Three of the Big Five in Chobe

Lion at Sunset

Our first game drive started with an immediate siting of Cape Buffalo (first of the big 5). When we reached the river we could see a black back jackal in the distance followed quickly by wart hogs next to our vehicle (within days we would be calling these baby rhinos). The most common mammal is the impala, called the McDonald's of the bush with an M on their rear and "they're everywhere". They are often seen with waterbuck, who rely on the impala for their better eyesight to spot predators. We then came upon a colony of baboons from 3 week old babies to dominant males, all grooming each other or having playful sex. The females may copulate 100 times, but when it counts, they yield to the dominant male. Then in the space of 30 minutes - we saw 2 lions (our second of the big 5) stalking unsuccessfully some warthogs and a herd of cape buffalo, followed by a memorial (group) of elephants drinking at a waterhole (our third of the big 5, only leopard and rhino to go).



In the afternoon, we take the same road, but the animals changed significantly as different species head to the river. We first saw the southern ground hornbill, a big bird that primarily eats snakes - the white tips of the wings attract the snakes and they waste their venom on the cartilage at the tips. These birds live to be 65 years old. Then we saw a solitary giraffe bending down to a salt lick. Then up the hill, we saw a tower (stationary group) of giraffes feeding on wooly caper bush. What a sight, over a dozen animals.

Giraffe at the salt lick

The day finished with sunset on the river with many birds, a herd of elephants and our lions. We headed back to the lodge encountering 3 kudo on the way. What a day! Some of our group who had visited East Africa marvelled at the size of the herds, but lions were a hit for me!