This is another photo diary of images that I was fortunate enough to capture during a recent trip to the Okavango and Linyanti wilderness of northwest Botswana.
Sundowner
A mother lion and her two "teenagers", nearly fullgrown male cubs.
We saw these three cats across a flooded channel and waited hoping they would cross the water in our direction.
One of the cubs plays mess with mom.
The kids 'rassle.
Mom and one of the boys see some Kudu in the brush on our side of the river.
The lioness slowly makes her way across the channel.
She comes across with grace and dignity.
The kids, not so much. They come bounding and slashing through the water like playful children.
We come across the three later in the day. Here are the two young males watching a bird fly over.
Little Bee-Eaters
Tawney Eagle
One morning we are excited to see three African Wild Dogs on patrol. Our guide says they are from a small pack of only four adult animals. The alpha female is back at a temporary den with some puppies and these three, the alpha male, another male and one female are out hunting.
African Wild Dogs along with Cheetahs are the most endangered predators in Africa. There are an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 left in the wild. A few decades ago there were about a half a million wild dogs with packs of over 100 animals being common. Now due to habitat loss, hunting and poisoning by humans, and diseases such as canine distemper and rabies contracted from domestic dogs the population continues to decrease.
We follow the trio as they survey the area.
In profile they look a little like a German Shepard, when you can't see they have big round Mickey Mouse ears. They are actually the only species in their genus Lycaon. They are Lycaon pictus, the painted wolf.
The dogs head off into the bush and we attempt to follow in the Land Rovers. Soon we see a herd of impala and the dogs go into slink mode and then take off in a sprint. We try to follow but the brush is too dense to keep up but in a few minutes we get a call on the radio. They have made a kill. The two males chased one of the impala into the river channel and caught up to on the other side in some high grass. We arrive in time to see them attacking the still alive impala but our view, probably fortunatly, is blocked by the grass.
The two males with the kill.
The female has been left behind on our side of the river and she doesn't know where they are. They do not call out because it could bring unwanted visitors like lions or hyenas. She runs up and down the river bank looking for her brothers.
The Alpha comes looking for her, his face bloodied by the kill.
She finally sees them and, after much deliberation, she swims across to join them at the kill. The dogs eat incredibly fast and they will carry food back in their bellies to be regurgitated to the alpha female and the puppies.
The dogs swimming back across the channel. This was definitely the most dramatic sighting of my trip. The dogs are just so active, alert and energetic.
Thanks for joining me in this adventure. Feel free to treat this as a community photo diary and please be good humans.
Daze End
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Aloha