Green Season Botswana January 2016: Part Two - the Amazing Duba Plains; Leopards of Selinda and incredible scenic flight!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot everyone, you guys are much too kind!

 

Yes, the Leopard cubs I reckon is a once in a lifetime opportunity - especially to find such a relaxed setting where the mother and cubs were at such ease with our presence.

 

Wild Cat - just lucky I guess bang in the middle of the day in extreme heat.

[madaboutcheetah]

In summary to close out the Selinda segment ....... Whilst I think, the Selinda concession is at it's best in the dry season (the game was heavily dispersed with the rains and there seemed a general lack of plains game given the topography of the land) ....... it is a very scenic concession and the camp is simply BRILLIANT. The staff at Selinda (must add staff at GPC in general) are very proud to be affiliated with GPC and that reflects in their general attitude and service. For example., Gobo who normally is based at Selinda Explorer camp and was filling in at Selinda was quick to point out that Selinda explorer's camp was #1 rated on Trip Advisor and was very proud of the fact!!! The nice lady who was in charge of the gift shop was happy that I got myself a baseball cap and insisted that I wear it right away and that she would send my old one back to the room with the camp staff ......... Btw, While on a drive to explore the Selinda Spillway, Vundi stopped by to show me Explorer camp. It has a superb location right on the spillway.

 

The concession has a CSU - central unit where there is a concession chief or manager in charge of the concession; and they too take random drives on a daily basis to scout out for game besides doing all their regular duties .............. FANTASTC SUFF!!! and a top notch operation.

 

Whilst at the airstrip, I saw a Zarafa vehicle - OMG. They have an arm rest that features a full gimbal head for support to stabilize a big lens etc etc., I wish GPC made that facility available in all of their vehicles though .........

Edited February 17, 2016 by madaboutcheetah

[Alexander33]

Are you kidding me? Your wild cat photos are great -- but so are all your others.

[LarsS]

Wow, what a great photos! I could mention them all as they're all so amazing. After seeing the wild dogs I thought it couldnt get any better. But it did, and how! Leopard cubs! I think this is probably my all time favourite safari picture. Thanks for sharing this great TR!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks so much @@Alexander33 and @@LarsS - too kind!!!

[madaboutcheetah]

Starting the Duba segment ............. My first instalment is actually a beautiful photo opportunity of a Korhaan ...... Will get to the Lions later

[madaboutcheetah]

The main attraction at Duba ....... Current and next generation of the Tsaro Pride (first batch of photos)

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@madaboutcheetah

 

The Korhaan series is terrific!

The superb blurred background bokeh highlights the dramatic open-billed action.

The first image of a male lion in the Tsaro Pride caught my attention. There's a dramatic quality about it.

Thank you!

Tom K.

[SafariChick]

That male lion is gorgeous! And the mother with cubs series is also great - especially like the one where she looks like she's saying "OW!" to at least one cub who is nursing, and the next shot showing her trying to put a couple of cubs' heads in her mouth!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks @@Tom Kellie and @safarichick

[AndyH1000]

That first lion photo is just epic. One of the best photos I have seen on here. Thanks for the report - Duba is moving up the list for me. Might have to combine it with Meru and traverse half the continent!

[TonyQ]

@@madaboutcheetah

Beautiful sequence of the lion with cubs - so tender.

I love the one where the cubs are looking away and we can see the out of focus elephant. I just wonder what they are thinking.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot @@AndyH1000 and @@TonyQ

 

@@AndyH1000 - Duba is a truly unique part of the delta ........

[marg]

@@madaboutcheetah...Hari. Sorry that it has taken me so long to respond to your trip report. It is just great and a trip down memory lane. We had the first heli transfer early September 2013, complete with a stop for champagne and photo ops. We went up the Selina Spillway from Zarafa to Duba. Your sightings/photos are wonderful. Especially the dogs and the leopard with cubs. And, of course the Duba lions. Some visits there has been concern that they would even survive because the pride was so disfunctional. So, to have cubs surviving is extremely good. And, I am assuming that there are no female cub killers still around? Thanks!!!

[Marks]

The korhaan photos are great!

[twaffle]

@@madaboutcheetah I have no words that adequately express how much I've enjoyed these photos, just so beautiful and expressive of the area. How I'd love to visit Botswana one day.

 

I'm glad to see the big male lion on here, sensational. And the Korhaans are so delicately renditioned … masterful.

 

Pure pleasure.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks so much @@marg @@Marks and @@twaffle

 

@@marg - the 6 cubs have survived well and the two lionesses have been good at keeping them safe - Also, we saw the two male Lions checking on the pride. More photos to come later in the week when i get to the editing .......... Btw, there is another female with one single cub (you may have seen the photo in one of my ariel shots). However, there might be other males coming in ........ One day, when Vundi was trying his best to find the Skimmer pride we did see two nomadic male Lions that are new to the area. Not sure where they came from, but, they bolted the moment they saw our vehicle.

 

@@twaffle - you definitely need to pencil a visit to Botswana. The Linyanti is my personal favourite though .......... more so than the Delta.

Edited February 23, 2016 by madaboutcheetah

[twaffle]

@@madaboutcheetah You can be sure that I'll be chatting to you before I even start planning a Bots trip.

[pault]

@@madaboutcheetah Great stuff so far - wonderful. Some fabulous photos as usual... such as that first shor of the Duba male. He looks so pretty.

 

Am I understanding right that this is part 1, but you are calling it part 2 because it took place after whatever part 1 is (wild guess... you were at one of the Kwando camps? ) i.e. There is not yet a part 1 that I missed?

[madaboutcheetah]

@@pault ......... Thank You!!!

 

Not sure why my copy/paste doesn't seem to work ......... anyways, you know me too well - Kwando Lagoon is part 1 and actually, Trip report complete!!!

[madaboutcheetah]

Today's Duba segment ......... The beauty of Duba!

[madaboutcheetah]

Very lucky to have found one of the Tsaro Males in gorgeous morning light - (luckily, the better looking one)

[michael-ibk]

Gorgeous light indeed!

[Livetowander]

Wow, that male lion is a supermodel!

[Christopher Moran]

I think those last few shots highlight what good guiding would do for you - putting the vehicle in the right position, at the right time of day, for a stunning shot.