Botswana- Splash Camp

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Welcoming Committee

EZ 20 minute flight over quite a bit of burned ground. You could see areas still on fire. At Splash camp we quickly unpacked and then set off on an evening safari with Josiah and Gomms as our driver/guide and tracker. Many herds of Giraffe and even more Elephants. The first Giraffes we saw were eating huge sausages out of a sausage tree. They were struggling with sausages only at the furthest of their reach, their long tongues way out trying to grab them. Some would try swallowing them whole but then end up spitting them out like they were choking on them. The Elephants  seemed to be all over the place and we followed some for a short while to a watering hole where they drank and bathed. The landscape was burnt in many areas and even smoldering in some. The main fire went through about 10 days before. Surprisingly there were new shoots of green grass coming up in some of the burned areas. Close by were pristine watering holes with green vegetation everywhere. Many Lechwe, Impalas, Tssesabe, Kudus, and Hippos. A sundowner at a pan provided another stunning sunset. The 1 hour drive back to camp in the dark provided views of a Verreaux Owl and Springhares. Just before camp the guide and tracker heard Wild Dogs, one of the most endangered mammals in Africa. We drove to them only to see if they appeared hungry. They don’t like to interfere with diurnal animals during the night so our stay was very brief and with no direct lights. The guide guaranteed a hunt by the dogs in the morning as they looked hungry. A nice dinner with all the camp guests including people from Britain, Holland, Germany, and The Czech Republic. Katie and I are the only Americans. The morning breakfast was interrupted by an Impala being chased by a Wild Dog! They ran right by us and then back again. The guides noted some unusual howling from the dogs and suspected a large predator had come near. We jumped into the Landcruisers and gave chase. We found 2 packs of Wild Dogs chasing each other. One dog had obvious blood on his back leg and was limping. We found him later all alone and calling for his pack. So sad. However, after a wait, a call from other dogs was heard and the dogged limped back towards camp, eventually reuniting with 3 other adults from his pack and 2 pups. The 6 dogs now waited, listening for what turned out to be 4 others of their pack. We later found them all hunting again. Today seemed to be a day for animal fighting. First the dogs but then we came upon a large troop of Baboons. Large males were chasing various members about, bellowing as they went. Little ones dangled from little branches way up in the tree and a mother carrying her baby on her stomach ran up and down, inside and out of a tree trying to avoid the male. We later saw a large group of mostly male Impalas where several pairs faced off ramming and twisting their horns against each other. At a pan further along there was a large group of White Faced Whistling Ducks sitting quietly in groups of 20-30. Soon fighting erupted with ducks jumping all about. We spotted a male Ostrich in the distance and after getting closer, we found the female laying on a nest. Not easily spotted were 3 newborns just on the side of her and a few minutes later a fourth appeared. They sat for a few minutes but then began ‘walking’ or really careening about. Two steps and fall to the side or backwards. Over the next 20 minutes or so they kept getting better and better but were now some 30 feet from their mother and at great risk from predators like Eagles or Hyenas. The mom got up to go corral them, revealing 9 more eggs in the nest ready to hatch. Finally, we had our coffee break at a pan just off the edge of the recent fire. Two warthogs came down to drink. One large and one medium. After their drink they faced off for about 5 minutes, ramming heads, locking tusks, and violently twisting their heads. When we left the two were sitting together in the shade temporarily at peace. Back to camp slowly with multiple other encounters but no fights. Siesta time for all. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN! (from Katie)

Sausage Tree
Success
Wild Dog
Baboon

Our afternoon game drive was a ride on a powerboat out to a heron rookery. We drove for about 45 minutes to get to the boat. We saw Elephants bathing and playing in the water, Hippos guarding their pool, and wild dogs sleeping in the shade. The boat held the 6 of us, Pavel and Alice from The Czech Republic, John and Judith from England and Katie and I. We set off through the marsh grasses in narrow channels. At one intersection there was a large Hippo. We waited patiently, then when sure of where he was, sped by. Farther along were 4 more Hippos, opening their mouths as we passed to show us how big they were, just like the Jungle Ride at Disneyland!. Katie and I moved to the upper deck of this 18 foot aluminum powerboat. The views were spectacular. We all had to mind exactly where we were sitting and coordinate any movements with others as the boat was tenuously balanced. Nobody else wanted to go up top so we had our own little world weaving down the channels with occasional Elephants on the banks or in the water and many different birds sitting in trees or flying around us. We reached the end goal which was a Heron Rookery. There were a hundred plus parents in various stages of birth. Some building nests, some incubating eggs and some feeding young hatchlings. There were huge, 3 foot tall Maribu Stork feeding their dinosaur looking babies. Yellow Bill Storks with their furry white hatchlings, and Open Bill Storks which did not have any observable hatchlings yet. Quite a riot of noise when various parents brought fish back to the young ones. We headed back as the sun was setting. Happy Hour of G&T’s for Katie and I up top as our boat motored down the channel. Beautiful, outrageous sunset and we pulled in to where the Landcruiser was parked just as darkness came on. 45 minutes back to camp with headlights and spotlight. Nothing new seen though there were Springhares, Impala, Cape Buffalo, and Elephants along the way. Dinner was great as usual and again great conversation with the other guests at the table. A Honey Badger tiptoed by the dinner table as the evening came to a close. One of the best Birthdays for me!

Hippo Sharing View of His Teeth
Sharing the Waterway
Yellow-Bill Storks and Chicks
Maribou Stork Chicks, or are they Dinosaurs?