An early September morning, we set off at around 630am and coming across fresh lion tracks soon after leaving camp. Whilst we were discussing the tracks, a lion began roaring nearby. Heading in the direction of the roaring, we came across three females close to the road. One of the lionesses had very swollen teats – a sure sign that she had young cubs hidden away somewhere. Another two lions were spotted a little further along from the females.
Also that day we saw a good number of zebras, wildebeest, springbok, impalas, and a cheetah.
Another day out on drive we saw two big male lions relaxing on the Baobab loop road, and then came across another cheetah which we were able to witness killing a female impala.
It’s not just the mammals that provide us with excellent sightings, but the birds too. A black chested eagle landed at one of the waterholes, and walked up and down the edge of the water before beginning to drink. After a display of opening and closing it’s wings, it walked into the water and soaked its belly. Having drunk and bathed, the raptor flew to a dead camel thorn tree nearby the waterhole, and began to preen. Before long, a fork-tailed drongo appeared and the feisty little bird began to dive bomb the eagle, in the hope of making it leave.
Otherwise, it was business as usual at the camp waterhole, with a constant supply of elephants bustling in for a drink. The hotter it gets, the more frayed tempers become, and a few tussles broke out between the males, with trumpeting sound effects carrying far. There should also be some scientific study of how elephants approach waterholes, as they seem to double or triple their speed of approach the closer they get to the waterhole, before applying the brakes just as they reach the edge!
