo is nourished by the egg yolk like in oviparous animals. The egg will be hatched inside the body of the parent and then the baby is born alive.

18/04/2022

IN ANIMAL ANATOMY DID YOU KNOW ABOUT HENRY’S POCKET?
🍀That cute little flap behind their ears. That little slit is called “HENRY’S POCKET” Yes, it does have a name? 😁

There are three theories why our pets have them.
🍀One theory is that Henry’s pocket may help animals to detect higher pitcher sounds. This is essential for a predator to give it a better chance of detecting prey, as well as predators they need to avoid.

🍀Another theory is that the pocket helps enhance sounds. When a cat or dog angles its ear, the pouch helps to make the action more efficient. Each ear has muscles that allow a cat or dog to move them independently. This makes it possible for a predator to move their body in one direction while pointing the ear in another direction.

🍀The third theory is that those cute little slits help dogs with a Henry’s pocket flatten their ears, but cats don’t fold their ears like canines do. However, the slits might add a little more flexibility to the ears and make it easier for cats to express their discomfort, fear, anger or contentment by the position of their ears,
Go and search for that pocket in your dog🐕 or cat🐱?

18/04/2022

18/04/2022

GIRAFFE and ACACIA.
🍀As a Giant browser giraffe grow up to 7 meters tall that allows them to feed on high canopies. The height of a giraffe gives it access to feed from the tops of trees.

🍀Giraffe use their 45-50 cm long prehensile tongues and protective saliva allow them to eat the thorn tree's to access leaves and they can eat up to 30kg daily. However the acacia trees have developed a few defensive mechanisms to ensure their survival from animals that like to chew on their leaves and twigs.

🍀Giraffes also have long eyelashes. One of the challenges of eating from a tree with thorns is that you might get your eye poked. Eyelashes help the giraffes sense if they are getting too close to the thorny branches.

🍀 Acacia trees only live for approximately 30 years and are able to tolerate extreme drought conditions due to their tap root system that access deep ground water. They are important food source for many large herbivores.

🍀Though the acacia trees have a defence system to the thorns, the release of tannins, which taste terrible to Giraffe, so they stop eating them. This system is so effective that trees in the vicinity react to the trees tannin release and they too start to release their own tannin which forces the giraffe to move on, or go up wind to trees that have not sensed the tannin being released by the neighbouring trees.

🍀The third defence the stinging ants living the trees thorns. The ants live off the sweet nectar produced by the tree and in turn the trees are protected by the ants who sting any animals that attempt to eat the leaves.

So with all these obstacles that the acacia trees use to protect themselves, it is a wonder the giraffe get to feed at all.

Stolen from Bwana Shaun

17/04/2022

There are many ways to send a message. The fold of an ear is a clear signal between elephants.

Ear-Folding: Forcing the lower half of ear under and back so that a prominent horizontal ridge or fold appears across the ear. In an Aggressive or Attacking context it may be used by male and female adults, adolescents, juveniles and calves in combination with a variety of other threats such as Head-High, Look-At, Advance-Toward, Charge, etc. to emphasize that an elephant “means business.”

Ear-Folding can be either a short or a persistent display, the later indicating a "foul mood" or "testiness". Ear-Folding that is used in association with Head-Raising, Ear-Lifting or Rapid-Ear-Flapping is part of an Affiliative or Coalition Building display exhibited by adult, adolescent and juvenile females.

18/03/2022

Food for thought

02/03/2022

Our sunsets ❤

19/02/2021

05/02/2021

Safari Journal: Luangwa from Above
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More from my recent flight over the green, Luangwa Valley during Emerald Season.
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So much going on in this photo! Look at all that elephant activity!
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02/02/2021

Now that's an athletic elephant!

photo by Bushcamp Company guest Michael Laubscher of Wild Eye

02/02/2021

20/01/2021

14/01/2021

Thanks to TRAVEL AFRICA, I can share with you Mana Meadows' beautifully-written article about her experience of Walk Luangwa, an expedition of 250kms along the Luangwa River in July 2020.

The adventure was conceived by Nick Riddin of Remote Africa Safaris and documented by Mana and Matt Blair of The Rusty Mokoro. Along the route, the team were led by expert guides, inspired by Nature and accompanied by conservation leaders working throughout the Luangwa Valley. The voices of the guides, the wildlife and the conservationists are at the forefront of Mana's article.

Follow the link (bit.ly/WalkLuangwa) to read Mana's carefully-crafted account of the trip, alongside her great photographs. And if you like what you read, consider subscribing to TRAVEL AFRICA Magazine which offers this kind of interesting, well-researched and authentic content on a quarterly basis in a large and well presented magazine. I promise you won't regret it.

And in case you need any more encouragement, TRAVEL AFRICA are offering a discount to you as followers of my page. Enter TA9120 when making your purchase to receive a 20% reduction on a year's subscription.

10/11/2020

“This was done in the name of road repair and renovation. 🤬😢

Everything that is wrong and unimaginative and callous about us as a society, caught here in a snap”.

29/10/2020

29/10/2020

27/10/2020

😢😢😥😥

19/10/2020

When wanting to book kafue, please look no further than Old Palm Tree Safaris . The best that kafue national park has to offer. 4 star Eco lodge, 100% off grid with budget pricing.

16/10/2020

Just for laughs

14/10/2020

Dear Industry Partners,
WTTC APPROVES ZAMBIA AS A SAFE TRAVELS DESTINATION
We are delighted to share the good news that Zambia has been approved as a Safe Travels Destination by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). This entails that our industry partners can also use the stamp subject to meeting the WTTC set guidelines. The decision by the WTTC was arrived at upon reviewing the Zambia tourism sector COVID-19 safety protocols which ZTA launched last month

In light of the above, we advise that those who have implemented the COVID-19 safety protocols can apply to Zambia Tourism Agency for use of the WTTC stamp. To apply, you are required to send your COVID-19 safety protocols for review and approval. Alongside your safety protocols, please provide full details of the name of your organisation, name and position of person in charge of COVID-19 safety and compliance in your organisation, telephone, email address and website address. These critical details will also be shared with the WTTC Safe Travels Stamp Team. Upon approval, the WTTC stamp will be shared with you for your individualisation and appropriate use.

Looking forward to working as a team with the Zambia tourism private sector in our quest to boost the restarting of tourism; and assuring potential visitors to Zambia of safety against COVID-19.

14/10/2020