Did you see the leopard?

 Did you see the leopard?

Leopard, Namibia

“Did you see the leopard passing the road?” asks our guide Bruno. We are on our first walking safari short time after arriving in Mundulea Camp. Previously, on the way to the camp, I just reassured my wife “no visitors have ever seen cats [leopard, loon and cheetah] in this area, it should be quite safe. Fortunately, the second argument I gave for undertaking this adventure still holds “They cannot run a business if tourists are eaten all the time”. After our new leopard information, we keep a tighter formation walking one by one in the dense bush and no one really wanted to be the last person in the row?

Walking safari, Mundulea Private Reserve

We are in Mundulea Private Reserve together with our host the owner and expert guide Bruno. He established this 120 km2 large reserve some 20 yrs ago in 2001. It borders Otavi Mountains. When we look around, we see bush and mountain savannah with dolomite ridges spanning the landscape. We are in the central area of Namibia receiving most rainfall at approx. 300 ml / year. The water can’t escape but forms sink holes, steep gorges and underground caverns, when it disappears into the ground. Near a big fig tree, Bruno points out depressions and crevasses in the ground caused by water erosion. 

Water crevasses in the ground

Water crevasses in the ground,
140 meter deep

We walk for about 2-3 hours, and the colors get increasingly more impressive; khaki, brown, orange, and sand as the sun disappears behind the mountain peak to the west of us. Just before we reach the camp again 3 hours later, we see a very large eland bull, the alpha animal marking his territory. An impressive sight. Also, his heard drinking from the waterhole just outside the camp. Finally, back in the camp after the first of what turns out to be a row of wonderful walking safaris, we settle around the fireplace with G&T´s. Animal sounds 360 degrees around us. Enchanting. 

Getting to Mundulea started straightforward on good tar roads until we turned off at minor D2809. Not a car or human being in sight anywhere. According to the instructions from Expert Africa, we were to drive 10 km east heading for the Mundulea entrance. We pass two major gates with security cameras and razorblade wires, poaching was heavy during covid, and we follow the rugged road all the way to the farmhouse on top of hill. We are really on the countryside and hope we are on the right track. No guiding signs and no phone signal. Bruno likes privacy. You could get seriously lost.

Our camp has the outline of a “kraal”; a fence of wooden sticks provide some protection against predators during night. We have a simple – bur fully adequate – tent with mosquito nets and an open bathroom. We check the floor for snakes and scorpions, whenever we step out of your bed or enters the open heaven bathroom. We place our shoes on hangers under the roof and keep our bags on tables zipped up all time. Nevertheless, we fell safe in this small paradise. Or as Bruno expressed it “Don´t mind all the sounds during the night, you are safe in your tent”.  Later we learned that Bruno always sleeps outside his tent on the veranda.

Mundulea Camp, Kraal & canvas roof

Mundulea, all meals made over open fire

Mundulea, dining table

Mundulea kraal enterence, Elands

Mundulea, ready for dinner

Bruno and his assistant prepare all meals over open fire. We enjoy them on beautiful homemade DIY wooden tables and chairs, placed under a green canvas roof in the shade of a big tree.   

We do two daily walks and realize Bruno is an extraordinary source of nature information. He literally knows all about plants, animals, insects, minerals, landscaping etc. He is involved in multiple research projects and nature activities and researchers join him from all over the world. We – the tourists – are just a way to produce income for the conservation project. 

We walk around for up to 5 hours for each trip. Any animal, bird, track tree, scrub, and Bruno will know the name and all information behind. E.g., he gave us a 20 mins lecture on termites. And yes, it was interesting from beginning to end. Herbivore, carnivore or omnivore? Droppings: Dung or cast?   

Zebra footprints

Giraffe footpring and droppings;
note dung impression and dent

Leopard hairball

In the hours in the camp between walking, we had the most interesting conversations with Bruno and the four other guests around the fire and dining table. A highlight of our trip so far – actually - of all our many trips to Africa.  

Mundulea, our tent

Mundulea, our bed

Mundulea, open air bathroom