Julian Brookstein Safaris

30/08/2024

How many do you count? Mutondo Safaris

26/06/2024

Masuma hide that overlooks Masuma Dam in the Sinamatella area of Hwange is a magical spot. I have spent countless hours over the last fifteen years in this hide sitting, watching and waiting. You have to have patience on safari !

On my last safari my guests and I had just returned from a two hour morning walk in the hills and granite outcrops to the East of the Dam. We had spent much of that two hour walk following behind an Elephant Bull as he went about his day feeding. Such a thrill to walk twenty meters behind a massive Hwange Elephant Bull down a path. If the wind is right and he doesn’t hear or see you, you can follow Bulls like this for hours.

After the walk we headed into Masuma hide to have some refreshment, we had set up and were enjoying lemon cake and tea when in noticed a slight movement out to the right in the scrub Mopane. The silhouette had me excited.. I lifted my binos and there it was. A leopard , sitting in the shade watching the waterhole. We all were watching it now as I had pointed out to everyone its whereabouts. It moved towards the dam and then veered slightly right to one of the spring holes the Elephants dig. It disappeared and I knew it was drinking. We kept our eyes on the spot and soon enough it came out and moved towards the tree line at the back of the dam. There were Impala on the far side that it looked to heading towards. It mad steady progress round the dam, stopping a few times to lie down and investigate a scent. The leopard was about half way round the dam when a herd of Zebra came in on the left side to drink. We had a look at them but soon were all watching the Leopard again.

Suddenly all the Zebra bolt and the sound of this makes us look that way, a lioness has burst out the thicket closest the Zebra. Zebra are very quick of the mark and they manage to get away from the lioness who gives up quite quickly. She sneaks back to the thicket and immediately goes into ambush position again. We now have a Leopard making its way round the dam and the Lioness very definitely hunting on our left.

Over the next hour we switch from watching the Leopard that proceeds to stalk Impala who end up busting her and then guinea fowl that she gets very close too before they fly. The lioness in this time tries the same tactic on waterbuck that also bust her, then stand in a line snorting at her just out of reach. When she has had enough of the waterbucks attention she breaks cover and decides to go to the other side of the dam , walking within fifteen meters of Leopard who lay flat and watched the lioness walk past.

We finished the morning, now the afternoon! driving down to see the Leopard cross the road after doing another stalk on Guinea (that can be heard complaining in the video) fowl. We spent close to three hours watching this all unfold. In that time another other safari vehicle and two self-drive vehicles drove past the hide and didn’t stop as it looked at a glance to be very quiet at the dam.
Mutondo Safaris

01/06/2024

Elephants drinking at Mandavu Dam.

16/05/2024

As we embark on a new season, the landscape of Hwange and its surrounding regions is undergoing a profound transformation due to the current drought gripping Southern Africa. The warming El Niño climate pattern is siphoning heat from the Pacific, resulting in below-average rainfall in our area. This early onset of dry conditions has already spurred the return of wildlife to the North of Hwange, with animals flocking back months ahead of schedule.

One notable presence is the significant number of elephants congregating around our camp, reminding us of the challenges and wonders that come with the dry season. In years like this, elephants often venture closer to camps in search of water, occasionally causing damage in their quest to quench their thirst. It’s evident that we’re in for an intriguing season ahead.

The Mandavu Dam lion pride continues to captivate our attention, their resonant roars echoing through the night as they laze by the spring in front of camp. Last season’s prolific mating activities have yielded promising results, with recent tracks indicating the arrival of new cubs. While we eagerly anticipate catching a glimpse of these additions, their presence adds to the allure of our surroundings.

Among the recent highlights in our game viewing adventures was a thrilling spectacle involving painted dogs chasing an impala into camp. The impala’s daring leap into the spring, followed by the patient wait of the dogs before retrieving their prey, provided our guests with a front-row seat to nature’s drama.

In other exciting news, we extend a warm welcome to Roy Majachani, our new Camp Manager. Roy brings a wealth of experience and an infectious smile to our team, and he has wasted no time in immersing himself in his new role. We’re confident that under his leadership, Camp Chitubu will continue to thrive and provide unforgettable experiences for our guests.

As we navigate the dry conditions ahead, we anticipate an exceptional season of game viewing in Hwange and its surrounds. We look forward to sharing these experiences with you and creating lasting memories together.

11/03/2024

Very happy to have been nominated. Please vote if you agree….

We are absolutely delighted to have Camp Chitubu receive nominations in The Safari Awards across the following categories:

⭐️Best Value Safari Property
⭐️Best Family Safari Experience
⭐️Best Walking Safari
⭐️Best Guiding Team
⭐️Best Safari Experience

To vote - please go to the link below - click on Vote and type in Camp Chitubu
https://thesafariawards.com/

Select all the categories that you wish to place your vote.

With warm regards and gratitude
The Mutondo Safaris Team

Experience the best in African safari excellence. Safari Awards 2024 celebrates outstanding wildlife tourism, luxury accommodations, and unforgettable adventures in the heart of Africa.

05/03/2024

Orion on the horizon in Hwange.

03/03/2024

What do you think it is? Mutondo Safaris

03/02/2024

I am in LA and will be at the Travel and Adventure Show over the next couple days spreading the word about why Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 should be on your radar if your thinking about a Safari 🦁🐆🐃🦏🐘🐾❤️🇿🇼Mutondo Safaris Remote Recreation

26/01/2024

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298094-d18716748-Reviews-Julian_Brookstein_Safaris-Hwange_Matabeleland_North_Province.html

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.

22/01/2024

I know when Elephant 🐘bulls are on a mission to get to water in the afternoon , if you get downwind and DONT MOVE! they will walk right by. This is walking safaris in Zimbabwe. 🇿🇼❤️🐘 listen to sounds of the bush!

20/01/2024

Just finished our travel show in Sandiego. Brilliant contacts made. 🇿🇼🐾❤️. Mutondo Safaris.

26/11/2023

This has without a doubt been the harshest dry season I have seen in Hwange National Park in my twelve years of operating there. Exhaustion, hunger and thirst claiming many animals through the park in the last period of the dry season. Today I saw the rivers flowing. Really one of my favorite things to see each year. Mutondo Safaris

19/11/2023

Beautiful old bull with a fantastic tusk!

15/11/2023

09/11/2023

Harsh scenes in Hwange. An old Elephant cow tried to climb up the concrete step, all the weight in her two back legs was too much and she collapsed. The second cow trying to help.

08/11/2023

Great opportunity for the right person.

06/10/2023

We are in for a BOOM in lion cubs in the near future Mutondo Safaris

05/10/2023

One of the most entertaining animals I think. Chacma Baboon.

28/09/2023

The Elephant calf died of exhaustion…. The dry season in Hwange is harsh, however predators have their time to thrive now. When the rains come it will be the turn of prey.

28/09/2023

The dry season is well and truly here at Mutondo Safaris. The lion sightings have been incredible. Guests were treated to this sighting from their rooms during afternoon siesta!

22/09/2023

𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 ℝ𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕠 𝔻𝕒𝕪 - 𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝟚𝟚𝕟𝕕

North West Matabeleland, incorporating Hwange National Park and the Zambezi National Park, was traditionally home to both Black and White Rhino. The Black Rhino lived in the rugged hills and bush in what is now the Sinamatella and Robins sectors of Hwange, and were recorded on the basalts of the Zambezi River basin above the Victoria Falls, while the White Rhino was widespread on the flat open Kalahari forest areas predominating this region, noted by F C Selous in numbers on the Dete Vlei in the late 1800’s. However, human influence in the early twentieth century through settlement, agriculture, and unsustainable hunting caused the rhino to be wiped out.

In the 1980’s, white rhino were reintroduced to Hwange from the Matopos National Park. These White Rhino thrived but have unfortunately since been poached out in Hwange National Park. Imvelo safari Lodges have since reintroduce a few more.
In response to severe poaching pressure on the Black Rhino population in the lower Zambezi Valley, an Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) was declared in the Sinamatella area where maximum protection and security could be offered. Rhinos captured in the Zambezi Valley were relocated to this IPZ in the 1980’s.

The Black Rhino population in the IPZ was estimated at about 90 animals in the 1990’s, but unfortunately poaching over the last decades saw their numbers reduced to a population of under 10 today. These rhinos are dispersed over about 2000 square kilometres of rugged bush, making monitoring difficult.

In 2018, Bhejane Trust established the Rhino Monitoring and Protection Unit (RMPU), ably led by Nick Long, and which comprised of a small team of Bhejane rhino monitors with selected Parks rangers. This team was highly motivated and very mobile, and their mission was to establish how many rhinos existed in the Sinamatella area, their territories and ranges, and to try and ensure their protection.
The team soon established there were more rhino than originally thought, but found they were increasingly involved in anti-poaching, especially in the neighbouring Deka Safari Area, in their efforts to look after the rhino. The team proved adept at anti-poaching, and soon stopped the illegal charcoal burning on the park boundary, stopped the fish poaching on the Deka River, and were responsible for nearly all the arrest of poachers in 2019 and 2020 in the area. On top of this, they still kept tabs on the rhino!
It is with great thanks to the Bhejane Trust that we are able to see Black Rhino in our area today.

📷 Julian Brookstein Safaris of a White Rhino in Hwange National Park
ℹ️ Trust

13/09/2023

How big is your continent/country really? I often start a presentation to a potential new Safari guest with explaining that the map we all grew up with is very wrong! Africa is even bigger than you think. Have a look at the GIF below for reality.

11/09/2023

🦁 ❤️🐾🇿🇼Mutondo Safaris

08/09/2023

A few photos from my last safari…

06/09/2023

Two young Elephants take a nap in the early afternoon heat. Hwange is heating up big time. When the Elephants start taking long siestas in the shade you know it’s 🔥

06/09/2023

Did you know you know that two countries in Africa have two thirds of all the elephants left on the continent within their borders? Zimbabwe and Botswana have this Honour. Mutondo Safaris

25/08/2023

I said a few months back I was loving getting to know the Mandavu lion Pride, the pride that calls the area surrounding home.

I can say now that we are truly starting to understand the dynamics. I first saw the coalition of four males that are now our resident pride males a year ago. They had just moved into the area then and were terrorizing the then loan pride leader. The old pride male is long gone now and they are the new kings.

I estimate the oldest cat of the four to be around five years old with the other three I think about four years of age. This is a strong coalition of young cats, and is very promising. A fascinating thing about this coalition is that the cat with the shortest mane is the biggest of all of them. He is a massive lion so I am curious to see if he just doesn’t have genetics for a large mane, size he definitely does!

When a pride take over happens often one of two things will happen.

Either the new males will if they can, kill any cubs in the pride that are still dependent on their mothers. Or sometimes the females in the pride that do not have dependent cubs go quickly to the new males showing them great affection .

They have the ability to string the new boys along with “false oestrus” not falling pregnant but mating with the new males very soon and often to make sure they are here to stay and thus cementing the new bond.

When the lionesses are happy the new boys are worthy then they will fall pregnant.

All this happening while the lionesses who do have dependent cubs will break away not allowing their cubs to be killed. This is often the case when the cubs are more sub adults than cubs as they can run and escape with their mothers.

This is is what has happened with the mandavu pride.

There is a splinter pride of lionesses with sub adults male and female cubs. These lionesses will soon join back with the pride. There grown daughters now old enough to join back with the main pride and not attract the wrath of the new males, rather a welcoming now that they are of age to mate. The young males will need to leave and start their nomadic phase of their lives as all young males must do.

Two of the six lionesses who did not have dependent cubs that stayed and went to the boys now have cubs with the new males. We have been fortunate enough to see the five new little additions to the Mandavu Pride recently. We have seen the remaining four lionesses all mating with the new males over the last few months so more cubs are imminent.

The pride has put on a show for us over the last few weeks with the new males showing us that they are very adept at killing buffalo. Hundreds of buffalo are drinking daily now at Mandavu with the dry season in full swing. In the last ten days they have killed eight buffalo in an area spanning a couple of hundred square meters on the western side of Mandavu dam. My guests and I fortunate enough to witness two of these hunts in the space of twenty minutes.

There is still at least two more months before the rain starts and we are set to experience an epic dry season at . Watch this space….