Lions vs Giraffes - Botswana Safari Day 6, Monday, April 1, WTRD 16
Another beautiful sunrise starts our last full day in Botswana and Camp Labala.
After our breakfast around the campfire, we set off once again on the hunt for a leopard or a cheetah.
As the sun rises higher in the sky we spot wildebeest grazing,
hippos, elephants,
birds,
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| Hey Buddy, This is my Branch! |
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| Alright, you big nose bully, "I'm out of here!" |
and a tower of giraffes looking in the same direction out across the grassy lands.
Our tracker and guide are pretty sure the giraffes spot or smell a large cat, maybe a leopard.
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| Lion tracks not the leopards |
We circle around following the tracks and find Northern Lion Pride Number 1 that had unsuccessfully hunted warthogs the previous morning . They are still hunting for food.
The alpha female who usually leads the hunt is still on a mating vacation, and the lions in the pride do not seem to be successful without her. They have not had a kill for awhile and seem disinclined to move to a more abundant hunting ground. Their ribs are showing and bellies are lean.
Only elephants and giraffes are left in this area as the other animals who would be prey have fled. Either the lions are lazy or do not have enough energy to travel farther afield due to the lack of food. The lions are on the eastern border of the savannah and the giraffes who have mustered their entire tower of a dozen or more giraffes flank the western border where the trees are growing.
The lions are trying to appear nonchalant and disinterested, all the while sneaking closer.
The giraffe march forward in a line toward the lions to let the lions know that they are watching.
The lions, all but one daring cub, take watchful positions.
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| Yep, they're out there. Let's pretend we don't know they know we're out here! |
He smart enough to know that he cannot take them on himself and will be killed with a kick in the head by any one of them.
It is a standoff. Giraffes 0, Lions 0. and we have a leopard to find, and then it's back to the camp for lunch. We look and look, but no leopards.
After lunch we are back in the SLC, tracking, but not finding the leopard, but enjoying more birds,
families of elephants at a watering hole, splashing and playing.
zebras,
More Giraffes - This one came out head first resulting in a broken neck.
Hippos,
Baboons We see two usually elusive animals, a jackal and a badger, scurry from one bush to another, so quickly that no one has time to take a photo. As the sun disappears behind the horizon
and night falls, our tracker scours the surroundings for animals. We spot a scrub hair and an injured juvenile hyena who gives us trying to limp away and just lays down to watch us.
As usual, Labala staff greets us with ice cold moist lemon scented hand towels.
families of elephants at a watering hole, splashing and playing.
zebras,
More Giraffes - This one came out head first resulting in a broken neck.
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| It's a Long Reach Down to Get a Drink of Water.
Kudus,
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Baboons We see two usually elusive animals, a jackal and a badger, scurry from one bush to another, so quickly that no one has time to take a photo. As the sun disappears behind the horizon
and night falls, our tracker scours the surroundings for animals. We spot a scrub hair and an injured juvenile hyena who gives us trying to limp away and just lays down to watch us.
As usual, Labala staff greets us with ice cold moist lemon scented hand towels.
Our party meets in the bar for a drink and to talk about the plans for tomorrow morning. We will be leaving Labala about 11:45 tomorrow morning. There will still be time in the morning if we wish to track down the leopard if we choose or to sleep in. Three choose to sleep in, Deitlef, Eleanor, Russ, and I opt for one more chance at spotting a leopard. Eleanor and Mary were in a separate SLC with another couple today, Sue and Richard from Devon, England. Their group caught a brief glimpse of running leopard before disappearing in the bushes. No one got a photos
After making our plans for the. morning, our group heads toward the dining room. It is late, and oh no the dining room is empty!
Did we miss dinner? Yes, says the camp manager. April Fools. She has us follow her to the bush outside the lodge where a formal dinner has been set up on the grasslands near our tents.
Torches and lanterns light the tables. Eleanor presents Mary, our Journey and Safari Leader with a thank you card from all of us and a small gift of gratitude. for all of her diligence and hard work finding and arranging this magnificent experience. What a perfect way to end our last night in Botswana.
Did we miss dinner? Yes, says the camp manager. April Fools. She has us follow her to the bush outside the lodge where a formal dinner has been set up on the grasslands near our tents.
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| The Staff Sings "In the Jungle, the mighty Jungle, the Lion Sleeps Tonight" |
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