Tales and memories from the Kwando concession Sept 2015

[johnkok]

Lions love rump steak, and love veal even more

[jeremie]

I continue to be astonished by the level of the pictures you are sharing with us, it is a pleasure for our eyes!

It seems Kwando is a premium destination for wildlife.

[penolva]

Thanks, Peter. Indeed dry - less rains the previous season plus low floods due to a possible change in tectonic plates? (I remember hearing that there was an earthquake last year along the Linyanti fault line) .......

 

More aerial shots ........ oddly a large pan in the mopane veldt holding some water.

Hi Hari great to see you met up with Spencer again! The Savute was dry this year so imagine it's the same problem? It all looks so very dry but I hear some rain has arrived? Pen

[mvecht]

 

Kwando is pretty good for small cats.

I dont know how many days you are staying but I will almost guarantee that you see wild cat.

There is also a good chance that you will see Serval. For Caracal you probably need a Little more luck. Personally I have had 2 good sightings of Caracal.

The long grass at that time of year may have an impact on sightings.

You will also have a good chance of seeing other smaller animals like Honey Badger, Porcupine, Civet, Genet. I even had the good fortune of seeing 2 Zorilla´s.

Enjoy your trip to Kwando.

[madaboutcheetah]

 - Michael is correct -

 

Also, ensure you talk to your guide on arrival about what you wish to see. Maybe emphasise on the night drive portion as that's your best chance to see the smaller cat.

 

That said I've seen all those in the daytime too -

[madaboutcheetah]

@@penolva - good to hear from you.

 

FYI - your favourite lioness is alive and well in Selinda. I met some guests on my flight to JNB from Maun. We got chatting about the trip and of course, they showed me photos from the laptop.

[Abena]

Hari, your photography is gorgeous - I feel like I'm right there experiencing it all! Thanks for a great report.

[penolva]

@@penolva - good to hear from you.

FYI - your favourite lioness is alive and well in Selinda. I met some guests on my flight to JNB from Maun. We got chatting about the trip and of course, they showed me photos from the laptop.

No I don't believe it after all this time :)

I was only checking your photographs the other day to see if she was there! How wonderful. THANKYOU for letting me know. Pen

Edited November 14, 2015 by penolva

[madaboutcheetah]

@@Abena - thank you!!! You are too kind!

 

@@penolva - I know - what brilliant news. Thing is, the drying out of the Linyanti area is bringing in Lions from everywhere.

[madaboutcheetah]

Back home and back to editing a quick couple of images for today ..... Something the report needs at this point - Leopard.

[Marks]

The leopard looks to be concentrating hard on its tree traversal...always funny to see them looking anything less than 100% surefooted.

[Atravelynn]

Spellbound is right for the lion fight. Nice sharp teeth in reality and in your photo.

[madaboutcheetah]

Not quite sure what the story was with this female Leopard ............ "battle scars" of some kind.

[madaboutcheetah]

Sorry ...... Not a great image - but, that's the best I could do......

[michael-ibk]

Honey Badger! Very cool, Hari!

[optig]

That is an excellent shot of a honey badger. On your future trips to Botswana, do you have any desire to stay in other camps other than Kwando?

I've stayed at Lagoon three times, Little Kwara twice and Lebala three times. For this reason I'm tired of Kwando Camps and would like to stay somewhere else on my next visit to Botswana.

Edited November 20, 2015 by optig

[madaboutcheetah]

Time for some General game (Plains game - not sure why that's the guides' term )

[madaboutcheetah]

@@optig - I've been to the Kwando camps (in some combination or the other) since 2004 (including the once standing Songwe village and the newer desert camps when they opened in I think 2009?) ....... If I were to be bored or disappointed, would have already happened. That said, I have not been to Kwara or Little Kwara since 2011.

 

I am drawn to the remote and wild Kwando concession (my favourite)

 

As to try something else - definitely the Savuti Marsh when totally dry like in the old days (but on a mobile safari)

 

In terms of camps - Would like to return to Duba Plains when the Lion/Buffalo dynamics return to it's old state. I have been there once but a long long time ago in 2003. There are many non-Botswana destinations on my wish list .......

[Big_Dog]

A honey badger is a fine sighting regardless of photos!
The leopards are also great...the wounded female looks to be clawed, perhaps a fight with a conspecific or perhaps even a close shave with lions...
You say not many Botswana places are on the wishlist also...have you been to the before and found them not as good, or are just uninterested relative to Bots?

[madaboutcheetah]

@@Big_Dog - I've been on a two week mobile safari through the remote areas of the CKGR. A shorter mobile to savute marsh in the green season.

 

Non Kwando camps I've been to are Mombo, duba, Kings pool and jacks camp in 2003 and selinda/zibalianja in 2007. I think that covers a wide base. I had a wonderful time back then - but, theres so much more to see and photograph elsewhere in Africa

[madaboutcheetah]

A very good Giraffe sighting at grass pan up in the Lagoon area ...... Might have some images from my 70-200 lens too that i haven't edited yet - will look later.

[madaboutcheetah]

As the sunset at Zebra Pan, who knew we'd bump into yet another nomadic male Lion when we went there for our Sundowner - again, no idea who he was; He was very relaxed around our vehicle.

[Big_Dog]

M.A.C, what lenses do you have / use? Only thought to ask now!
Great looking lion pics, especially the first.

[madaboutcheetah]

Not sure why some of the photos didn't get uploaded ..... Hmmm - shall try again weekend.

 

@@Big_Dog - for this trip, I used mostly a 300 F2.8. Left the 500 F4 at home.... Principally, because i knew there wasn't a dog den this late in the season and that I would mostly be based from Lagoon.

 

Still to come - The Bee eater colony; a large herd of Sable; Another start to finish Cheetah kill ........ and more Lions!!!

Edited November 20, 2015 by madaboutcheetah

[johnkok]

Can't wait, especially for the cheetah hunt