Safari Day 15: Stalking lions and playing chicken with elephants

Early camp risers today as everyone beat the alarms. We know the morning routine and rotated between toilet, breakfast table and fire, with the occasional dip in the hand basin. Ready to go and rolling at 7am to face the next 130 km plus game drive time.

That's the front of our vehicle - when the two males fought they bumped us!

Big topic of conversation was the cat fight at 1:58 that seemed to be right on the perimeter of the camp. It was loud, vicious and prolonged and woke everyone except - @Mac! He must have been tired. We are all in awe that he could have missed that one.

Settling into the vehicle each morning takes a little organisation with the rotation of seats. Rummaging through bags, getting beanies and gloves, sorting charging and positioning glasses. Everyone settled and @Gill was still at it in earnest endeavour. Her glasses were AWOL. @Roz to the rescue - with a cheeky smile - and it was the inevitable "They are on your head."

 

They're on your head!

Lucky they were found because 10 minutes into the ride we came across a pride of about 12 lions (3 males, 4 cubs, 5 lionesses) chowing down on their night's kill. Such a contrast to see the bouncing frolicking babies sitting around compared with the slow intensity of the lionesses ripping chunks of flesh and crunching bones. It was all in the dappled light of the shade of a large tree which presented snatches of views. On their breakfast menu this morning was a large sable.

So close to the vehicle. We stopped and they just settled around us.

Saw the mother attempting to introduce three cubs to the pride. This was another two cubs that stayed close to their mum, making "cat mewling" noises. The mother lay back on the perimeter of the group and the babies suckled contentedly.

This scene of tranquillity was explosively interrupted when two males got into a brawl right in front of our vehicle - as in their tails were up against our grill. @Shimmy didn't even budge - he said there was no need to move, just need to let the animals do their thing. Everyone held their breath - I jumped on @Del and clung on for dear life. Makes the early rises worth it.

So many times during each day of this trip we have questioned if this is real? It is unbelievable that we are bit players in the constantly evolving wildlife documentary. 

@Shimmy manoeuvred the vehicle out of what was now peak hour viewing conditions and took us across the river to take up prime position to see the pride on its trek to the waterhole. Very impressive to see about 9 cubs now supervised by 4 lionesses all strolling in single file with the growing gaggle of vehicles encircling them. Watched the little cubs collapse on the trek with their full bellies and then jump back up calling with a coughed mewling sound to keep track of their mothers.

Raced to the waterhole and relaxed, waiting for the lions to complete their mission. As predicted, in rolled the lionesses with the cubs and at a safe distance behind, there were the males. The cubs didn't drink but the lionesses seemed to gorge on water. @Shimmy explained the mechanics of how they drink and why it takes so long. It didn't really matter - they had cleared the waterhole of all other animals - they had it all to themselves.

Waterhole pecking order - lions had it all until the elephant arrived

When they had finished and left, in came the big male slowly followed by his off siders. Well-spaced and drinking while keeping their eyes on each other they took their fill and eventually ambled on behind the rest of the pride.

The exception was the elephant. He joined the drinking party and insisted on having the whole waterhole to himself. Waved its trunk and ran menacingly towards the lion and chased old stumpy tail away. Eventually it was the turn of the rest. The birds, including the ever-alert Guinea fowls returned and the wildebeest herd started to edge forward.

Enjoyed a morning tea stop under the baobab tree that was a designated stretch point, found a tree for bushie bushie as the elephants browsed all around and were soon joined by other vehicles.

A designated stretch point - beware of the elephants

Had a little more excitement at morning tea than we expected. After tea and coffee @Gill and @Roz decided on a second bushie bushie. Unfortunately, both their timing and positioning were off. 

The guides from various vehicles started shepherding all the guests inside the circle of vehicles. No @Roz or @Gill - and 20 sets of eyes started scanning the bush and rocks. We spotted a white bare bottom, white beanie with pom pom and green undies - that was @Gill accounted for! (Amazing what you can see when you really look - especially when the bushie bushie person has taken care of the rear vantage points.) Still no @Roz: obviously better at hiding!

@Shimmy walked purposefully into the bush to divert the lead elephant as we continued to scan for our missing crew member. Finally, we had her in our sightline. There was @Roz in the distance emerging from a tree in the path of the elephants. Waved her home with some urgency! And @Roz responded by breaking into a run forgetting rule number 1! Did slow to a fast walk and we were very relieved to have her safe in the circle of the baobab stretch. Amazing how quickly conditions changed and how quickly all the guides marshalled the various groups out of harm's way.

Finished our morning safari at 10:30 and started our cross-park trek to the Moremi Gate. Lots of bush etiquette on the roads for managing on coming vehicles and even following ones on the sandy tracks.

Noticed a change in vegetation as we have left both the Chobe River and the Savuti basin. Changed to mopane forest interspersed with large tracts of straw like grasslands. Such a dry landscape.

Interesting to hear of the discontinuation of the phone communication in this area. Internet connection has been established by cabling underground, but the telephone towers are no longer in use in an attempt to cut down on communication options for the poachers.

Found a clearing under some big trees for lunch and pulled up with four other vehicles to compete for shade and bushie bushie privacy. That esky just keeps on giving and we enjoyed a repeat of yesterday with salad, rolls meat choices, an EGG and fruit washed down with clear cold water. Really hit the spot after the long slow haul.

Had a rerun of @Gill's missing glasses and the first place she looked was on her head. Not that simple. After a total dismantle of their row, @Roz spotted them under @Gill's behind - which seems to have had more than its fair share of features today.

An interesting hold your breath crossing of a "bridge"

Sightings were slim here - but have spotted a few. Very excited after lunch to get a look at some female ostrich walking through the open grass. And were rewarded with prolific sightings of giraffe and elephant.

Passed through the last camp gate before we would reach ours and @Shimmy announced two hours to go. Has been a very long haul in the vehicle today on dirt and sand tracks and corrugated pathways. Noone was keen for that last two hours (except @Steve who loves the off-road challenge) but it just had to be done and we consoled ourselves with the thought that @Shimmy, @OT and @Joseph were doing the hard work.

Finally at the Moremi Gate at 4.30 and knew the end of the day's travel was in sight. The journey into our camp site was a bit skinny - a deeply rutted narrow sandy track overcrowded with overhanging prickly Acacia, stunted tree trunks and brush. That, however, was the least of our worries. We came face to face with a head swinging trumpeting male elephant on one of the corners. @Shimmy simply stopped, talked quietly and calmly to the group and gave that grey giant room to move.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Found the campsite just on 5 pm and we had time to sort out the tent in the daylight. What a luxury. As @Shimmy, @Joseph and @OT got on with camp evening duties we provided the background laughter of "happy campers" - really only one of the few chores we have to do.

Sat around the fire while the sun fell out of the sky and provided a colourful horizon for the full moon and were on high alert as four elephants joined the perimeter of the camp and insisted on shaking a monster tree adjacent to the camp in their early evening browsing. 

This tension was soon released by the retell of @Del's lost bra. Remember, we are travelling light so there was no replacement. Let it all hang out would have taken on a whole new meaning - but there was always the snoring tape. Eventually, after @Steve's failed "Dad look," @Del, desperate for the support of her one and only (bra that is), reclaimed not only her bra (was on the floor of the safari vehicle - now that was intriguing)) but also did a victory lap with the found ice-cream bucket she has carried all the way from NZ which was her bushie bushie tent solution. 

Camp dinner was a tasty spaghetti bog washed down with a Custard and biscuit dessert followed by our "democratic camp fire circle" to determine tomorrow's start time. We are in the same camp for two days which gives us an opportunity for a different rhythm to the day. @Mac threw his hat in the ring for a 10 am start which was rejected out of hand. A bit of toing and froing saw us eventually land on @Roz and @Tom's sensible 7:30 start.

We all left the night fire burning and once again, were dispersed and bedded down before 9 - and with that later start, it meant we all potentially had a 10 hour of opportunity for sleep.

PS:@Steve had walked @Mac through the inverter option for battery charging and @OT had supervised it all day - good news on the sleep front for him with his kit was fully charged and ready to go.

 

Wildlife Spotting:

Corrie bustard - first sighting - @Mac has decided that no male in Botswana should be called Corrie

Franklin

Kudu 

Tsessebe: fastest antelope 

Guinea fowl

Jackal

PRIDE of lions : feeding on last night's kill, about 10, 3 males - lots of blood, exposed flesh and ribs, female and cubs enjoying, could hear bones cracking, dragging of carcass, snarling

Short tailed eagle - juvenile beautiful colour

Wildebeest

Elephant- chased lion from water hole

Banded mongoose

Giraffe

Impala

Bat eared fox

Slender mongoose

Ostrich: male helps during incubation, females brown, males wear the coat - fastest land animal on two legs