Long awaited re-union with the people and wildlife in Botswana; Magical Wild dogs; Discovery of brand new Cheetah brothers; Climate change is real in Winter wonderland's paradise - a Kwando safari!!!! - June/July 2022

[marg]

@madaboutcheetahJust great!  Can’t wait!  Thanks!

[madaboutcheetah]

@marg- I'm sure you are going to have an amazing time!! 

 

(Continued from page 1) .... Once they were done with their drink and were going to move into further tall grass and ultimately the Kalahari apple leaf - we pulled out of the sighting to call it a (LONG) day !!! 

Edited July 17, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

Back to Kwara for this episode with some classic Delta scenics .............   

[madaboutcheetah]

Scenics (contd) 

[madaboutcheetah]

continued....

[Biko]

beautiful scenics. Did you bring a drone? @madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

@Biko- it's from a helicopter 

[madaboutcheetah]

Scenics (continued)

[madaboutcheetah]

more ....

[madaboutcheetah]

A few more ... 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

Rounding out the scenics.... 

[madaboutcheetah]

This report has strayed away from the main subject ........   

[vikramghanekar]

Fantastic photographs

Was getting visa for Botswana a big hassle? Did you need a visa for SA as well? 

I have been to Bots only once and I remember it took almost a month to get a visa back in 2018. 

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Cheers

Vikram

[madaboutcheetah]

57 minutes ago, vikramghanekar said:

Fantastic photographs

Was getting visa for Botswana a big hassle? Did you need a visa for SA as well? 

I have been to Bots only once and I remember it took almost a month to get a visa back in 2018. 

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Cheers

Vikram

 

Thanks @vikramghanekar-  It was a pain, yes ......  I had to push for it.  SA as well - they are both meant to be online visas at the moment.  Neither works!!!  Botswana is a bit more understandable - but, Shame on SA!!!  The website just stalled and didn't allow for it.  SA is supposedly faster now ...... 5 working days.  Flying Emirates, it's safe to get a SA visa simply because of possible flight delays/ cancellations ..........  If not, Ethiopian flies into Victoria Falls now 5X a week - so, another option.  

 

On another note - I asked the immigration officer in Maun if visa on arrival was available for Indians and she said "yes" ..... but, Botswana HC maintains that one needs to get it in advance and yes, they do check for it before boarding the airlink flight .......

 

Btw - incidentally, Airlink flies twice a day now - JNB-Maun-JNB ...... The day I was to fly out of Maun airlink was fully booked and I was booked on the Air Botswana out.  Air Botswana completely changed schedule and lucky for me, my office found a seat last minute on the airlink which some how mysteriously opened up!!! all very strange....... 

Edited July 20, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

Back to lagoon .... We found this Leopard and quickly she disappeared into tall grass and the thickets ...... None of the other photos are worthy of posting here! 

[Kitsafari]

gorgeous leopard shots! loving those with the leopard's tail curled around the other's body. aww those pups.....

[madaboutcheetah]

This really is the year for Aardwolf dens in the Kwando concession - we came across as many as 5 different ones from Upper Kwando (kwena lagoon) all the way down  Lebala Way ........  This particular one I think is from John's pan/ Halfway Pan area...

 

Arnott's Chat - I've heard over the years that keen birders come from everywhere to seek them out inside the mopane woodland up at Lagoon ...... Here is one of them!  They are small and quick - that's the best I could do!! 

Edited July 26, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[Biko]

Aardwolf, woow! @madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

 

This, that and the other ....... Bat Ear Fox pretending like we hadn't seen him ..... My first viewable photograph of one in many a year!!  

 

A different Aardwolf den - I can't remember this one off the top of my head now (I think near Watercut somewhere) ...... 

 

Some birding whilst the game is still stuck inside the woodland while cold and windy ...... 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

A morning with the Holy Pride at lagoon (at Watercut)  .......  Honestly, the entire concession up and down has very rich Lion sightings at the moment (both Lagoon and Lebala) ... Whilst, this was my only sighting of the Holy Pride - we were invited to a couple of sightings of them on other instances, but, we responded back on the radio with "We won't be responding, Copied?  Thank You " ...... as we were desperately Cheetah tracking 

Edited July 24, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

As previously mentioned, the pans in the mopane woodland still hold ample water ...... As a result of which, even as late as June/July the big herds of elephants were not out and about - However, we got lucky with one good sighting at Cut Line Pan during our transfer down to Lebala.  

[Paul B]

Hari dynamite photos of the lions walking in file down the tire tracks!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks @Paul B- They were doing something for once   ........  

 

A little bit of birding here from Kwara ..... It's not often that a Myers Parrot will pose for you!! ;  Active little bee eater in the morning and Greater Painted Snipe at Ngorongoro pan (I'm pretty certain we have the Greater painted snipe in India too??? ) - oh a Crested Barbet too !! 

 

Edited July 26, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

Lagoon -  The Big Male Lions that hold territory in the Northern part didn't allow the rest of the pride to feed ...... here are some images in a not so photogenic area as you see the youngsters wait their turn (we didn't stay too long).  

[michael-ibk]

Beautiful aerials Hari, and love the Aardwolf - still haven´t seen one! Is that one of the helis operating from Maun, or can you do that from camp?