Going "Hunting" at Vumbura Plains, Okavango Delta Africa

This lion calmly joined the family after they had settled down for their naps.

Every day we were on safari we went hunting.  We "hunted" both on the road and then created our own way off roading searching for and tracking animals.  We were always looking and listening for clues as to where they might have been that day.  We carefully searched the sand for tracks and listened for a bird calling a warning.  Or perhaps another guide would find an animal of interest and share the location.

We were continually dazzled by the array of animals we saw.  It was difficult cutting down the number of photos we took to a reasonable amount. 

The pride of lions were hunting for their next meal.  They calmly followed a herd of Cape Buffalo.  

The male is behind the females.  The women do the work meaning the stalking and eventually the kill.  But the male gets the "lions share" of the food.

With the day warming up it was time for a nap.  The lions will sleep until night and then continue the hunt.  You can see how close the vehicles are to the lions.

They are always touching and rubbing against each other.

The cubs take advantage of the stop so they can nurse.

Nap time.  They have had a long morning following the herd of Cape Buffalo.

These lions on the left got too close to the herd.  This was one extremely angry Cape Buffalo.  Tom captured the moment.

Meanwhile I was focused on the Cape Buffalo.  

With the lions no longer on the move it was time to search for more entertainment.

Elephants like to roll in the mud.  It helps protect against flies and other annoying insects.

It is impressive watching them travel.   They cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. 

This "little" one needed a drink.  Another nursing baby.

After fighting it out for a bit the Impala on the right decided he wasn't going to win this round.

Then came the Hyenas calmly walking along the road.

Using an old Termite Mound as a lookout perch.

Sable

The Sable are another endangered animal.

Vumbura Plains, Okavango Delta Africa

The Wild Dogs are always on the lookout for danger.

The adventure continued at Vumbura Plains.  We saw many wonderful sights.  The guides and trackers we had throughout our travels helped make our trip special.  The tracking skills and general knowledge of these people were an integral part of a successful safari.  They had stories to tell and information to share about the animals we came across.  While in Duma Tau we had seen three young lions that appeared to have lost their pride.  The trackers thought they had become separated and were searching for a way to become reunited.  Another theory was that they were old enough to be chased away from their pride.  The day we saw them would be their last in the area.  

Our guides knew where baby leopards had last been seen.  Their mother leaves them hidden while she searches for her next kill.  Once she has food for them, she returns to retrieve her offspring and take them to where she left their meal.

This baby leopard was hidden by its mother while she went hunting. 

Nap time.

Leopard in a tree.

 The guides all work as a team.  If one guide finds something of interest everyone else is notified by radio.  It was encouraging to see that the private reserves carefully protect their animals.  Depending on where we were only two or three vehicles were allowed to be near the animals at one time.  We alternated positions so that everyone in the area had an opportunity for a viewing.  I think this also helped the animals to feel secure.  It was amazing being so close to these wild animals (some of them extremely dangerous) and yet we felt reasonably safe (some of the time).  Often times the animals appeared totally unconcerned or bothered by our presence.  The animals certainly didn’t always ignore us.  The elephants in particular let us know if they were unhappy.

There are crocodiles lurking in the water.

Blue Starling

The wild dogs are extremely nervous approaching water.  They know there are crocodiles in the water waiting for the opportunity to grab one of them. 

It was warm and one Wild Dog decided to take a chance and go for a dip in the water.

Fish Eagle

Nyala with a bird eating ticks and other bugs.  The birds help keep them clean and comfortable.

The elephants have been through here.  They love eating the bark off of trees.

A herd of Cape Buffalo.  They create dust that can be seen from great distances.

Sunset.

A live termite mound.  The darker areas being pointed to were created the night before.  These mounds go way below ground to where there is water.

Hyena

See if you can find the Hyena stalking the Impala.

The Impala seems to fly over the grass.

It's always exciting having elephants walk right by us.

Unlike at a zoo where each type of animal is kept in their own separate enclosure, in the wild they all share the same space.  Creatures can live side by side peacefully.  For many it is a symbiotic relationship where one warns another of danger.

The Impala's and Baboons are comfortable sharing the same area.

This Cape Buffalo is being cleaned.

The bird continues its work.

The giraffe chewing away.

Lions and Leopards while at Duma Tau, Okavango Delta

We were fortunate to see so many lions and leopards during our stay at Duma Tau.  We discovered that lions are very affectionate with one another.  This was demonstrated repeatedly as we watched them interact.  They would sleep with their paws over each other.  Waking up after having a good stretch, taking care of personal business, a couple of good yawns, and they would check on each other.  They were continually snuggling, kissing, licking, and rubbing each other.  It was endearing.

The leopards were equally fun to watch.  The mommy leopard would leave her babies “hidden” while she went out hunting.  The offspring learned to stay within a short distance of where they were left.  Once the mother had made her kill she would retrieve her babies and move them to where their next meal was.  

After enjoying his meal he was off to get a drink of water.  

Getting comfortable for a nap up in a tree.

The view is great up here.

Who is watching whom?

Leopard up in a tree.

The lions were wonderful to watch.

They are majestic.

Isn't this sweet?

After a nap it's time for a good stretch.  This was part of a group of 3 lions who seem to have lost or been separated from their family.

This guy looked at Tom, came over to where he was seated in our OPEN jeep, opened his mouth nice and wide and growled at him. 

I know I'm handsome.

The lions were always affectionate with one another.  

This lion was trying to find scraps to eat that were left on the Cape Buffalo.

Didn't your mommy ever teach you to wipe your mouth after eating?

After gorging on a Cape Buffalo this lion couldn't even lay on his side or belly.