16 September 2025
We set off pre-dawn today for an early morning game drive in Chobe National Park. Chobe was the first national park in Botswana and is the most biologically diverse. There are 4 different geographical regions in the park but as it is the dry season, there is most chance of seeing wildlife along the edge of the Chobe River that flows through the park.
I started off not liking the game drive at all because there were so many vehicles and it seemed that there was only one route that everyone was following and there were always dozens of vehicles in front of us. Even though our guide Fil said he would take us to the far side of the park so we could search out leopards, we were following the same route as everyone else. I really just wanted to get away from the crowds and see things we hadn’t seen already.
The absolute highlight of the morning though was seeing a pride of lions out on the hunt. There was a herd of buffalo and the lions were stalking. We watched as a matriarch quietly stalked the herd but then she sat down and we then gradually saw the rest of the pride emerge from the undergrowth and join her walking along the banks of the river. Then a young male jumped the gun and started his own chase without the others. The buffalo were just in front of us at that stage and I could see the lion start running directly towards me. I got a video of the action. It was surreal to think that there was a lion running directly towards me but I didn’t feel worried at all.
It was such a privilege to watch the pride in action, and see them going about their day in their natural environment (albeit with the addition of a large number of vehicles).
We headed back to the lodge for a late breakfast that was to serve as lunch as well for most of us. We then spent some time in our rooms sorting photos and keeping cool – up to 38C (real feel 40C) today.
Wian managed to get a board room for us at lunchtime (while the conferencers were at lunch). We watch a documentary movie ‘Paid in Blood’ – about translocating elephants and other wildlife from drought in Namibia to lusher jungles of DR of Congo. Wian’s brother Rudie (a professional safari guide) was part of the exercise, and unfortunately when they went back some months later the matriarch elephant trampled him and he was severely injured – touch and go as to whether he would survive. Thankfully his doctor knew a surgeon in Switzerland who oversaw his surgeries. The film shows him back in the Congo reunited with the matriarch who was now very calm.
Successful translocation of wildlife was the dream of (the late) world-renowned conservationist Jan Oelofse and brought into being by his widow Annette. Annette continues their shared dreams through the Mount Etjo Rhino Trust and Okonjati Game Reserve.
Later in the afternoon we head to the jetty for our cruise on the Chobe River. Namibia is on the other bank this time. I was a bit surprised to discover that it was in fact the same river as before. It starts in Angola, flowing through on the border with Namibia as the Kavango River, becoming the Okavango River and then the Chobe River. It merges with another river to form the Zambezi River to flow over the Victoria Falls and down to the Indian Ocean.
We saw a big crocodile in the river before we even got on the boat. Initially things seem very quiet with just a few bird sightings but then we see lots of elephants, buffalo, hippos and crocodiles on the island in the middle of the river. We have great fun watching elephants having a mud bath; one tiny baby got so slippery with the mud that it couldn’t get out and had to be pushed by its sibling.
That night we have another buffet dinner at the lodge with more entertainment.
Leave a Reply