I think one of the things we love most about our job is the unpredictability of what happens at Londolozi. Driven by meeting new people, making friends, and of course, the wildlife, no day is ever the same. Personally, what drives me a little extra is the possibility of witnessing a dream sighting. That dream sighting, however, may be completely different from that of another guide or guest. And it’s not just one dream sighting—it’s the potential for many.
The funny thing is that when you eventually, if at all, get to that moment, you either find yourself wanting to see it again, or something entirely new suddenly becomes the next dream. Personally, one of my dream sightings has always been to see a cub being carried, either by a lion or a leopard. But to be honest, any cub carry would be a dream. The possibility of seeing this is low, but there is still a possibility—and sometimes that’s all you need.
What I’ve come to realise over time, though, is that even with these dream sightings in mind, there is so much more that drives us. From big animals to the smallest creatures, from beautiful flowers to the incredible vistas we are lucky enough to experience here at Londolozi, it all plays a part.
It was an early morning the other day when one of these unexpected moments came to me. I was walking to camp bright and early to grab a coffee before my guests came down to the Varty Deck for their morning warm-up. As I walked through the car park, I noticed a thick-tailed bushbaby. But there wasn’t just one—three tiny fluff balls followed close behind her. I had never seen bushbaby babies before, and seeing them just five meters away in the open had me completely losing my mind.
What happened next was something I never expected. The mother ran across the car park with two of the three babies, climbed a tree, and then ran back across again. This time, however, she was carrying one of the babies. Now I can’t technically call it a cub carry, as there isn’t a specific term for a baby bushbaby, but to me, it felt exactly like one.
One of the guests I was driving that morning was an ex-head guide at Londolozi from the early 2000s. I told him the story and showed him a video of the sighting. He assured me that not many people had ever seen something like that before, nor had he heard of it in over 30 years in the safari industry.
It was an incredible way to start the day, and I honestly don’t think I’ll ever see that again. So please feel free to tell me—have you ever seen something like this, or heard of anyone who has?
This past November we did see a badger running in front of us closely followed by a baby. It was certainly a first for me and our ranger Kirst.
Wow! What an absolutely extraordinary sighting!
As you said ,the bush is incredible as are the surprises it has for us.
Easily one of the most incredible sightings of all time! Wow!
What a sight! Love seeingbush babies. Thank you for sharing..
Wow, what a special treat – lucky you!
sssooooo cuuute!!! why do you think mama carried the one baby? not following directions? injured? runt? lucky sighting for sure!
I have not, but my goodness—all that fluff! Those long tails remind me of baby elephants who can’t yet use their trunks. What a special way to start the day.
Nope, nothing close! A cub carry is my dream sighting too and, in my estimation, this one counts! Imagine sitting around a fire, people sharing cub carry stories and you drop your tale – yup, the winner!
Hi Dean, that was super awesome to see the thick tailed bushbaby Mom and her 3 babies. We have the smaller bushbaby here on the reserve and I have 2 of them living in my roof. They are so absolutely awesome and I put a banana out for them before it gets to dark, with some marshmallows. They love it and eat it all up and then off they go jumping from one tree to another foraging for insects. I even had one of them come into my house early one morning. Luckily we could get him out again to be in nature where he belongs.
That’s unbelievable and certainly a “lifer” sighting. Thanks for including your video. I’ve only seen bush babies a couple of times and was ecstatic by the experience as they are so difficult to see.
What a special sighting indeed ! It takes me back to the 90’s when a bushbaby was standing, every night on a tree at the south western corner of Varty Camp deck (Main Camp at that time), watching for hours waiters and guests assembled for dinner. Perfectly relaxed on a branch 3 meters away from the deck. The tree is gone, unfortunately, but not the memory…
I just love bushbabies. What an incredible sight!! I’m jealous (in the good sense of the word)