Reigning cats and dogs! Hellish heat, battling bugs, balky boats: A Botswana safari in early December

[janzin]

Thanks @TonyQand @madaboutcheetah  There will be more dogs and dog tales (and tails) later...

 

But there was one more adventure for the night. First, before sunset an interesting and lovely cloud.

 

 

 

As I mentioned the termites were starting to come out after the rains. That brought a lot of nocturnal creatures out in force.  On our spotlit night drive we saw several African Wild cats; unfortunately they were shy and I only got terrible, very distant photos not worth displaying here.

 

But for once, South African Springhares were semi-cooperative.  One actually sat sort of still for a moment.

 

 

But just before we reached camp...the holy grail appeared...

 

Oh. My. God.

 

AARDWOLF!!

 

 

Who cooperated by lifting his head and posing for the perfect photo!

 

 

We were over the moon as Aardwolf was probably our #1 wanted mammal (well, #2...#1 is still Caracal but we didn't have much hope for that on this trip.)  And we never could have expected such a fantastic look. In fact we were able to stay with him for several minutes as he hunted termites, although after this he started walking further away from us. (The next night folks at camp saw two Aardwolves but only quite distant.)

 

What a fantastic first afternoon at Splash!  Could tomorrow be just as good? You'll have to wait to find out. (Hint...very young and cute cheetah cubs!)

 

 

[Atdahl]

Wow AARDWOLF!!  Congratulations on such a great sighting.  Frankly, your whole trip has been amazing (minus the insects of course).  Lovely photos as always Janet...love the running wild dogs especially.

[janzin]

Thanks @AtdahlYes minus the insects! 

 

I am not sure if this happened on this night or the next, but since I have no more photos for a bit I will tell the tale now.

 

INSECT INVASION #2

 

We returned to camp to find the GREAT TERMITE HACTCH-OUT.  The dining area was just swarming with these termites and they are NOT small, maybe 3 inches. The staff did the best they could but termites were just crawling over everything---on our plates, in our glasses---they turned out all the lights and put the lights on in the lounge to draw them there; I wish I had the thought to shoot a video because it was literally a CLOUD of termites swirling in the lounge area. I managed to get through the appetizer course but it was getting progressively worse--you could not even pick your food from the buffet without termites in the food. I just finally jumped up and said "I'm getting out of here!"  Moz of course had to accompany me back to our tent and to make matters worse, right in the path to our tent was a huge hatch-out, you could not walk without trampling hundreds and hundreds of termites.

 

(Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

 

OMG. I ran into the room and got the door open and closed as quickly as possible but it was not fast enough. There were already dozens of termites flying around the room. Mostly near the lights and on the walls so I grabbed the handy Kwando brochure and started using it as a "termite-fly swatter."  I must have killed 50 or more (some on the floor i just stomped on.) Many seemed to settle down by the floor as I think they were trying to nest--so those were easy pickings.  After about 20 minutes of this I could finally relax and climb into our netted bed.

 

I had a granola bar for dinner that night

 

When Alan returned from dinner I had to do it all over again, although it seemed there weren't as many still flying that late.

 

The next day when we returned from lunch the staff had done an excellent job of cleaning up all the dead termites.

 

 

Edited January 25 by janzin

[Atdahl]

Well, it's always good to have a little "extra" excitement on safari.  Right?  

[JimS]

These are the kind of stories that meant my wife refuses to come with me to a Zambian-style bush camp open to the elements 

[Peter Connan]

Amazing Aardwolf sighting!

[Kitsafari]

stunning aardwolf shot!

 

[Thornburyswan]

15 hours ago, janzin said:

Thanks @AtdahlYes minus the insects! 

 

I am not sure if this happened on this night or the next, but since I have no more photos for a bit I will tell the tale now.

 

INSECT INVASION #2

 

We returned to camp to find the GREAT TERMITE HACTCH-OUT.  The dining area was just swarming with these termites and they are NOT small, maybe 3 inches. The staff did the best they could but termites were just crawling over everything---on our plates, in our glasses---they turned out all the lights and put the lights on in the lounge to draw them there; I wish I had the thought to shoot a video because it was literally a CLOUD of termites swirling in the lounge area. I managed to get through the appetizer course but it was getting progressively worse--you could not even pick your food from the buffet without termites in the food. I just finally jumped up and said "I'm getting out of here!"  Moz of course had to accompany me back to our tent and to make matters worse, right in the path to our tent was a huge hatch-out, you could not walk without trampling hundreds and hundreds of termites.

 

(Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

 

OMG. I ran into the room and got the door open and closed as quickly as possible but it was not fast enough. There were already dozens of termites flying around the room. Mostly near the lights and on the walls so I grabbed the handy Kwando brochure and started using it as a "termite-fly swatter."  I must have killed 50 or more (some on the floor i just stomped on.) Many seemed to settle down by the floor as I think they were trying to nest--so those were easy pickings.  After about 20 minutes of this I could finally relax and climb into our netted bed.

 

I had a granola bar for dinner that night

 

When Alan returned from dinner I had to do it all over again, although it seemed there weren't as many still flying that late.

 

The next day when we returned from lunch the staff had done an excellent job of cleaning up all the dead termites.

 

Amazing Aardwolf sighting & photos.

 First moths & now termite tent invasions I wonder what invasion is next … frogs or bats maybe!

 

PS this is why wife always politely declines to join me on safari - if she had been with me for either that moth or termite experience we’d have had to be flown back to Maun immediately!

[Zim Girl]

Fantastic Aardwolf sighting and pictures!

[wilddog]

Those huge flying termites are really unnerving. Fortunately I have only come across them in an open dining area at dinner,  never in my tent.

I note that you had to resort to termite murder. We all have our tolerance limits and that would have been mine too. You have my sympathies , @janzin

 

[Bush dog]

It is, indeed, an excellent picture of an aardwolf, not easy to make a good one like that.  At that period of the year when the first rains are there, the flying termites are leaving their mounds to create new colonies elsewhere.  This brings happiness to everything that flies and runs that feeds on it.  This is an important source of protein.  This time of year is therefore very favorable to see aardwolf.

[AKR1]

Things happen on safari and one has to roll with the punches. But a huge termite infestation of a camp🥹. Kwando should have known this happens and prepare countermeasures of some kind in advance. Unless it was totally unexpected and the first time? You were a real trooper here. I would have freaked out. 
Separately, joining others kudos on your amazing Aardvark picture.  

[michael-ibk]

Very jealous about the Aardwolf, still haven't seen one. Great photos Janet, really enjoying this.

[janzin]

Thanks for all the great comments everyone!

18 hours ago, JimS said:

These are the kind of stories that meant my wife refuses to come with me to a Zambian-style bush camp open to the elements  I totally get it, that's why I don't like those very rustic open tents either--and definitely not the outside bathrooms!

 

5 hours ago, Thornburyswan said:

 First moths & now termite tent invasions I wonder what invasion is next … frogs or bats maybe! Hah no frogs or bats but more bugs will be coming up soon

 

 

PS this is why wife always politely declines to join me on safari - if she had been with me for either that moth or termite experience we’d have had to be flown back to Maun immediately!  I was tempted! (Not really, but as I said, sleeping in the car--if there had been one--definitely crossed my mind!)

 

4 hours ago, wilddog said:

Those huge flying termites are really unnerving. Fortunately I have only come across them in an open dining area at dinner,  never in my tent.

I note that you had to resort to termite murder. We all have our tolerance limits and that would have been mine too. You have my sympathies , @janzin

I've seen this before but never, ever to this extreme. I really wish I'd had the presence of mind to film them but I was otherwise occupied with evading them. And I really don't like killing anything...even bugs--I didn't kill any of the moths, but these termites were just TOO MUCH to bear

 

27 minutes ago, AKR1 said:

Things happen on safari and one has to roll with the punches. But a huge termite infestation of a camp🥹. Kwando should have known this happens and prepare countermeasures of some kind in advance. Unless it was totally unexpected and the first time? You were a real trooper here. I would have freaked out.  I'm sure it happens every year but honestly I'm not sure what they can do about it.
Separately, joining others kudos on your amazing Aardvark picture.  Thanks!

 

[Bush dog]

Kwando and all operators in the region such as Great Plains are aware of this natural phenomenon, the migration of flying termites, which occurs every year in November/December.  There's not much you can do except endure it, mainly in the evening when the lighting is working, especially since it doesn't last long.  We all know that light attracts insects.  So can we eat, wash and carry out all our other evening activities in the dark?  Not very realistic, we agree, especially since it can be dangerous in this natural environment.  Having already experienced it, I can say that it is indeed disturbing but not really dramatic.  There are many things more serious than that.  And while for some this may be scary, just don't travel to the area at this time of year.  I would add that in this north-western part of Botswana, most of the islands, where the ilala palm trees grow, are enormous, very old termite mounds and that it is on these naturally raised spaces that the camps are built to avoid be flooded in the event of heavy rain.  Finally, I will say that even if we know that this is going to happen, it is not possible to predict the exact date.

[Peter Connan]

Considering that we sometimes even get swarming termites here at home in the city, I guess the locals are just a little more used to it. We even have a specific name for it in Afrikaans: "reismiere", literally "travelling ants".

 

Unfortunately it is rather unpredictable so one can't even prepare dinner early on thd couple of days per year it happens.

[madaboutcheetah]

9 hours ago, Bush dog said:

Kwando and all operators in the region such as Great Plains are aware of this natural phenomenon, the migration of flying termites, which occurs every year in November/December.  There's not much you can do except endure it, mainly in the evening when the lighting is working, especially since it doesn't last long.  We all know that light attracts insects.  So can we eat, wash and carry out all our other evening activities in the dark?  Not very realistic, we agree, especially since it can be dangerous in this natural environment.  Having already experienced it, I can say that it is indeed disturbing but not really dramatic.  There are many things more serious than that.  And while for some this may be scary, just don't travel to the area at this time of year.  I would add that in this north-western part of Botswana, most of the islands, where the ilala palm trees grow, are enormous, very old termite mounds and that it is on these naturally raised spaces that the camps are built to avoid be flooded in the event of heavy rain.  Finally, I will say that even if we know that this is going to happen, it is not possible to predict the exact date.

Indeed and to add .... the design of splash is such that it’s so much more modern in design with a lot more lighting and props ..... that’s bound to happen.  I was at four rivers same day and while we had to drive through swarms of termites at dusk (with sun glasses as protection) .... Ked and her team did an amazing job in camp.  We didn’t have any drama.  

[janzin]

Well I didn’t think this would cause such a kerfluffle   I was just recounting what I thought was an entertaining story. 
 

Suffice to say, obviously it’s nature and nothing can be done about it. It was not “scary” or a “drama” but I thought it made for an entertaining anecdote. I will skip Battling Bugs #3!

[madaboutcheetah]

Not to continue this discussion on termites ... but, I have a fun little video on my iphone from my sundowner stop when the termites were literally erupting from the mounds and into the air all around .... Hmmmm will have to find a way to upload it. LOL 

 

EDIT - One of our nights at 4Rivers before we moved over to Kwara - Ked had organised a bush dinner ........ This turned out to be a lot of fun and actually far less bugs - we only had the fire and some lanterns for lighting .....

Edited January 27 by madaboutcheetah

[John M.]

1 hour ago, janzin said:

Well I didn’t think this would cause such a kerfluffle   I was just recounting what I thought was an entertaining story. 
 

Suffice to say, obviously it’s nature and nothing can be done about it. It was not “scary” or a “drama” but I thought it made for an entertaining anecdote. I will skip Battling Bugs #3!

   Hope you're joking! As an employer of something called 'the Australian salute' to try to deter ever-present swarms of bush flies in the Outback, I found Battling Bugs #2 most interesting😁

[wilddog]

@janzinthe battling bugs sections are great, as is the rest of your report. Please don't skip anything!! 

 

TR's should all include the good, bad and the ugly.

[janzin]

9 hours ago, John M. said:

   Hope you're joking! As an employer of something called 'the Australian salute' to try to deter ever-present swarms of bush flies in the Outback, I found Battling Bugs #2 most interesting😁

 

20 minutes ago, wilddog said:

@janzinthe battling bugs sections are great, as is the rest of your report. Please don't skip anything!! 

 

TR's should all include the good, bad and the ugly.

Okay, I'll think about it...perhaps I'll just post an abbreviated version   I just didn't mean to give a negative impression of the camp or of Kwando. Nor of my own bug-o-phobia which I know is shared by many, even if they won't admit it!   Anyway, the next episode isn't for a couple of days. I still have cute cheetahs and leopards to get through

[wilddog]

It's not the camp's fault, just nature doing it's thing. 

[JimS]

46 minutes ago, janzin said:

perhaps I'll just post an abbreviated version

 

I for one definitely want to read about episode #3! As the saying goes: "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger gives us funny anecdotes to share on the internet"

[Ginny]

4 hours ago, wilddog said:

@janzinthe battling bugs sections are great, as is the rest of your report. Please don't skip anything!! 

 

TR's should all include the good, bad and the ugly.