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Tales and memories from the Kwando concession Sept 2015


madaboutcheetah

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@@madaboutcheetah...isn't it nice that they have progressed from just being lazy to active? At least that is what we experienced.

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madaboutcheetah

@@madaboutcheetah...isn't it nice that they have progressed from just being lazy to active? At least that is what we experienced.

 

Haha - indeed. It's always two extreme poles with them - they are doing a lot or doing nothing.

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madaboutcheetah

Here is the collared male Lion chasing one of the Lionesses ...... She was a real "tease" - eventually, he just went off on his own after an hour of chasing her to reunite with his coalition mate. I'm not sure if (or for how long) this was on-going prior to us finding this scene in the morning drive.

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Nice series! Looks like they've been at it for a few days already, empty bellies!

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Aw, I think the cheetahs are pretty good at posing!

Also love the dog series on the previous page.

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Wonderful photos Hari, as always!

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madaboutcheetah

Thanks everyone for all your kind comments - much appreciated!

 

Just some varied images in this series ....... The only notable mention, the fabulous "Mr.Moe" - we feel so privileged to have gotten to know such a humble soft-spoken gentleman like him over the years ....... He's a man of few words, except if you get him to chat about a certain Southern African Church ;)

 

The jumping impala - we have no clue as to what caused all that excitement. They just went bonkers .....

 

The Elephant is on the guard because the dogs were around (nothing to do with our vehicle).

 

 

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I always love those images where the antelopes are absolutely flying

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madaboutcheetah

The Carmine Bee Eater Colony at Kwena Lagoon ....... (sorry my photos aren't very good - I found this a little challenging. Low light/ small birds/ very quick/ too many of them) ;) ...... Oh well - I tried! ;)

 

 

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Never seen so may Bee Eaters. Also like the ellie on guard.

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With a flock of birds, I never know where to point my camera

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Absolutely, absolutely loving this report, Hari! Apparently I was not allowed to "like" it as much as I would have liked to - "You have reached your quota for positive votes for this day", Safaritalk would tell me at some point inbetween. :huh:

 

I´m so glad you found your Cheetah Boys, and wow, what great images you got of them. The Impala hunt is just stunning, and it´s very interesting to see them against this background.

 

Really made me happy to see the 2014 Cubs are alive and kicking - though you can hardly call them "Cubs" anymore.

 

Tons of great Lion stuff, that fight is just awesome, and the Big Guy chasing his Lady almost comical. Love those facial expressions! The male against the Zebra Background is also wonderful.

 

Very much enjoyed the Dog stuff, and good to see that the not-so-painted "Golden Boy" is still around.

 

The Hyena-Serval Encounter must have been a shock for you. That shot of the Hyena sleeping peacefully over the carcass is priceless.

 

Great antelopes and bird shots as well, especially like that Kudu Bull - very handsome guy!

 

Now - More more more!

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madaboutcheetah

Thanks so much @@CDL111 ; @@johnkok and Michael .......

 

The bee eaters - the light was seriously low at that point I wasn't sure where my focal point was! :)

 

@@michael-ibk ...... Just saw some Facebook updates of yours! Can hardly wait to hear all about Mana - take your time and rest up before you get into it. Sounds AMAZING.

 

Btw, I am going to need the help of Michael and @@Safaridude for my next segment. We saw a male Lion by himself aloof and not too far from the Lion fight/ Collared male chasing the Lioness. We were not sure if it was Blackie the male Lion from 2014. Spencer hadn't seen him in over 6 months and wasn't sure. Need you to look at your photos, please if possible.

Edited by madaboutcheetah
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madaboutcheetah

This guy was having a keen watch on the intruding Lions and what they were upto ....... He didn't dare get close to them, but, he kept watch the entire time from a distance. Not sure who exactly he is - he was extremely comfortable with game drive vehicles, though. Mentioned that Blackie and Blondie haven't been seen in a while - but, could this be Blackie? I live in hope ........

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@@madaboutcheetah

 

I don't believe that that is Blackie. Here are a couple of photos of Blackie from Sep 2014. Note how much darker his mane is. Also, his whisker pattern discernible in the lower photo doesn't seem to match the lion you photographed. (look at the whisker pattern in your 4th photo vs. my 2nd photo).

 

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Edited by Safaridude
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madaboutcheetah

@@Safaridude - You are right! Here's Blackie from the winter, 2014 (Dark black mane)

 

 

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madaboutcheetah

Now ..... Back to the dogs in today's episode - Dogs at Kwena Lagoon. As pretty a location/setting that Kwena Lagoon is, and the number of times we've been that way in search of something (usually dogs/Lion) - this is the first time that I've actually seen them there! They looked pretty hungry that evening - but, probably hunted much later at night with the full moon. We just got to watch them drink from the Lagoon and play amongst themselves for a little bit. It got dark soon after, and they set off into the woodland more north ..... All of the vehicles took their sundowner stop right there at Kwena. This setting is just across from the Carmine colony ......

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Edited by madaboutcheetah
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Love the 5th one, Hari, and the one with the Hippo background is fantastic, too.

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@@madaboutcheetah

 

Looks like Kwando delivered again!

Your beautiful pictures bring back so many memories.

thank you

Michael

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Whoa! Finally kept some time aside for this (as I am for a some other special TRs too that I've missed) and it was worth the wait! I like your sequences a lot, Hari - they tell a nice story always and we get to see more of the action as opposed to just a moment in time.

 

The aerials are brilliant - but I see all sorts of new angles and experiments too - a real treat! Thanks for taking the trouble to edit and post.

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madaboutcheetah

Thanks so much for the kind comments, guys ......... will now have to take a break with the photo editing, since I will be away traveling for work from tomorrow. Shall continue with the report on return....

 

For now ......

 

Back to the Namibian male Lions - @@egilio saw my earlier post in this report and was very kind to put me in touch with the Botswana Lion project who were missing a collared male Lion; on sending them some images they put me in touch with their counter part in Namibia who confirm that the collared male came from Bwabwata National Park in the Caprivi Strip in Namibia (west of the Kwando river).

 

Anyways, this sighting is from the morning of October 1st where 3 cars went out in the pursuit of Lions all taking different routes North of Lagoon camp - we soon caught up to the Boys with this scene. Around the same time, Hobbs found the pride of 7 on a buffalo kill. We followed the boys to the Kill scene - on their arrival most of the pride took off into the mopane woodland and only one of the females remained at the carcass ...... Here are some images from that morning.

 

What's fascinating is, the two boys were not interested in the buffalo carcass here ....... Guess what - a little bit further south, Sugar in the mean while had found two buffalo calves whose carcasses were cleaned up (no idea which Lions, though). The big herd had possibly moved through the area overnight and after this massacre took off someplace more secure. We did not manage to locate them in the afternoon -

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Edited by madaboutcheetah
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