In the crisp air of early morning, when the shadows were long from the still-rising sun, 12 beautiful, strong, painted dogs appeared at Nehimba Lodge pan. Excited chatter filled the main area, “Dogs at the pan!” Harris Mupedzi, our walking guide, and Shannen Wilson, who has newly joined the Imvelo guides team, could not resist approaching the dogs on foot. Carefully making their way to the dogs, they discovered that they had brought down a kudu and were rapidly devouring its remains behind a termite mound only meters from one of the rooms. The younger dogs in the pack were wary of the people on foot at first, but as the adults continued to feed, they decided to rejoin the feast.

Dogs are super efficient hunters and feeders and only a few minutes later the pack trotted off, leaving what little remained of the carcass for the vultures. “This truly was an amazing experience,” said Shannen, “and what made it really special is that it was in the heart of the camp.” And this also seems an appropriate opportunity to welcome Shannen to Imvelo – she wrote and passed her initial guides license while still at high school and since then has spent two years at two camps in Mana Pools National Park as hostess / relief manager. She comes to Hwange to hone her skills as a guide while assisting the Nehimba team with front-of-house – and we wish her a long, productive and rewarding time with Imvelo.

Photography by Shannen Wilson.