A safari with a difference
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When people think of a safari, they invariably picture a scene of miles of grassland filled with huge herds of wildebeest, zebra and impala whilst above vultures and birds of prey wheel on the thermals. A safari can indeed resemble this scene, especially if conducted in countries like Kenya or Tanzania. Within these two countries the most popular destinations are the Masai Mara of Kenya or the Serengeti of Tanzania. Many people don’t realise that these two areas are actually one enormous grassland, just called by a different name depending upon which of the two countries you happen to be in.
A safari in either can be a magical experience, especially for a person on their first trip. I have been very fortunate to have been on several safaris in both countries and have loved every minute. However, having been there and got several t-shirts it was time for a change. Thus, we found ourselves this year heading in the direction of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. The journey was even more demanding than most of our previous trips. Three flights via Jo’burg, to Botswana’s safari hub Maun and then a small plane flight into the heart of the delta, followed by a couple of hours drive. Twenty four hours of travel was taxing but, upon coming into land over sheets of water, large areas of reed and beds of water lily we were already thinking we were heading to somewhere special.
The Okavango delta is a huge area which is regularly flooded by the waters descending from the Angolan Highlands. Water levels are constantly changing, resulting in flooded areas punctuated by islands of varying sizes and vegetation. Such a habitat results in a huge number of bird species, many aquatic like ducks, geese, herons and kingfishers as well as specialised mammals like the antelope Red Lechwe which spend their lives in or around water. Then, there are on the islands the more common mammals like Side striped jackal, impala, elephant, lion and leopard.
Our first morning and we immediately noticed some major differences from our customary game drives. The usual sturdy Toyota Land cruiser was in evidence but this was fitted with a snorkel and wider tyres. Instructions on how to conduct ourselves followed the familiar pattern but then came a new instruction to immediately lift camera gear or anything else from the floor of the vehicle when instructed. We soon found out the necessity for that one! We drove off out of the camp and within a couple of hundred yards were driving through two to three feet of water. The roads were often completely flooded to the extent that it was frequently like driving up a canal. Quite how the specially trained drivers knew where to turn left or right out of the deepest water I never fathomed out. But we did get extremely adept at lifting our camera gear off the floor as the water flooded in through the doors. Our driver/guide was unworried and calmly announced that he was capable of driving in water up to his waist!
We soon settled into the pattern of dealing with the water. Certainly dust, a pain on most safaris, wasn’t going to be a problem. We started to enjoy observing all the bird species who seemed to know how deep the water was and how close we could get to them. The Lechwe were another matter. Quite nervous, they would immediately start leaping through the water with their splayed feet as soon as we approached. Fortunately with two vehicles working in unison we could occasionally get them moving across the front of our vehicle with water spraying everywhere, providing amazing action shots. Everything had to be photographed from the vehicle, and it was quite unnerving to be sat on a flooded road as a crocodile swam past our door.
Whilst much of our time was spent sat in deep water, there were also times when we could explore the islands. The habitat varied from areas of grass and flowers, to deciduous woodland and areas of mixed scrub. We were lucky enough to find a group of wild dog in one area of scrub, sheltering from the rain. When it stopped we managed to get some shots before they set out on a hunt. We lost them almost immediately, swallowed up by a mass of impenetrable vegetation. We also managed to find two courting cheetah. This was a rare sighting, especially as the habitat was not very suitable for cheetah, and they were keeping a low profile due to the many lion in the area. Leopards were also rare and some home ranges were impossible to reach in the floods, but we did manage to find a huge male sleeping safely up in the branches of a massive tree. Nearly three hours later, with the sun disappearing below the horizon, he stretched, yawned and made his way down the trunk to begin his evening hunt and providing us with memorable shots, a reward for our patience. We then found a real rarity, a Serval, a small nocturnal spotted cat, hunting rodents in the reeds.
Lion may be the King of the jungle but in reality on safari they are generally boring, spending most of the day sleeping under bushes. The Delta lion were however totally different. In our area there were twenty two lion including four males. These consisted of a coalition of two males approaching their peak, a grizzled older male, gamely trying to hold onto the pride, and a young male that was unwanted by everybody. For the length of our visit we watched male lion politics. The two males trying to push out the older male and everybody trying to push out the adolescent. Lots of chasing, often through water, roaring so loud it made the air around us vibrate and general mayhem around the nervous females with cubs. Photographing a male lion hurtling through water made for once in a lifetime shots. The females meanwhile stashed their cubs in deep undergrowth as they worried whether their pride was going to be taken over. Photographic opportunities of lion behaviour were everywhere.
After seven days our delta safari came to an end. The thought of the long trip home was again daunting. However, we had experience a memorable and unique safari. We had seen many new species, photographed animal behaviour in totally different surroundings to normal and experienced a form of safari like no other. Thank you Botswana!
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