There were so many highlights, but the biggest of them all was without a doubt seeing wild dog pups in our traversing area for the first time in more than seven years. The pack of six African Wild Dogs moved back into our area last week and luckily for us, they moved their den site deep into our area. I had a fantastic sighting of three adult dogs and seven puppies at their den site.

African Wild dog puppies

The lion sightings have yet again been phenomenal and we saw lions almost daily. The Ximungwe pride of lions introduced us to another four cubs, which now brings the total cubs in this pride to seven. On an afternoon safari my guests and I had an incredible sighting of six cubs, all competing to nurse from a single female.

Lion cubs fighting for position with mom

The coalition of male lions known as the “Mapogos” was seen frequently and spent three days feeding on a huge buffalo they caught in the Sand River. After the lions moved off, we enjoyed great sightings of scavengers including hooded vultures and a lone spotted hyena.

One of the "Mapogos"

Male lion shaking off the water

Male lion feeding

Not to be outdone by the other predators, the leopard sightings were also frequent and we viewed and photographed several different individuals. My favourite images of the “spotted cats” for the last week were of two different males seen on safari.

Leopard "chilling"

Backlit Leopard

The golden morning light offered us some great photographic opportunities and transformed animals that are normally difficult to photograph, like white rhino, into great photographic subjects. I was fortunate to see three young male rhinos waking up one morning completely covered by thousands of little midges.

White rhino and midges

Birding was also great and even though the summer migrants are long since departed, various raptors and the ever present Lilac-breasted Rollers provided us some great bird photography.

Bateleur Eagle

Lilac-breasted Roller

Plains game including Burchell’s zebra, wildebeest and giraffe were also abundant and provided my guests with one of the most holistic safari experiences that Africa has to offer.

Zebras grazing

Until Next Time

Specialist Safari Guide and Wildlife Photographer Marius Coetzee
For more of Marius, see his Facebook page.

I spent the last week of May guiding out of Mombo camp.  It is a time of year in the Delta which brings with it very comfortable temperatures, with cool mornings and gentle warm mid-days.

The vegetation at Mombo was still green and quite lush after our excellent rainy season.  Water levels in some of the seasonal channels that fringe the area were very high.   However, the only effect that this had on the game-viewing was to drive many of the grazing animals onto the higher-lying parts of the game-drive areas.

A lioness watches and listens as dusk falls, and she slowly begins to get ready for the evenings activity. This imagewas taken at Mombo camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana.

The wildlife highlights during the week were many.  They began with a sighting of lions:  The Mathata sub-pride with their cubs, two afternoons in a row.  On our second sighting a couple of the lionesses with their cubs really posed for us on a termite mound.  We saw the cubs playing, flexing claws and the whole pride slowly getting ready for the evening hunt.  We also saw the coalition pair of males that spend time with this pride, the Western Boys.  One of them stole an impala from a leopard.

Leopard cub at Mombo camp.

It was in fact the leopards that stole the show during the week.  First the female who had lost the impala to the lion posed in a tree for us.  Then, the female leopard known as Legadima showed up with her two cubs and an impala kill.  The cubs are almost four months old and are incredibly cute.  They kept us totally entertained.  They climbed trees, chased one another about, and jumped from one branch to another, at times almost falling and catching themselves by one paw at the last second.

A leopard cub, one of two, belonging to an adult female that has long been resident in the Mombo area of Botswana's Okavango Delta.

When the impala carcass was half-eaten, the mother leopard pulled it up into a jackalberry tree.  Overnight a group of spotted hyenas showed up.  For almost a whole day the hyenas were at the base of the tree.  What little was left of the impala carcass was just out of their reach, and the two little leopard cubs were seemingly trapped, higher up in the same tree.  Eventually a hyena managed to reach the impala and pulled it down.  Shortly after eating the remains, the hyena left and to our relief the mother leopard showed up.  She collected the two cubs, totally unharmed, and they moved off together.

One of the leopard cubs posing on a tree branch.

We also enjoyed several sightings of the lone African wild dog at Mombo.  This dog has lost the other members of its pack and is now socializing with groups of black-backed jackals.  We saw the dog heading off on hunting forays with the jackals in tow.  This is most unusual behavior, but serves to show how strong the dogs’ social instincts are.

A lone African wild dog searches for prey at Mombo in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. These dogs typically hunt at dusk, as this one is preparing to do, and again at dawn.

Mombo's 'lone' wild dog, which is associating with jackals.

Spotted hyena, buffalo and hippo close to camp were further highlights, and we also had excellent viewing of both breeding herds of elephants with youngsters, as well as some very big, old bulls, who were competing for courting rights with an estrous female.

Black rhino at Mombo camp.

The week’s game-viewing was rounded off by a single sighting of rhino, which was again unusual in that we located a group of three white rhino, accompanied by an adult female black rhino.  The two species don’t typically spend time together, although there is no reason that they shouldn’t, as both feed on different types of vegetation.  Although brief, we had a good sighting.

A group of elephants, both male and female, photographed at Mombo, in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

I had a great week at Mombo watching and photographing these fascinating sightings, and it has left me looking forward a whole lot to my next visit, which will take place in July 2010.

For more of Grant’s photography, check out his website.

Sorry about the delay on updates from the Timbavati, things have been busy here! (Especially with our Wedding planning…). I got married to Melissa, our Head Therapist at camp, on 04 April 2010 and had very little time afterward to sort through my photographs.

I’m back on track now and here follows a brief update on some happenings.

Ntombi, the leopardess I reported to be pregnant (in my last update), has given birth to cubs somewhere close to the camp. We haven’t seen much of them yet, but we know there is at least one little baby. She still hunts frequently close to the camp and she often visits us in camp for a drink of water at the rock pool under the coffee deck.

Ntombi looking for prey

Rockfig Jr. and her two cubs (now almost 6 months old) are doing great. We have seen them on three kills recently and their little bellies seem “full” every time we see them. The cubs are surely the two most entertaining leopard cubs I’ve encountered in my 10 years of guiding in the reserve. The little boy is also a very “brave” one… I have now recorded him stalking adult giraffe, buffalo and elephant. Just some curiosity and sharpening of skills!

Rockfig Jr. looking at the cubs

Some loving from mom

Rockfig Jr and her cubs

Little Boy

Little Girl

Kuhanya (a female) had a great strike rate over the last few weeks and in a matter of ten days we saw her on three adult impala kills!

Kuhanya resting

Kuhanya staring at impalas

The Xakubasa pride of lions was missing for nearly two weeks.

They are back now and entertained us with some magical sightings over the last week. The young ones were playing in a marula tree and kept trying to bite and swipe at each other’s legs to drop them out. Recently the lionesses killed two adult female kudus and this kept them occupied for nearly three days.

The two white girls

Walking to mom

Playful cubs

Playing in the tree

Clear colour difference!

The one Machaton lioness has given birth to a single cub, which is now about six weeks of age. Let’s hope it survives…

Machaton female's new cub

We were lucky to see an Southern African python out on drive one morning. It was about 9-10 feet long! The snake went up into a tree and was quite happy to pose for us.

Southern African python

A pack of 15 African wild dogs came through for a quick visit! Sightings of this endangered predator are always spectacular and this time was no exception. They killed an impala and devoured it in less than eight minutes! There are only about 200-300 wild dogs left in the greater Kruger (that includes the Timbavati). They are the second most endangered predator in Africa, after the Ethiopian wolf.

African wild dogs feeding

More pictures taken over the last few weeks at Kings Camp:

Elephant bull

Young male leopard eating

Two white rhinos

Lionesses at sunset

Lilac-breasted roller

I’ll be back with more updates again soon!

Regards,
Morné Hamlyn (Kings Camp – Field Guide)

My wife Vanessa and I just spent a phenomenal weekend at Kings Camp in the Timbavati Reserve.

Our guide, Colbert, was one of the most enthusiastic guides I have came across in more than 10 years in the safari industry. He had a great sense of humour and loved sharing his vast knowledge of Africa. Our first “big” sighting was of a herd of buffalo numbering more than 400 individuals drinking at a dam. After viewing and photographing these large bovids for some time, we left in search of some Timbavati lions.

Lioness at dusk

Unfortunately we never had a chance to see the famous “white” lions of the Timbavati, but we had a great sighting of one of the “Timbavati Boys” (a coalition consisting of 3 males) and 2 females. We watched the felines gracefully wake up and begin their evening hunt.

We woke up with great excitement the next morning and after a cup of hot coffee, we headed out on our second drive. Colbert and his tracker Sam found fresh tracks of a rhino bull and after tracking this massive beast for some time, we came across this magnificent specimen of a rhino. We viewed and photographed him marking his territory and then headed off in search of some predators.

White Rhino marking his territory

Minutes later we watched a beautiful female leopard sitting high up a Marula tree. Every now and then something caught her attention and she would sit up and stare into the distance, providing us with some great photographic opportunities.

Female Leopard

That afternoon we departed on our afternoon safari with anticipation of some more wildlife sightings and we were not disappointed… Shortly after leaving camp we came across a very heavily pregnant female leopard. We followed her for some time while she walked through the bush and she eventually led us straight to an impala carcass that she had apparently killed a couple of days earlier.

Our next sighting was of a hyena at a small waterhole, perfectly back-lit by the afternoon sunset.

Spotted Hyena

After our sun downer, sipping Gin and Tonics while watching the African sun setting over the savanna, we headed back to camp. On our way back we came across another female leopard and her two 7-month-old cubs at a small waterhole. The cubs caused great excitement and watching these little cats was definitely a highlight of our stay.

Swainson's Spurfowl

On our last morning we awoke to the most impressive sound in the African bush, rain!! We decided to spend the morning enjoying our spacious and comfortable room and after yet another great breakfast, we headed for home.

Marius Coetzee
For more of Marius’ photography, check out his blog.

Leopards
Two of the female leopards on our traversing area are bringing a lot of excitement to our game drives. ‘Ntombi’ is a 4-5 year-old female that is showing signs of readiness to give birth to her first litter of cubs! This is great news for us, as the area around the camp is the core of her territory. This means that she will probably have the cubs somewhere close by in the river bed.

Ntombi on 'lookout' from a Marula tree.

Following Ntombi on Game drive.

The second female is known as ‘Rockfig Junior’. She is about 6 years old now and her first litter of two cubs are growing up fast now. They are now 4 months old and are very entertaining to watch on our safaris. She has one male and one female cub. I’ll keep you posted on future sightings of them.

Rockfig Jr - The proud mother.

Rockfig Jr. dragging a kill to cover.

Mum cleaning one of the cubs.

Siblings playing.

Lions
The ‘Xakubasa’ (pronounced “shakubasa” – meaning “white ones”) pride has provided a lot of great viewing. Two youngsters in the pride are white lions and it is the first time in years that we are again seeing white lions, something that made the Timbavati safari region famous in the 1970’s. The effect is known as ‘leukism’ (recessive genes) and is not ‘albinism’, as one would perhaps think.

The Xakubasa pride resting at Hide dam.

One of the white lions next to a tawny cousin.

White lion.

The adult lionesses watching an injured Cape buffalo.

The kill. Light was bad at 7pm.

The youngsters are not keen on the water.

The ‘Timbavati Boys’, a three-male coalition in the south, are spending lots of time back with the remaining three lionesses of the ‘Machaton’ pride. We suspect that one female has given birth and I will update on this in a future post. The 6-year-old female did mate with one of ‘the Boys’ not long ago, so hopefully we’ll have a few cubs to report about in the next few months.

Timbavati male and Machaton lioness.

Mahlatini male from the northern coalition.

Sightings of Cape buffalo, White rhino and Elephants are prolific and the general game sightings have been good as well.

Cape buffalo.

White Rhino bull.

White Rhinos drinking water.

Elephant dust.

Elephant bull.

Zebra and wildebeests on the grasslands.

Spotted hyena cubs.

Looking forward to giving you many more updates from the Timbavati!

Kind Regards,
Morné Hamlyn – Kings Camp guide.

The guests on this safari had all visited Botswana before for wildlife viewing. None of them had been at this time of year though and we had an interesting and varied itinerary. We made use of two vehicles at each stop. Some members of the group were very interested in photography.

Our first stop after a 45-minute flight from Maun was at the new Kalahari Plains Camp, where we spent two nights. Accommodation was comfortable and the roads were smooth. The weather was extremely hot. We were lucky enough to have a lion pride that frequents the area turn up very close to camp on our first morning. We returned to the lions in the late afternoon and enjoyed a spectacular sighting as they woke up, came together and bonded. The highlight was having all 8 lions roaring at once. Later that night they walked by very close to camp. We enjoyed an outdoor meal and sleeping on the specially made decks on the roof of each room, enjoying the desert skies in the dark.

A herd of springbok seek shelter under the leaves of an acacia tree in Deception Valley in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana. Midday temperatures in the summer force virtually all mammal activity to cease as the animals do their best to hide from the sun's scorching rays.

We left Kalahari Plains in our two expedition vehicles and made our way deeper still into the Central Kalahari Reserve to meet up with our camping crew, where they had erected our camp at a place called Letiahau. This was home for the next three nights. Game viewing highlights were herds of oryx and springbok and a late afternoon lion walking by. A giraffe at sunrise kept the photographers in the group happy. During the warm mid-days, we visited the artificially pumped waterhole, which was just a few kms from our camp, to watch the small birds flocking and drinking. Harriers, goshawks, ostrich and secretary birds were seen each day.

A young springbok takes to the air in a series of leaps known as pronking. This behaviour may serve a function in sending out messages to potential predators of the fitness of an individual springbok. This image was captured at sunset in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

On our fourth and fifth nights we changed venues and relocated our camp close to Deception Valley itself. Following very localized rain showers, the herds of general game were more abundant here and each afternoon several hundred springbok, oryx and wildebeest would flood out of the sheltering woodland and graze in the open grassland of the valley floor. This made for spectacular viewing. We also had a great sighting of a pair of male lions roaring and marking as the sun rose. There is a no-off-road driving policy in the reserve, but we were fortunate that most of the wildlife showed up close to the roads, at one time or another. Jackals and bat-eared foxes were abundant. The heat in the middle part of the day was so great that very few mammals remained active during this time, but some pools of water attracted a good number of vultures, eagles, kites and falcons. We sat out to watch and photograph some of these impressive birds during the middle parts of the day.

A flight of egrets, accompanied by a sacred ibis, fly in formation as the setting sun colours the sky. Waterbirds are abundant in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and are very capable of taking advantage of the ever-changing water levels in this dynamic system. This image was captured at Duba Plains, in the northern part of the delta.

Next stop was reached by means of a ninety minute flight that took us to DumaTau camp in the north. Here we spent three nights. The hot weather broke and we experienced several thundershowers, but to accommodate this we just changed the timing of our game drives and went out after the rain. We had many excellent sightings of elephant, giraffe, kudu, impala and hippo almost every drive here. We also witnessed a short-lived but savage fight between three male baboons along the Savuti channel.

An in-flight image taken of an adult southern carmine bee-eater. These brilliantly coloured birds are also extremely agile fliers and catch insects in the airl. They nest in burrows along sandy riverbanks. This image was taken close to Dumatau camp in northern Botswana.

With water levels on the rise in the Linyanti River, the numbers of red lechwe antelope were also increasing and we saw herds of them crashing through the water. This time of year also brings with it a whole variety of migratory birds and these include some of the most colourful birds to be seen anywhere. Carmine bee-eaters, woodland kingfishers and broad-billed rollers are some of these species. There are also raptors moving through the region and Amur falcons, steppe buzzards and Montagu’s harriers were some of these.

A view of the main inflowing channel that feeds water into the Duba Plains area. Over the past ten years this channel has changed from being a seasonal trickle to a permanent waterway, inhabited by hippo and fish.

We flew south to the Okavango Delta and spent our last three nights at Duba Plains Camp. The roads at Duba are bumpy and torturous and there are incredibly deep water crossings. The reward for getting through the mud and water in the Land Rover is some wonderful wildlife viewing on the open plains that lie close to the camp. Buffalo, elephant, red lechwe, tsessebe and lions are all to be found here. Birding is exceptional too, with flocks of waterfowl abundant, as well as herons, egrets and a good number of birds of prey too. The open terrain makes for excellent viewing opportunities and in this regard we weren’t disappointed.

A pair of mating lions photographed at Duba Plains in the Okavango Delta.

Mating lions and then a lion hunt were some of the highlights. The lions were moving around the edges of a buffalo herd, but never quite managed to separate a buffalo from the herd. Instead they snatched a young red lechwe which wasn’t nearly enough food for all seven of them. We were also treated to the sight of these swamp lions leaping over a small channel as they kept following along behind the buffalo. On another afternoon we watched 3 lionesses stalk to within a few meters of a large, solitary buffalo bull, but at the last moment, the lionesses decided that the bull was too dangerous and pulled out of a direct attack.

An adult lioness stalks a bull buffalo at Duba Plains in the Okavango Delta. On this occasion the bull was too big and intimidating and the lioness didn't make a serious attack. The lions in this area prefer to catch younger buffalo or females whenever they can

Our very last morning at Duba produced more special sightings when we came across some lionesses with three young cubs playing on an island in the shallow water.

A male lion leaps across a channel in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. This image was taken at Duba Plains camp.

This summer safari turned out to be an unusual one with regard to predator sightings in that whilst we didn’t see leopard or cheetah, we did have lion sightings of exceptional quality. We also enjoyed some wonderful summer skies, with dramatic cloud-build ups adding colour and depth to our viewing. Exceptional summer birds added still more colour and interest to the experience. Combined with the bright green-grass landscapes, it all made for an excellent photographic safari and one that left me with good memories all around.

Grant Atkinson
Specialist Guide – Botswana
For more of Grant’s photography, check out his website.

During our recent visit to Zarafa Camp in northern Botswana’s Selinda Concession, Nicky and I enjoyed superb game viewing, both on game drive and from the boat.  This area is so lovely during Botswana’s summer months, with the green landscapes, the abundant baby animals and the dramatic skies that it makes one pause at the grandeur.

Our favorite sighting at Zarafa was that of two 3-week-old leopard cubs and their mother, hidden in a den under a fallen tree.  It is not often that one has a chance to see leopard cubs in the wild and this was our first chance to see kittens this young.

The female leopard - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 600mmf4; 1/200sec at f5.6; ISO2000)

As we approached the den site, we were very quiet and saw the two young cubs in the shadows at the back of the den.  However, we could not see the female leopard anywhere and so we decided to leave the area, as we did not wish to attract any attention to the unprotected cubs.  But just as we were turning the vehicle around to leave, we noticed some movement in the bush to the side of our vehicle…

Female leopard returns to the den - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 200-400mmf4 at 240mm; 1/250sec at f10; ISO400)

Female leopard above the den - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 200-400mmf4 at 200mm; 1/250sec at f10; ISO400)

Moments later, a gorgeous female leopard emerged from the fever-berry bushes and silently moved toward the den.  It was the mother of the cubs, returning from an absence that may have been a day or more in duration.  Female leopards spend only 50-60 percent of their time with cubs at this age, as they must hunt to provide the cubs with milk.  The timing of her return was fortuitous for us, as we now could now stay a short while to take a few images and watch the cubs with their mother.

Female leopard enters the den - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 200-400mmf4 at 200mm; 1/50sec at f13; ISO400)

Female leopard peering out from inside the den - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 200-400mmf4 at 250mm; 1/40sec at f13; ISO800)

This female leopard is well known to the guides here and she is quite used to being around game drive vehicles and is very relaxed, so Foster (our guide) assured us that we were not causing her any stress by being at the den.  This was quite clear as she calmly passed within 2 meters of our vehicle en route to her cubs, whilst barely casting us a glance.

The female leopard nursing her cubs - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 200-400mmf4 at 300mm; 1/250sec at f5; ISO800)

One of the little cubs gives us a look - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 600mmf4 with 1.4TC; 1/320sec at f5.6; ISO1250)

What followed was a pleasure to watch, as the purring cubs were greeted with nuzzling and licking from their mom… but she lay down almost immediately so that the cubs could suckle and fill their tiny bellies with her milk.

One of the leopard cubs looks out from the den - Copyright © James Weis --- Nikon D3; Nikon 600mmf4 with 1.4TC; 1/160sec at f5.6; ISO1250)

One of the leopard cubs - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 600mmf4 with 1.4TC; 1/400sec at f5.6; ISO1250)

After feeding for perhaps 5 minutes, the little cubs were full and ready for more affection and they proceeded to clamber all about mom’s head and shoulders, looking for more grooming and nuzzling.  With fat tummies, they soon tired and fell asleep under their mother’s chin and all three were soon dozing peacefully. This is how we left them.  What a privilege to have witnessed this.

Mom and her two babies in the den - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 600mmf4 with 1.4TC; 1/80sec at f10; ISO1600)

Mom and her two cubs - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 600mmf4 with 1.4TC; 1/80sec at f9; ISO1600)

Life for a baby leopard is extremely tenuous at this age, as they are completely reliant on their mother for sustenance and protection. The cubs will only venture from hiding at about 6 weeks and then only to make short excursions with their mother, as they are still extremely vulnerable.  At this time they also start to eat meat.  Weaning occurs at around 3 months, but they will stay with their mother for over a year before they are ready to fend for themselves.

Mom and her little ones settling in for a nap - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 600mmf4 with 1.4TC; 1/125sec at f9; ISO1600)

The female and her cub in the den - Copyright © James Weis --- (Nikon D3; Nikon 600mmf4 with 1.4TC; 1/125sec at f7.1; ISO2000)

Leopards will often move their cubs to a new hiding place, especially at this early stage, and in fact all three were seen a week later in a new den site, this one a burrow dug into the side of a termite mound.  If all goes well, then perhaps future visitors to Zarafa will have a chance to see these leopards as they grow.  I hope so!

James Weis
January 2010

During our most recent safari in Botswana, Nicky and I were fortunate to spend an afternoon with a pride of lions that resides along the now-flowing Savute Channel.  This sighting demonstrates the dynamic nature of this region and specifically, some of the effects that the “new” water has on the animals living here.

The Savute Channel, which connects the Linyanti river on Botswana’s northern border with the Savute marsh in the Chobe National Park some 60 kilometers away, only began filling with water again in 2008. Before that time, it last flowed from 1967 to 1981 and so until recently, the resident animals here only experienced this Channel as dry grassland.  However, this cycle of wet and dry is a phenomenon that has occurred on and off here over the centuries.

Lioness and her cubs - Copyright © James Weis

We encountered the lions, alternately known as the “Selinda pride” or the “DumaTau pride” and consisting of 5 adult lionesses and three young cubs, all of which belonged to one of the females, in the late afternoon – just when the light was turning to the gold tones so advantageous for photography.

The pride had just begun to move again after waiting out the 90-degree heat of the day and we followed them, enjoying the playful antics of the little cubs, which were clearly relieved to finally be moving again after a long day of rest.

The three little lion cubs - Copyright © James Weis

The lionesses seemed to be hungry and we hoped we might get an opportunity to watch them hunting.  We kept a respectful distance as we followed, in case they encountered impalas or warthogs, both of which species we had passed on our way to the lions a short time earlier.  However, the lions never encountered anything to hunt, so we spent our time watching and photographing the cubs as the females walked through the bush and along the sand road leading to the Savute Channel a short distance away.

One of the three cubs - Copyright © James Weis

As the lions reached the main transit road, they turned toward the Savute Channel, which now covers this track in the sand for some 70 meters or so, with a small island in the middle.  The water in the Channel is now deep enough in many spots to sustain pods of hippos and we have seen numerous crocodiles, some of them quite large, all along the length of the Channel down to and past Savuti camp.

The lions arrive at the Savute Channel - Copyright © James Weis

On previous visits since the arrival of the “new” water, we have seen lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, zebras, impalas, giraffes, ostriches, kudu and various other animals crossing the water of the Channel and it is not an uncommon occurrence.  However, with the arrival of hippos and especially crocodiles further and further down the Channel, it has now become far riskier for the animals that dare to swim across this growing river and I suspect that some are having close escapes or are even losing their lives doing so.

Refreshing drinks from the channel water - Copyright © James Weis

The lions stood on the bank of the Channel and drank from the fresh, clean water and the four lionesses without cubs gazed intently at the opposite bank.  These four seemed very keen to cross to the other side of the Channel and we worried that the female with cubs would try to follow with her little babies.  The crossing in this location is not deep enough to force adult lions to swim a long distance, but for the small cubs, this would be an extremely strenuous swim and full of potential danger.

The other four lionesses about to cross - Copyright © James Weis

One cub had to be pulled out by mom - Copyright © James Weis

As we watched, the four other lionesses all waded into the Channel and the female with cubs followed a short way into the water as well, her cubs battling through the reeds and fighting to keep their heads above water as they tried valiantly to keep alongside of their mom.  Suddenly one of the cubs slipped completely under the water and his mother had to quickly reach in to fish him out with her jaws.  The poor little guy looked more like a wet rag than a furry little lion as he dangled limply in his mother’s mouth…

The female with cubs watches her pride leaving her - Copyright © James Weis

It was now becoming a bit stressful to watch the unfolding drama and we all hoped that the mother would not force her cubs to follow the other lions, which had now begun crossing the Channel in earnest.  We spent some tense moments watching her as she called forlornly to her pride sisters and we could see that she was torn between her desire to stay with her pride and her instincts to protect her cubs from danger.

The rest of the pride reaches the far bank - Copyright © James Weis

As the four lionesses reached the far bank and shook off the water, the female with cubs continued to watch and call to them, but they strode off into the trees and out of sight.  Long moments passed as we nervously watched her now in silence as the light faded and her cubs shivered in the shallow water.

One cub is rescued while the other two swim back to shore - Copyright © James Weis

Two of the little ones returning to the channel bank - Copyright © James Weis

Finally she made her decision… she turned around and led her cubs back to the dry and sandy road beside our vehicle.  We were all very relieved and happy to see that she had made what we felt was the “right” decision and we left them playing with their mother happily as dusk turned to darkness.

The little cubs wait for their mom to decide - Copyright © James Weis

Wet lion cubs - Copyright © James Weis

The flowing Savute Channel has obviously changed the lives of all the animals that live in this area.  This pride of lions has its territory on both sides of what was once open grassland, but that land is now split by a flowing river.  The act of simply traversing across their territory now poses new and potentially life-altering dangers.

Mom leads her cubs away from danger - Copyright © James Weis

Mom brings little one back to dry land - Copyright © James Weis

James Weis
January 2010

The next day was our transfer day to Botswana.  Along the way we spent the midday on the Chobe River, taking in some wonderful viewing of hippo, crocodiles, buffalo and many water birds.  A herd of young male elephants also put on a show for us by playing in the river in front of us.

A female leopard guards her impala kill. Leopards do not always carry their kills up trees immediately but will often feed extensively first in order to lighten the load. This leopard was photographed along the woodland fringing the Linyanti River in northern Botswana.

A female leopard rests under the shelter of a fallen tree in woodland fringing the Linyanti River in northern Botswana.

We flew into Linyanti Discoverer camp for the next 3 nights and our best leopard sighting came before we even reached camp.  A female leopard was feeding on an impala she had killed and we had a good, long sighting of her feeding and resting.

Hyena resting in water.

We also encountered three lions which were feeding on a giraffe and we visited these lions several times during our stay.  Five hyaenas and many vultures took over when the lions walked away and they reduced the carcass to just bones very rapidly.

This ten-week old lion cub was photographed close to Savuti camp in northern Botswana. There were three cubs in the litter, and the mother was close by.

Savuti Camp was our next camp and the first summer rains began falling during our stay here.  On our first afternoon, just minutes after the rain had stopped, we found a lioness with 3 young cubs.  We watched them till dark.

A pair of dwarf mongooses peer from the refuge of a fallen tree stump. These social mongooses are active during the day and live in highly social groups. This image was taken at Savuti camp in northern Botswana.

Still at Savuti, we had a sighting of a pack of 12 African wild dogs. Adding to our excitement at seeing these endangered animals, the resting dogs were chased off by 3 lionesses while we watched.  Luckily the wild dogs were alert and they managed to escape without any incident, other than getting a nasty scare.  We also had a nice time watching some dwarf mongooses as they went about their business on a fallen tree.

A lilac-breasted roller in flight. These brilliantly coloured birds are active hunters of insects and small reptiles. They nest in cavities in dead trees, and are resident over most of Botswana. This individual was photographed at Savuti.

This bull elephant was walking through permanent water near Jacana camp in the Okavango Delta. He was feeding on emergent vegetation on the edges of the islands. Deep water in the delta presents no barrier to these elephants.

After two nights at Savuti, we flew to Jacana Camp, deep in the Okavango Delta. While there, we enjoyed some boating along the pristine channels and water birds in great numbers and variety.  We also enjoyed some interesting mekoro (dugout canoe) trips to some of the nearby islands.

An African fish-eagle perched in a fig tree. The bulging crop indicates that the bird had fed recently. Fish-eagles are common in many parts of the Okavango Delta.

A game drive on the Jao flats produced still more waterbirds, as well as herds of red lechwe antelope and a sighting of the local lion pride one morning.

An adult male baboon shows his curiosity as he gazes at the camera. This baboon was part of a troop of over 40 animals and was photographed near Tubu Tree camp in Botswana's Okavango Delta.

We spent two nights at Jacana and then boated to our next destination – Tubu Tree Camp.  The water levels in this region rise and fall through the course of a season, and ours was the last boat transfer to take place.  The water is just now becoming too low for boating.  Any transfers between now and April next year will be by aircraft or by vehicle.

Wattled Cranes flying overhead.

Tubu is a dry Delta area, with game drives being the main activity.  There were herds of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and impala.  We saw a leopard in a sausage tree and another highlight was a flock of 54 wattled cranes flying to roost in a floodplain.  These are highly endangered birds and Botswana’s Okavango Delta is one of very few strongholds they still have.  We also saw big troops of chacma baboons, as well as very good birding to end off another successful safari.

Grant Atkinson
Specialist Guide – Botswana
For more of Grant’s photography, check out his website.

Our itinerary was Xigera Camp, Motswiri, Linyanti, and Toka Leya Camp.  The first three of these camps are in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Selinda concession, and Linyanti concession, respectively, while Toka Leya is on the Zambian side of The Victoria Falls.  We had seven very enthusiastic guests.

A pair of African skimmers fly in tight formation over waters of the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. These birds were breeding on sandbanks in Xigera Lagoon, close to Xigera camp.

During our three nights at Xigera we boated to Xigera lagoon, where we had fantastic viewing of African skimmers flying over the clear water.  Skimmers breed on exposed sandbanks and are rare birds.  We also did a full-day boat trip to the north, passing through a wonderful variety of habitats on the way, some permanent water, and some seasonal.  We saw hippo, elephant, giraffe, crocodiles, and the highlight was a pride of lions moving about near the water’s edge.

A breeding herd of elephants drinks as one from the Linyanti River in northern Botswana. Rising water levels in this river as well as other rivers in the region benefit wildlife like elephants, especially during the dry times of the year. This image was taken in September, towards the end of the dry season.

Some of the lions looked as if they might cross through the deep water channel we were boating in, but they never quite built up the nerve.  Hundreds of waterbirds kept us entertained as we cruised along through the channels.  We had a midday picnic under some shady trees.  Birding highlights of our Xigera visit included Pels’ fishing-owl and Western-banded snake-eagle.

We flew onward to Motswiri Camp for 2 nights where our activities were more physically active, with some canoeing on the Selinda Spillway, as well as some game drives on which we saw elephant and buffalo.

A lioness and her three-month-old cub shelter from the September heat in the shade of a jackalberry tree. This lioness was photographed along the Linyanti River in northern Botswana.

Next we flew along the now-flowing Selinda Spillway to the Linyanti concession in the north, where we stayed for 4 nights.  We hadn’t even reached camp when we found one of the Linyanti pride lionesses with her 3-month-old lion cub, but she was stressed and searching for a second cub, which was missing.  I had seen her on my last safari with both cubs, so it was sad to see that one had gone missing.

A pack of twelve African wild dogs setting off on a late afternoon hunt along the Linyanti River, in northern Botswana. Some of the dogs had noticed a herd of red lechwe antelope in the distance and were gazing with interest in their direction.

Before reaching camp that evening, we also got to watch a pack of twelve wild dogs on the move along the river.  Aside from these large carnivores, the road provided us with a steady procession of elephant, kudu, baboons, warthogs, impala and red lechwe, all moving about close to the river.

A bull elephant dust bathes in late afternoon sunlight after emerging from the Linyanti River in northern Botswana. Elephants frequently dust bathe. This behaviour may serve to help keep them cool by forming a muddy coating on their skin.

This is a great time of year for the Linyanti concession, as the rising daytime temperatures push many animals towards the river, especially from the late morning onwards.  More highlights were to follow.  Many elephant herds were to be seen each day, especially in the afternoons.  Several elephant bulls also visited us in camp.

A female leopard rests on a termite mound with her eight-month-old cub beside her. This pair of leopards were photographed in the Linyanti concession of northern Botswana. The two cats moved off after some minutes, stopping only to play with one another several times.

Early one morning we came across a female leopard and her cub sunning themselves on a termite mound.  They provided us with excellent photo opportunities and as we had several very eager photographers on board, this was most appreciated.  Male lions at rest the next morning, one called ‘Silver Eye’ and his coalition partner ‘Romeo’ were additional highlights.

A male leopard sits on a termite mound, close to the Linyanti River in Botswana. This male was on a territorial patrol, and had just caught sight of some baboons in the distance.

On our last afternoon drive we found a male leopard on territorial patrol.  At first we had some difficulty trying to approach him, as he was continually diverted off his course by a herd of elephants, but then he went up a termite mound and sat down.  Next moment he put his head into a large hole at the base of the mound and two warthogs exploded out of a hole on the other side of the same mound, leaving the leopard standing in a cloud of dust.  If only the other hole hadn’t been there, he may have gotten lucky with a meal.

Apart from spotted hyena, our stay in the Linyanti also turned up some great birds like white-breasted cuckooshrike, rednecked falcon, gabar goshawk, and white-fronted and carmine bee-eaters to name but a few.

White-fronted bee-eaters line up on a branch close to their nesting colony. These bee-eaters nest along the Linyanti River in northern Botswana. In some areas of southern Africa there are two nesting sessions in each season.

We flew again to Kasane where we spent our midday on a Chobe boat cruise, viewing great herds of elephants along the river bank, as well as many crocodiles, buffalo, hippo and scores of birds.  One more very short flight took us to Livingstone where we had a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River and then had a very comfortable night in the luxurious accommodation at Toka Leya Camp.

I said goodbye sadly to the group next morning at Victoria Falls itself, from where they were heading to the airport and home.  This is a great time of year for big game viewing in Botswana and the Linyanti in particular and we were more than pleased with our good fortune with the wildlife sightings on this Great Wilderness Journey.

Grant Atkinson
Specialist Guide – Wilderness Safaris
For more of Grant’s photography, check out his website.