Day 6: Kasanka, elephants and bats

The team with Mark and Carmen’s family left in two cars for Kasanka National Park around 8:30 in the morning and drove 2 hours back toward Lusaka.  After we arrived, we spent a little time in the conservation/visitor’s center and learned about the park.  In the 80’s, the park was largely abandoned and run down.  A former big game hunter turned conservationist established the British based Kasanka Charitable Trust and ever since the park has been on the rise.  It was mainly established to protect the migratory pattern of the African fruit bat, where 6-20 million bats each November and December descend on Kasanka which acts as a staging ground to feed on a local fruit trees.  It is the largest mammal migration on Earth and one of the most unusual since there is no breeding involved.  Kasanka is also one of the few places that the sitatunga, an acquatic antelope, can be seen.
                We then drove to the main lodge building for lunch on a veranda that overlooked a large wetland.  We immediately saw a crocodile, lots of puku (local common antelope) and a few sitatunga.  While we were eating pizza, we heard the hippos and then saw a pod of 10 or so swimming. It was an incredible lunch. Right before we arrived at the lodge, the car I was in started making a very high pitched sound and the news after Mark inspected it was not good.  A tension bearing for the main belt was broken, which meant we couldn’t drive the car (more later).

 

                Only half of us could go on a game viewing trip, and just a few minutes from the lodge at the first open field and swamp, we saw 2 elephants relaxing in the water far across the way.  There were also baboon, puku, stork, and warthog.  After 15 minutes, we drove back to the lodge to let the other half get to see the elephants who watched them until the elephants went into the forest.  We then traded and the first half went back got back in the truck for another excursion.  Right after we left, Caitlin spotted an elephant off to the left in the woods about 75 yards away.  We stopped the car and then heard trees cracking right behind us.  All of a sudden, a huge elephant bull emerged 20 yards behind the truck, looked right at us and crossed the road.  It was awesome! But that was not all that God had in store for us.  We crossed a bridge that went over a small river and unbelievably another elephant was eating just up the river.  Mark was completely amazed that we were getting so lucky and said that we’d seen more elephants this day .

 

 

 

                Back at the lodge, we arranged for transportation from the lodge and Mark, Brian, Caitlin and I drove in the back of an open air safari vehicle.  Pretty cool, and exciting especially when it started to rain (the first rain in Kasanka in months).  We made it to the bat observation area, met up with the other half, ate dinner and climbed the largest “treehouse” (really a blind to observe the bats) in a massive mahogany tree. 

                We went back to the main viewing area and at dusk the bats awoke and started to fly and fill the sky.  Although it’s still early in the season with only 20% of the total number of bats that would eventually arrive, the experience was still very impressive.  But again the elephants stole the show.  A different two passed right by, one even gave a “false charge” which caused many including me to start running a little.   After the bat show driving back to the lodge through the forest, we came across the same pair, again right next to the road….one let out a classic elephant call and the other flared its ears.  It was pretty exhilarating!

 

 

                The broken down truck had to be towed back, but there was no tow truck service anywhere close to us.  That meant Carmen towed the second vehicle via tow ropes the 220+ Km back to Samfya.  This is just another reality of living in Zambia and again brought up my feelings of incredible respect that I have for Mark and Carmen’s resourcefulness.  I have never been in a car that was being towed, which was quite an experience.  Mark steered the towed car and applied the brakes to slow down both trucks when needed.

                Overall, the day was one of the best of my life, and I will cherish it always.  I’m looking forward to the day that I bring Sarah, Andrew and Katie to share in God’s incredible creation in Africa.