I have just returned from a wonderful and exciting safari in Botswana with an equally wonderful family. We started off at Mombo camp; situated up at the top end of Chief’s island in the middle of the Okavango Delta. This pristine wilderness area is a diverse natural wonder where the main island is dominated by acacia savannah providing a high source of protein for the many mammals that traverse the area. Bordering these acacia areas are the rich riverine forests and the lush seasonal floodplains dotted with palm islands. Arguably the best wildlife area in the world, Mombo has a phenomenally rich ecosystem that just baffles the mind.

One of the mornings on game drive we were on a mission tracking a white rhino on the island. After 3 hours of traversing through some of the most beautiful mixed woodland and acacia areas we succeeded in finding a solitary bull male grazing and marking his territory. We also had 3 phenomenal sightings of lion, 2 of them were of a pride of 19 strong called the Mporota pride. This pride is made up of 9 females, cubs of various ages and 2 very impressive male lions. We also had a very unusual sighting of a female African Wild. Wild dogs are usually a pack species; however she was a lone female whose innate social behavior had drawn her to associate herself to a pair of black backed jackal. In the past we have seen her return after a hunt and regurgitate food for these 2 jackals. Nature is truly amazing.

We then flew north to Vumbura Plains which is situated on the northern edge of the Okavango Delta. This area has phenomenal diversity; from permanent swamps to seasonal floodplains, riverine forested islands to mopane and mixed woodlands. With its huge diversity in habitats we were fortunate enough to see most of what the Okavango Delta could offer us including waterbuck, reedbuck and the rare and equally beautiful sable antelope. By far, my best sightings of sable have been in this area. Not to mention the birdlife here is incredible. This area offers great birding right through the year. The diverse habitats allowed us to experience this magical area by vehicle, foot, boat and mokoro (dug out canoes). This area is fantastic for mokoros during the floods from March to the end of August. We had a lovely sighting of a female leopard that was busy hunting to sustain herself and her 5 month old cub. She moved through the bush using termite mounds and fallen dead acacia trees to get a better vantage point to scan for potential prey. A big thanks to this beautiful female leopard as this made for some fantastic photographic opportunities!

Nature is a wonderful thing. Over the years of guiding guests into these pristine areas I have realized that it is not what you see, but how you see it. I believe quality and not quantity definitely applies to “the bush” as well as everyday life.

Till next time….
Richard