Smelt but not seen

We meandered back slowly from the ranger post at Rungue to the Conservancy headquarters. Thunder rumbled in the distance and I craned as normal to spot wildlife. Viewings are in short supply in the rainy season as the thick bush and sparse road network create lots of hiding places. We saw impala, kudu and zebra, and smelt but narrowly missed elephant.

At headquarters the accommodation is fantastically located: a tent on a deck next to the Lugenda River, swelled massively compared to my last visit when lions stalked across dry areas of the riverbed.

It’s great working with our South African Conservancy Manager, who we recently hosted in the UK office. He was asked by another visitor, ‘how do you find working with Mozambicans?’ When entire nationalities are often negatively generalised, his answer brought a tear to my eye: ‘We love them.’

Later, someone else to me as a conversation starter: ‘you guys have let too many Muslims into the UK.’

That feeling of needing to maintain cordial relations in the face of gross ignorance.