Botswana: Okavango Delta Safari 2013: Day 8

A day that starts with 17 wild dogs chasing 3 hyenas is never really going to be a bad day! This action was all on our way to enjoy an amazing makoro experience. These traditional canoes take you quietly through the waters of the Okavango Delta, giving you a close-up look at the smaller animals. A large herd of buffalo met us at the end of the makoro experience, quickly followed by a herd of elephants. The day closed off with a female leopard in a tree with a kill and a relaxed african wild cat.

Major sightings of the day:

17 wild dogs (8 pups) chasing 3 hyena
Large herd of buffalo
Herd of elephants drinking
Good general game
Small herd of elephants
Female leopard with kill in tree
African wild cat

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Botswana: Okavango Delta Safari 2013: Day 7

The day kicked off with a beautiful pair of wattled cranes, which were the stars of a morning filled with fantastic bird life. Pygmy geese, black herons, saddle-billed storks and a lesser jacana were just some of the species we saw and photographed. The plains game were also out and keen to have their picture taken, so naturally we happily obliged.

A quick hop on our charter flight landed us at our new camp. The pilot kindly agreed to fly a little lower than usual so we could photograph the Okavango Delta from the air. It was a great opportunity to see the massive size of this wilderness area, and to spot some animals from above. After being greeted near the airstrip by a large bull elephant, we settled in, and enjoyed a short rain shower before the afternoon safari. The day was closed off by 3 hyenas, a small herd of elephants and a large herd of buffalo.

Major sightings of the day:

Wattled cranes
Herd of buffalo
Many herds of elephants
Ground hornbills
3 male buffalo
1 hyena
Large herd of buffalo
2 hyena

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Botswana: Okavango Delta Safari 2013: Day 6

Another beautiful sunrise, and another great day! A hyena den site was our first success of the morning, with a female and a youngster active around the den. A large herd of buffalo, many great birds (including the aways difficult to find broad-billed roller) and several herds of hippo were seen throughout the day, but there was one species that dominated – elephants! Around every turn, at every water source and at every other sighting we were at, there were herds of elephants! The day was ended by a very camera-aware leopard; she posed for us for over an hour, right up until the very last of the light.

Major sightings of the day:

Spotted hyena and cub at their den site
Several herds of hippos
Over 200 elephants
Large herd of buffalo
Broad-billed roller
1 lioness
Ground hornbills
Leopard in a tree

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Botswana: Okavango Delta Safari 2013: Day 5

The day started well with 3 male lions crossing a small river straight towards us! They were the 3 lions we had seen feeding on the buffalo – so we went to check out what was happening at the carcass. 6 more lions had come into feed on the buffalo, obviously having chased the 3 young males off. The amazing morning light meant the cameras were working overtime! A female leopard was spotted not long after we left the lions and buffalo, and she was equally as obliging as the lions. She put on a great show, ending up nestled comfortably in a large tree. We found a pair of wattled cranes as well as sighting lions on 2 more occasions. The leopard from the morning was more active in the late afternoon and, as has become the norm, there were many herds of elephants out and about. The day ended on on a real high with a late night spotting of an african wild cat!

Major sightings of the day:

3 male lions crossing a river
6 lions feeding on a buffalo kill with vultures present
2 lionesses
Female leopard climbing tree
2 large male lions
Ground hornbills
Wattled cranes
Several herds of elephants
African wild cat

To join us on safari, click here!

Botswana: Okavango Delta Safari 2013: Day 4

The buffalos and the lions met up first thing this morning. It took a while for the action to start, but when it did it was madness! For forty minutes the lions attacked the herd of buffalo only to be attacked in return by the large bovids. Eventually the lions managed to catch a calf, and the herd had to accept the fate of their young companion and move on.

The afternoon saw us arrive at our next camp, and we were welcomed by a newborn tsessebe. Many herds of elephants and a large herd of hippo entertained us until the sun went down when we found 3 male lions feeding on large buffalo.

Major sightings of the day: