Digital Safari-Male Lion at Kwetsani

This morning at 05h30 we heard a male lion roaring.  We headed out from Kwetsani Camp, our second stop on the Digital Safari Workshop in Botswana and right at sunrise, we located him walking towards camp with the sun rising behind him.

For the next fifteen minutes we followed the lion as he roared, scent marked and then strode purposefully through the wet floodplains directly east of camp.  Red Lechwe antelope scattered in alarm at the lion’s approach.  After re-positioning our vehicle several times so that everyone could photograph this chap walking towards us, we watched as the lion waked east through some deep water and out of reach of our vehicle.

After the lion sighting some of our photographic group spent the morning doing aerial photography from an open-door helicopter.

Later today we ended up south of Kwetsani, where we managed to spend some time photographing a troop of Banded mongooses.  This particular troop lives in the immediate vicinity of Jao Camp, the sister camp of Kwetsani. These mongooses have become quite used to people moving around the camp and as a result, we were able to photograph the mongooses on foot from quite close up.  The troop were finishing up their hunting and digging activity for the day and were socializing at a termite mound, which they use as a home.

Our last photo opportunity came on the way back to Kwetsani camp, when we encountered a Saddle-billed stork fishing in shallow water.

More to come… stay tuned.
GA



3 Responses to “ Digital Safari-Male Lion at Kwetsani ”

1. Linda Gipson says:

   August 5, 2009 at 10:23 am

   These pictures are great. A friend and I will be leaving in a little over a week for Oakvango and are looking forward to an unforgetable trip.
2. James Weis says:

   August 5, 2009 at 10:34 am

   Thanks Linda – you will love it… where will you be staying in the Delta?
3. Cynthia Massey says:

   June 5, 2010 at 12:18 am

   James,

   I only have a 70mm/300mm zoom, & a wideangle zoom, I know you’re saying for a 400mm or should I go ahead & get a 400mm
   or is a 300mm good enough?