Jump to content

A Doggy Dog Start to the New Year; A trip tracking Dogs, Spots, stripes and more ....... A green season visit to Botswana- January 2023......


madaboutcheetah

Recommended Posts

madaboutcheetah

Dear All,


Back to reality after a fabulous safari in Botswana.  Can't Thank the people on the ground enough for all the fabulous warm hospitality as always .......... My friend and guide Spencer Mathambo for another awesome trip to Lebala, Lagoon and Kwara. Sincere Thanks to everyone at the camps - Managers (Barcos and  Ked (Lebala), Johnson(Lagoon) , Charles and Lizzie at Kwara)and  my trackers KB, Kern and See and the rest of the camp staff  ........ Big smiles, many laughs and a lot of good times as always !!!!  

 

But first, a little road trip from Maun with the fabulous Vundi Kashamba .......  We drove to Gweta along the Makgadigadi pans with the hope to photograph Meerkats. Here we go ............. We stayed at Planet Baobab for two nights.  Very quirky and simple camp.  Very basic food - but, nothing to complain about.  Here goes ......

jan2023kwando1.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando2.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando3.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando4.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando5.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando6.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando7.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando8.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando9.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando10.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beautiful little creatures,  wisdom in their eyes, great pictures as always. Looking forward to your TR.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

Thanks @Biko

 

Thanks to PD who's spent years with this particular Meerkat clan with his immense dedication to his job and keeping track of them (even through the pandemic) ..... He was a wealth of information.  We stayed with them until it got hot and they needed to rest in the shade.

jan2023kwando11.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando12.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando13.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando14.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando15.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando16.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando17.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando18.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando19.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando20.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando21.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

We were in a dry spell during the visit to Makgadigadi in-between a couple of nice showers so there were only small pockets of the zebra migration around ......  This is the best that I could do in the midst of a hot day.

 

From Maun we drove through the park and the Boteti to get to Gweta ........ There were lots of Elephant bulls and Kudu along the boteti, but, alas I was out of it recovering from the flu that I had picked up in Delhi during a work trip the week prior.  So,  no photos of that.  It was really really hot!!! 

jan2023kwando22.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando23.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando24.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando25.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando26.jpg.jpg

Edited by madaboutcheetah
Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

From Gweta, the drive back to Maun was just around 2.5 hours on the highway ..... Quite a few Elephant bulls, ostrich and Steinbok on the edge of the park feeding along the side of the highway.  From there I was to connect to my Moremi Air flight to Lebala on December 30th......

 

But first,  I'd like to start this section of the report with some classic delta scenery from the air in Kwara from my final morning of the safari.  During my safari I learnt that Helicopter Horizons run a green season special until March 31st so I jumped on the opportunity to make use of it. Thanks to Alec, the pilot from Helicopter Horizons.  Here's a start including, Sitatunga from the air in the Papyrus swamps.  

jan2023kwando32.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando33.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando34.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando35.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando36.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando37.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando38.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando39.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando27.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando28.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando29.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando30.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando31.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

More from the air (continued) 

jan2023kwando51.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando52.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando53.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando54.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando55.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando57.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando58.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando59.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando60.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

Tip - Ensure you are given a time slot which equates to light for photography .... We were given a time slot of 9am which was puzzling.  Wasn't a problem - with Charles in charge of Kwara - all was sorted immediately and changed to 7:30 am.

jan2023kwando61.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando62.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando63.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando64.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando65.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando66.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando67.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando68.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando69.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando70.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando71.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

continued..

image.jpeg.8ef5306e54a6bacd311724500a1c591a.jpegimage.jpeg.a3332c0525d0889e640f53cde38184ac.jpegimage.jpeg.078909a6f45073015c38258a6eb735b7.jpegimage.jpeg.74f5fba1228def0e2adf7497e3d99648.jpegimage.jpeg.a7aec2f4fb21a16679f1419ee45c19e4.jpegimage.jpeg.c037302a5437ed4d7b0fe8d51b0a669e.jpeg

jan2023kwando73.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando74.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando75.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando76.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando77.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

Rounding out the scenic flight ........ 

jan2023kwando83.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando84.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando85.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando86.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando87.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando88.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando89.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando90.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando91.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando92.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando93.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

On December 30th, while I was getting sorted with the formalities with checking in for the Moremi Air flight ........  Surprise surprise !!!  Spencer met us at the check in desk as he was arriving from another private safari in Kwara and was to fly together to Lebala.  We all had a long day at that point.  So, we decided to take it nice and easy and start at 4 Pm with or without High Tea....

 

Lo and behold, after a lot of conversation of the Brown Hyena den that I had read on the Kwando sightings reports - One did pop out as soon as we drove up first thing on the drive to Twin Pools.  The grass at the den was tall and photography challenging and they are still very shy.  This is the best I could do - not quite the super den at Lagoon in 2018, but, still a great start to the safari.

jan2023kwando94.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando95.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

Lebala's Pride and joy ...........  

 

 

image.jpeg.ebf77572b16d69491ff9c1b1e35e0f05.jpegimage.jpeg.fda9a8cffc7ed0b6e82df56add9a719a.jpegimage.jpeg.e3975f97ac117b6f84153e1eb4a1d981.jpegimage.jpeg.c7c5f8a2ca43ef54a23fb6e1073580b9.jpegimage.jpeg.e6a4f02de0b3b7297caab41202573896.jpegimage.jpeg.c3898d743bcfbc6001e7eb7378c7c9b1.jpegimage.jpeg.167965e46f29a6c7b99c077d9f147b1d.jpegimage.jpeg.1cf0bb789ea2d2eb58925ea0f8c50c3a.jpegimage.jpeg.82f6cc5fec08ff7a7996273ce47401e5.jpeg

jan2023kwando96.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando97.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando98.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando99.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando100.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando101.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando102.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando103.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando104.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando105.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your photos are always beautiful.  Thank you for sharing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great photos @madaboutcheetah, someday I need to give in and get to Botswana.

 

For the helicopter, how long was the flight? Were the sides open for photography, or were you photographing through the window? Either way a really nice and different perspective. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

Thanks @Double Dareand @Zubbie15

 

flight you can book 30, 45 or 60 minutes .... in the green season they provide you 30 extra minutes complimentary.  Yes, open sides with doors off.... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would be wonderful to see Meerkats in the wild. I have to content myself by viewing them at Monarto Safari Park outside Adelaide.  The sentinel, alert for wedgetail eagles, adds to the cuteness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Meerkats on the ground and everything else from the air!  What a combination!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

The general game was really impressive during this visit - Very large numbers of all plains game everywhere .......  To be honest, more than in the winter.

jan2023kwando115.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando116.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando117.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando118.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando119.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando120.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando121.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando122.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando123.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beautiful Hari. Love the aerials, and that Meerkat "session" must have been a lot of fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

Thanks @John M.@Atravelynnand @michael-ibk

 

New Year's Eve December 31. 2022 .......  At Lebala we happened to overlap with Nic P, a Zim based pro guide and his guests from the USA.   Chatting with their guide Mayezi - we figured it would be good to tag team and go up north towards Lagoon with the quest to find cheetah (the two cheetah males) who now hardly leave the Lagoon area.  However, towards mid morning - the Lagoon guides had found the two boys full bellied and sleeping in their central area in the Kalahari apple leaf near the famous cheetah marking post at Mahake.  We took a quick look after the Lagoon vehicles were done (nothing for photography in any case, the boys were robala (sleepy)) ........ 

 

As we drove down back South towards Lebala, fresh cheetah tracks ....... Off we go tracking.  In no time, the two vehicles were able to find what we think are 3 newly dispersed youngsters (2F and 1M) ..... The reason I think it's 3 youngsters just separated from mum is that we spent the entire day with them as they went hunting and they kept losing each other and were constantly fumbling around (in a couple of the images you can see them calling out for the lost member) ........ Here are some images from the day in between long periods of rest in the Kalahari apple leaf.  Big Thank You to Barcos and Ked for sending out lunch for all of us.  

 

Eventually, late in the evening the cheetah managed to get a young reedbuck in very tall grass (nothing worthy of good photos) .......  We are glad to have new cheetah in the area again.  Again, no idea who they are or where they came from!!!  But, I'm glad there are more and more new cheetah in the Lagoon area.  I do believe this particular group has been seen on and off for the past couple of months.

jan2023kwando124.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando125.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando126.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando127.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando128.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando129.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando130.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando131.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando132.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando133.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando134.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando135.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando136.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando137.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando138.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando139.jpg.jpg

Edited by madaboutcheetah
Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

New Year's Day ....... The start was bitter sweet to the day .....  First thing in the morning we picked up fresh tracks of Wild dog (not seen in the Lebala area for months according to Mayezi) ......  Well we had a shot.  Unfortunately, we had serious mechanical issues with our vehicle.... we had to try fixing it and alerted the other cars towards the direction of the dogs which they found after some time and eventually caught up with them taking down an impala lamb.  Unfortunately, the malfunction caused us time to get to the dogs and we ended up with this scene as the dogs were cooling down after their hunt with a plan to rest for the day.

 

This is the current version of the Lagoon pack of 8 .....  With a new alpha female (the dark dog) who according to Spencer was a member of one of the smaller packs in the area.  She's extremely active and forces the pack to move around a lot ...... let's hope she's the future for this pack and that we have a successful den season with pups like in the glory days for the dogs in this area.

 

In the meanwhile, Barcos the manager promised a change of vehicle for the afternoon so that the mechanic could take a good look at this one .......  Stay tuned for a much more exciting afternoon drive.


We left back to camp at around 10:30 am to give the mechanic adequate time to take a look and fix it just in case... 

jan2023kwando140.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando141.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando142.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando143.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando144.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando145.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando146.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando147.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando148.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando149.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando150.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando151.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando152.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando154.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando155.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando156.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando157.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando158.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando159.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando160.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando162.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando163.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando153.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando161.jpg.jpg

Edited by madaboutcheetah
Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

Barcos made arrangements for us to switch to a vehicle with no issues ......  Off we went early around 3pm.  There was a short storm at lunch time and Spencer suggested we drive straight to Wild dog pan to see if the dogs have moved there from their previous resting place as it had cooled down already from the storm.    When we got to the pan ....... there they were!! 

 

They played around with an adult male Wildebeest who first seemed annoyed, but, then went onto feeding without being bothered by their presence ......  The dogs trotted off in search of their second meal of the day.  To be continued....

jan2023kwando164.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando165.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando166.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando167.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando168.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando169.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando170.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando171.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando172.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando173.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando174.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando175.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando176.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando177.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando178.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando179.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando180.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando181.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando182.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando183.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando184.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando185.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando186.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando187.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando188.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

madaboutcheetah

As they continued ..... they finally got their prize .......  The images will give you an idea of what it was - Hint (Bacon) ;) 

 

We tried our best to track them the next day as they moved north towards Lagoon - unfortunately, more overnight rain didn't help with the tracking ...... 

 

jan2023kwando189.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando190.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando191.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando192.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando193.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando194.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando195.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando196.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando197.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando198.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando199.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando200.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando201.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando202.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando203.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando204.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando205.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando206.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando207.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando208.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando209.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando210.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando211.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando212.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando213.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando214.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando215.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando216.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando217.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando218.jpg.jpg

jan2023kwando219.jpg.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Safaritalk uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By using Safaritalk you agree to our use of cookies. If you wish to refuse the setting of cookies you can change settings on your browser to clear and block cookies. However, by doing so, Safaritalk may not work properly and you may not be able to access all areas. If you are happy to accept cookies and haven't adjusted browser settings to refuse cookies, Safaritalk will issue cookies when you log on to our site. Please also take a moment to read the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy: Terms of Use l Privacy Policy