Przy kasach biletowych koło kempingu podszedł do nas, zaintrygowany polskimi tablicami, miły pan z Niemiec. Powiedział nam, że planował spędzić w parku dwa tygodnie ale musi wyjechać dwa dni przed czasem i jeżeli chcemy, to możemy skorzystać z wykupionego przez niego miejsca kempingowego. W Mana Pools jest jeden duży, wspólny kemping i seria pojedynczych miejsc nad brzegiem rzeki Zambezi. Miejsca te oddalone są od siebie o kilkaset metrów, więc nic nie zakłóca spokoju, przebywających na nich, miłośnikom przyrody. Aby móc z takiego prywatnego kempingu skorzystać trzeba rok wcześniej dokonać rezerwacji i zapłacić za nie150 USD za dobę. W cenie dostajemy toaletę zrobioną z wkopanej w ziemię beczki i murowany gril, oraz to czego nie da się przeliczyć na pieniądze: święty spokój, piękne pejzaże i dziką przyrodę. Możemy być pewni, że odwiedzi nas duża ilość zwierząt.
Mana Pools to jedyny park narodowy w Afryce gdzie występują dzikie koty i dozwolone jest piesze safari bez przewodnika. Możemy sami spacerować wśród słoni, bawołów, lwów, hien, lampartów itd. Oczywiście wszystko to na własną odpowiedzialność i ze spisanym wcześniej testamentem. Byliśmy świadkami jak dwóch śmiałków podchodziło zrobić zdjęcia antylopom i jeden z nich dzierżył w dłoni łom, a drugi miał zatknięty za paskiem od spodni toporek. Chyba coś się panom pomyliło. Niestety parki narodowe w Zimbabwe pełne są znerwicowanej zwierzyny, ponieważ na terenach otaczających parki rząd, łatając dziury w budżecie, zezwala na polowania. Za 25 tyś. USD można w majestacie prawa pozbawić życia słonia. Z tego też powodu te biedne zwierzęta chodzą zestresowane i częściej niż w innych krajach gdzie polowania są zabronione, atakują ludzi. Byliśmy świadkami rozmowy pewnego zwalistego jegomościa z cygarem w zębach, który dopytywał przewodnika, czy pojawiają się tu dorodne samce słoni, bo on musi zastrzelić największego. Podwozi się takiego wielkiego myśliwego na odległość strzału do słonia i facet może upajać się swoją władzą nad życiem wielkiego, pięknego zwierzęcia. Jeszcze tylko pamiątkowa fotka przy zwłokach i można wracać do domu.
Oprócz znerwicowanych słoni trzeba się też wystrzegać lwów. W ciągu dwóch miesięcy poprzedzających nas przyjazd do Mana Pools, w wioskach na obrzeżach parku lwy zabiły 10 osób. W tydzień po naszym wyjeździe do wypadku doszło także na jednym z opisywanych prywatnych miejsc kempingowych. Grupa przyjaciół spędzała tam urlop. Aby się nie krępować postawili oni prysznic z dala od miejsca biwakowania. Jeden z mężczyzn już po zachodzie słońca postanowił się odświeżyć i kiedy odszedł od obozowiska został zaatakowany przez 4 lwy. Kiedy żona i przyjaciele przyjechali zaalarmowani hałasem było już za późno.
Po zachodzie słońca nie powinno się odchodzić od samochodu czy namiotu. Na naszym kempingu spacerowały wieczorem bawoły, hipopotamy i hieny, a sądząc po pozostawionych śladach, przychodziły także lwy. Jeżeli już musimy nocą opuścić bezpieczne schronienie to upewnijmy się za pomocą silnej latarki, że będzie to bezpieczne, ale pewnie i tak serce podskoczy nam do gardeł przy najmniejszym szeleście za naszymi plecami, bo pamiętajmy, że noc to czas łowów dla wielkich kotów.
Jeżeli tylko będziemy się odpowiedzialnie zachowywać i pamiętać o tym, że przebywamy na łonie natury wśród dzikich zwierząt to pobyt w Mana Pools może stać się jedynym z najwspanialszych przeżyć. To miejsce jest po prostu magiczne i dla nas jest jednym z najwspanialszych miejsc odwiedzonych podczas naszej podróży.
We arrived at the national park office issuing entrance permits for Mana Pools at around four in the afternoon. There was no chance of driving into the park that same day, as the rules are that you have to reach the campsite at the heart of the national park before sunset, and the trip there takes about four hours. Thus, we ended up staying for the night at the small camping ground next to the park permit office, where we were warned to take care at night, as lions roam around in the immediate vicinity, coming to a nearby water reservoir to drink. We set off next morning at daybreak along the extremely rough gravel road leading into the park. For four hours we clattered over corrugations that juddered their way through our vehicle, loosening all of its nuts and bolts and making a good attempt at dismantling its bodywork, whilst leaving its passengers on the verge of concussion and in danger of internal organ damage.
At the ticket office of the park headquarters we were approached by a German who’d noticed our Polish number plates. He told us that he’d planned on spending a fortnight in the park, but was having to leave a few days early and was kind enough to suggest that if we wanted to we could make use of the private bush camp that he’d already paid for. Apart from the one large, communal campsite at Mana Pools there are a small number of secluded individual sites on the banks of the Zambezi. These are spaced several hundred metres apart so that no other campers will disturb one’s wildlife viewing experience. To make use of one of these secluded spots requires making a booking one year in advance and paying 150 USD per day for the site. For this price you get a tree-shaded place to park, a brick-built barbeque stand and a toilet consisting of an oil drum dug into the ground and surrounded by a bamboo screen. You also get something that is absolutely priceless: idyllic peace and quiet, peerless scenery and numerous visits from a plethora of wild animals.
Mana Pools is the only national park in Africa which allows visitors to go on walking safaris without taking a guide, despite the fact that big cats abound. It’s entirely within park regulations to roam freely on foot among elephants, buffalo, lions, hyenas, leopards and the like. Naturally, this is an adventure undertaken entirely at one’s own risk and preferably with a last will and testament already drafted. We saw two daring souls taking advantage of this opportunity, creeping up on a group of impala to take some photos. Apart from their cameras, they were also equipped with ‘weapons’, presumably in case of any surprise attacks from creatures lurking in the bush: one of the gentlemen in question was wielding a crowbar, whilst the other had an axe tucked behind the belt of his trousers! We didn’t stick around to see whether or not they had any call to use them. Sadly, there are quite a lot of very nervous animals in Zimbabwe’s national parks. Although within Mana Pools itself hunting is forbidden, there are plenty of neighbouring areas where there are no such restrictions, hunting licences being a very good way for the government to make money to fill in the gaping holes in the country’s budget. Twenty-five thousand USD buys you the right to kill an elephant, and thus it is that incidents involving stressed out elephants attacking humans are far more common here than in neighbouring countries. We overheard one conversation in which a man of pyramid-like proportions with a cigar clenched between his teeth asked a ranger whether there were any particularly large bull elephants in the area, as it was his greatest desire to shoot the biggest one around. Said lump of a great white hunter will get driven up to within safe shooting distance of the unfortunate animal so that he can revel in his power to cut short the life of a huge and magnificent creature. Then there’ll be time for a quick photo standing proudly next to the carcass before buggering off home.
Other than traumatised elephants, it also pays to be on the lookout for lions. During the two months prior to our visit in Mana Pools 10 villagers living on the outskirts of the park died in various attacks by lions. A week after we’d left the park an incident also took place within the park itself, at one of the private campsites. A group of friends holidaying there decided to set up a tree shower at some distance from the spot where they were camping. One of the party decided to freshen up after the sun had already set, and whilst in the throes of showering was set upon by four lions. By the time that the man’s wife and friends, alarmed by his screams, reached him it was already too late.
It’s prudent never to wander too far from one’s tent or vehicle after dusk. We had buffalo, hippos and hyenas wandering through our campsite at night, and judging by the paw-prints we saw on the ground next morning, lions too. If, however, leaving one’s safe haven in the night proves unavoidable, it’s always best to have a very bright torch to hand to check out the surroundings. Even taking all the precautions possible, the merest rustle of a bush is guaranteed to raise your blood pressure sky high and immediately remind you that night time is when the big cats come out to hunt. Despite the potential dangers, if you behave sensibly and keep in mind the fact that wild animals are, as the phrase implies, wild and should be treated with equal measures of caution and respect, a stay at Mana Pools will be one of the most superlative experiences imaginable. It is a truly magical place, and for us it represents one of the greatest highlights of our travels to date.
At the ticket office of the park headquarters we were approached by a German who’d noticed our Polish number plates. He told us that he’d planned on spending a fortnight in the park, but was having to leave a few days early and was kind enough to suggest that if we wanted to we could make use of the private bush camp that he’d already paid for. Apart from the one large, communal campsite at Mana Pools there are a small number of secluded individual sites on the banks of the Zambezi. These are spaced several hundred metres apart so that no other campers will disturb one’s wildlife viewing experience. To make use of one of these secluded spots requires making a booking one year in advance and paying 150 USD per day for the site. For this price you get a tree-shaded place to park, a brick-built barbeque stand and a toilet consisting of an oil drum dug into the ground and surrounded by a bamboo screen. You also get something that is absolutely priceless: idyllic peace and quiet, peerless scenery and numerous visits from a plethora of wild animals.
Mana Pools is the only national park in Africa which allows visitors to go on walking safaris without taking a guide, despite the fact that big cats abound. It’s entirely within park regulations to roam freely on foot among elephants, buffalo, lions, hyenas, leopards and the like. Naturally, this is an adventure undertaken entirely at one’s own risk and preferably with a last will and testament already drafted. We saw two daring souls taking advantage of this opportunity, creeping up on a group of impala to take some photos. Apart from their cameras, they were also equipped with ‘weapons’, presumably in case of any surprise attacks from creatures lurking in the bush: one of the gentlemen in question was wielding a crowbar, whilst the other had an axe tucked behind the belt of his trousers! We didn’t stick around to see whether or not they had any call to use them. Sadly, there are quite a lot of very nervous animals in Zimbabwe’s national parks. Although within Mana Pools itself hunting is forbidden, there are plenty of neighbouring areas where there are no such restrictions, hunting licences being a very good way for the government to make money to fill in the gaping holes in the country’s budget. Twenty-five thousand USD buys you the right to kill an elephant, and thus it is that incidents involving stressed out elephants attacking humans are far more common here than in neighbouring countries. We overheard one conversation in which a man of pyramid-like proportions with a cigar clenched between his teeth asked a ranger whether there were any particularly large bull elephants in the area, as it was his greatest desire to shoot the biggest one around. Said lump of a great white hunter will get driven up to within safe shooting distance of the unfortunate animal so that he can revel in his power to cut short the life of a huge and magnificent creature. Then there’ll be time for a quick photo standing proudly next to the carcass before buggering off home.
Other than traumatised elephants, it also pays to be on the lookout for lions. During the two months prior to our visit in Mana Pools 10 villagers living on the outskirts of the park died in various attacks by lions. A week after we’d left the park an incident also took place within the park itself, at one of the private campsites. A group of friends holidaying there decided to set up a tree shower at some distance from the spot where they were camping. One of the party decided to freshen up after the sun had already set, and whilst in the throes of showering was set upon by four lions. By the time that the man’s wife and friends, alarmed by his screams, reached him it was already too late.
It’s prudent never to wander too far from one’s tent or vehicle after dusk. We had buffalo, hippos and hyenas wandering through our campsite at night, and judging by the paw-prints we saw on the ground next morning, lions too. If, however, leaving one’s safe haven in the night proves unavoidable, it’s always best to have a very bright torch to hand to check out the surroundings. Even taking all the precautions possible, the merest rustle of a bush is guaranteed to raise your blood pressure sky high and immediately remind you that night time is when the big cats come out to hunt. Despite the potential dangers, if you behave sensibly and keep in mind the fact that wild animals are, as the phrase implies, wild and should be treated with equal measures of caution and respect, a stay at Mana Pools will be one of the most superlative experiences imaginable. It is a truly magical place, and for us it represents one of the greatest highlights of our travels to date.
