Destination Mozhi: Last frontier of Kafue wilderness

 

JACK ZIMBA

Kafue National Park

WE ARRIVED at camp as the sun was going to sleep, giving its last kiss to this vast wildness, and were welcomed by a pod of resident hippos with their deep honking.

Mozhi bush camp was our destination. It sits on the confluence of the Moshi and Lufupa rivers, which both flow into the Kafue River, the lifeblood of Kafue National Park.

Moshi River has an interesting beginning, spouting out of a rocky mountain as a spring of warm, crystal-clear water, then flowing eastwards, hugged by water berry trees that line its edge, adding to its beauty and serenity.

The water berry trees defy gravity as they have developed roots that grab onto the edge of the river like a giant octopus. It is nature’s ingenuity that allows some of the trees to grow vertically over the river, and to remain standing even when the river grabs some of the land on which they stand.

But, clearly, they are also guardians of the river, ensuring its life.

We were at the western tip of the park in Kasempa district. A few kilometres away lies the famous Busanga Plains, a place teeming with wild animals – lions, elephants, zebra, the majestic eland, kudu, sable antelope, buffalo, waterbuck and impala in their abundance.

And for bird watchers, this place has abundant fauna, from migratory birds to the ubiquitous helmeted guinea fowl that can be seen in large flocks, as well as rare species such as the African finfoot, Bohm bee-eater and the pel’s fishing owl

That evening, we had our sumptuous dinner watched by hippo mothers with their calves as they prepared for their own dinner outing.

Mozhi also has a resident leopard that makes occasional appearances at the edge of the river. Some guests have been lucky enough to spot the elusive cat while they relaxed on the lounge deck.

And if you are really lucky, you can witness a kill.

“You see animals behaving in a natural way here because the place is not commercialised and does not get crowded,” says Amon Ngoma, who manages the camp.

“This is what makes this place special,” he said.

And once in a while, the Moshi Pride, made up of six lions, patronises the lodge, while elephants have left large footprints and piles of dung on the premises.

We went to sleep that night under the call of a lone hyena across the river.

“Life is better in the wild” is Mozhi’s ethos, and its staff swear by it.

Early the next morning, we were taken on a game drive to get closer to the animals.

Hankombo Moonga was our guide. He is an experienced tour guide who started as a ranger.

We made a stop at the Moshi Spring. Hankombo jumped out of the vehicle, briefly scanned the area before giving us the all clear. The drive gave us an opportunity to see more animals and to appreciate the wild landscape, which lies in pristine state.

We then headed down to the river to take a boat ride.

On our way, we came across a small family of warthog. They are hard to spot as they seem to blend in with the termite mounds, logs and anything around.

The warthog really looks like something God made out of malice – a cross between some creature and an old tree stump. But that is what makes the warthog beautiful.

But we were also lucky – according to Hankombo – to see two wild pigs in a small pond.

Reaching the river bank, we were pleasantly surprised: the boat turned out to be a floating five-star buffet of dainty foods, complete with wines and spirits.  

We launched out and gently floated down the river, all the while scanning the water and the bank for some animals, and we were not disappointed.

Occasionally, Amon alerted us to some animal or bird on the river bank or in the river itself.

“Crocodile at 12 O’clock,” he shouted over the ding over the boat’s engine.

Of course he was referring to direction, not time.

Then suddenly, up on a tree, we beheld a majestic sight – the African fish eagle.

It patrols these waters along with the giant kingfisher.

Occasionally, we disturbed a pod of hippos as they rested in the water. The large mammals sent a gash of water through their nostrils in protest over our presence, but they still gave way by going under water. They emerged after the boat had passed.

After the boat ride, it was time to leave Mozhi, and time to appreciate this wilderness gem from the sky.

To pick us was Azel, who landed her helicopter on the front lawn of the reception building.

Azel is a cheery and vivacious young woman from South Africa who now works for African Parks as a pilot.

She speaks in heavily-accented English.

“You sound like you are from Eastern Europe,” I said to her, careful not to mention Russia, just in case it is something that would offend her.

“Yeah, Russian!” she burst out laughing.

“Many people tell me that,” she said.

We both laughed about it.

Flying over the park gave us an opportunity to see more animals – a herd of buffalo, an elephant with her calf, zebra and, of course, lots of antelope.

Azel swooped her bird on the herd of buffalo, startling them, and sending them on a gallop.

After 25 minutes, we landed at Chunga camp.

Life is, indeed, better in the wild.

Mozhi bush camp was started in 2019 by Shearzone Safaris, although the site itself has existed for decades. The last operator at the site left in 1966.

The camp had a hard start. With COVID-19, it meant the business had to wait, and so the camp opened for business in 2021, and has been attracting visitors.

What has helped the camp is grading of the access road by African Parks (AP), which now manages Kafue National Park in partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife.

AP has so far graded over 1,000km of roads within the park.

“With the coming of AP, the road has been done, that has helped a lot,” said Amon.

According to him, poaching has also remarkably reduced after AP set up a camp in the area and heightened patrols.

“The future looks bright,” said Amon.