6 September 2025
So excited to be exploring Etosha National Park over the next couple of days. Etosha is one of Africa’s most diverse and well-known wildlife reserves, with over 110 different animals and over 300 different bird species. It is characterised by an immense salt desert, so large that it can be seen from space – the Etosha Pan. The perennial springs along the edges of the Etosha Pan draw large concentrations of wildlife and birds during the dry season each year. After a period of rain, the salt pan fills with water and flamingos, adding splashes of pink to the stark white landscape. The park is home to four of the famous ‘Big Five’ – elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino. Its waterholes support a rich diversity of birds and mammals, including rare species such as the black-faced impala, cheetah and Namibia’s smallest antelope, the Damara dik dik.
We set out for a day long game drive with our guide Nation. We had an early breakfast and were in the jeeps by 6.45am so that we could be ready to go as soon as the park opened at 7.15am. We watch the sunrise in the queue. There was already a big line of vehicles waiting to go in, with lots of jockeying for position as guides ran up to get their passes and then overtook those who hadn’t been as fast.
The aim is to be in as early as possible so that we can see the big cats in particular before they sleep for the day. First up we see a large male Black Rhino but unfortunately only manage to get a bottom shot. Springbok are everywhere. Then an eagle-eyed guide spots a male lion lying in the grass quite a long distance away. Despite all our best efforts, including Nation taking photos through his binoculars for us, we still just see a blob. After quite a wait the lion puts his head up and then walks off in the other direction. We learn that male lions rarely hunt as the females do that for them, and the springbok seem to know this as they seem unconcerned.
Then we see a large solo male elephant munching the mopani trees.
Followed by two young male lions snoozing behind a hillock. At first we can only see one but then see some ears move on the ‘rock’ beside him. Young males especially brothers will often hang out together when they first leave the pride to help each other with hunting.
Next up we see a Steenbok – the second smallest antelope. Smallest is the Dikdik that we saw yesterday (but didn’t manage to get a photo of).
Then 2 ostriches strutting their stuff; zebra and springbok, and a Ruppels Korhan bird. We reach a watering hole and stop to watch zebra and springbok, then someone spots a female lion sitting on a platform surveying the menu! We keep watching hopefully but she is not ready to make her selection yet. There are blue wildebeest, kudu, and eland as well. It is fantastic to see all the interactions at the watering hole.
Whilst we may not have seen any desert elephants at Damaraland, we more than made up for it today. After our first male elephant, we watched a small herd of about 15 mothers and babies at the watering hole. Another large male came in and we watched it go to find clean water to drink and then entertain us by blowing bubbles.
As we left to go for lunch we watched a huge herd of elephants cross the road in front of us. We realised they were going to the watering hole so we raced back to watch them all drinking, splashing, bathing etc. Then we saw another herd of elephants coming across the plain in the distance. We watched in absolute amazement as around 80 elephants did their thing in front of us. There was only a little bit of argy-bargy as the two groups mixed, but then they headed off again.
On the way back from lunch we saw another male black rhino and warthogs, as well as vultures, ostrich, and a koribastard (largest flying bird) at a smaller watering hole.
Back at the hotel, I enjoy some time to sort photos and do laundry etc. Anne develops a new activity: ‘swimming with zebras’. There are zebras and other wildlife around the swimming pool and at one point she disturbs a zebra and watches it jump over the rocks around the pool.
After dinner we go out frog hunting and find a single very loud frog in the rock pool beside the path.
Leave a Reply