EMERALD SEASON: A herd of elephant returns to the Luangwa Valley’s floodplains to feast on fresh grass following the rains
ANDY HOGG / THE BUSHCAMP COMPANY
The scorching sun and dry air bake much of what remains. Dust hangs in the air and mutes the colour of animals and plants. By the end of the dry season, a plein air artist could get by with a single tube of brown paint were it not for the the leafy evergreen treetops that escape elephant trunks and giraffe tongues
Hundreds of hooves beat against parched earth, throwing a cloud of dust two storeys high as a huge herd of buffalo arrives at the water to drink. The thirsty buffalo join a family of elephants already cooling off with showers of muddy water. A group of zebra glare at the others, agitated but waiting their turn while a lone hippo basks at the waterline. In the distance, lion with full bellies laze in the meagre shade of a scraggly bush. They’re still digesting their last meal and don’t even glance up at the commotion. It’s the end of the dry season in southern Africa, a time of fighting for survival, and this scene plays out daily at thousands of waterholes across the region.