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Flash back to June 2016 - Winter in the Kwando Concession....


madaboutcheetah

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madaboutcheetah

It's better late than never for a Trip Report I guess ....... Winter in the Kwando concession is pure magic with the light and game viewing at Lagoon and Lebala will never cease to amaze!!!! My Thanks to Spencer and Mr.Moe as always ...... Magic as always!!!!

 

It was always going to be a trip where I knew that the "Boys of lagoon" were NO more - in April 2016, I got tragic news that the healthy brother (of the two remaining) had been found dead and the other (limping for the better part of 3 years) was in no condition to fend for himself ........ Passing of the baton as it would be -we found new males trying to make best use of PRIME cheetah habitat.

Two sets of denning dogs at either side - one ultra aggressive hunters; the other ultra lazy ......... Can't complain!!!! The Greater Linyanti concessions are as good as they get!!!!

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madaboutcheetah

We had a couple of amazing Leopard sightings at Lebala with the famous Jane and her two cubs. I had seen those cubs at their den only a few days old while visiting Selinda next door on my prior Botswana safari ........

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madaboutcheetah

June 2016 was a bit early for the puppies to pop out of the den ..... but, oh well ....... dens and puppies are just an every year sighting in the Kwando! Greeting rituals and wild dog hunts never get tiresome!!!

 

The cheetah halfway down this thread is a Single male cheetah in his prime who I termed "Johnny Walker" as whilst tracking him from day to day - we found him moving over 10KMS a time! and followed by two other males (in their prime) ...... stay tuned!!!!

 

Kwando visitors will know the pan in the image - the famous Zebra Pan up in the Lagoon area!

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Edited by madaboutcheetah
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madaboutcheetah

This safari was with a bunch of relatives - My cousins who had been on their first safari their prior year with me to Namiri Plains wanted to try Botswana. They were thrilled with everything - right from the bush dinner and sundowners at Lebala (New and unique experience that I'd had for the first time in all my visits ) ....... but, they had to get re-married in order to get their visa. They had applied as husband and wife in the application and this required a marriage certificate (which they didn't own) ...... They were also jet-setting all over the world in the month prior on summer holidays and as like always, the Botswana visa is stamped at the last hour like a miracle.

 

Mine was easy this time ......... Phew!!!

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Very nice...of the 3 trips we have taken to Africa Kwando ranks #1...I have flights booked for November to South Africa but not set plans. Cant wait to see more pics.

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Hari,

 

I guess, that young leopard on the last picture of #2 is one of the two I saw last November at Selinda?

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michael-ibk

Great stuff Hari, glad you are sharing this with us.

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@@madaboutcheetah beautiful images. I have been to Lebala and Little Kwara and I love seeing your photos from Kwando as they always remind me of a great trip but also of sitting quietly in a chair in the bar and flicking through one of you photo books whilst most people are taking an afternoon snooze in their tents. I shared one such lazy afternoon with a ground squirrel who had taken up residence in an armchair. Small but precious memories for me thanks to your books, and the squirrel ?

Edited by ld1
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madaboutcheetah

Dear all,

Thanks so much for all the lovely comments - much appreciated!!!

 

Mike, indeed same Leopard and cubs - they seem to go back and forth between selinda and lebala. A week before my visit the mum was out hunting around camp and the cubs were playing in camp .... I think someone posted photos on their facebook page

 

@id1 - Thanks for the kind words and you inspire me to make another book for my next visit to take for lagoon. Those books were from 2008 I think and haven't gotten around to updated versions after that.

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@@madaboutcheetah 2008! I think a 2018 tenth anniversary edition might be in order. I always thought it a really lovely thing to do and interesting to see real photos by real guests in camp.

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Your cousins had a tremendous Safari #2! And you had a tremendous Safari #987 or whatever it is now!

 

If this was from 2016 it makes you wonder where those creatures are now. You had fantastic light!

Edited by Atravelynn
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madaboutcheetah

Thanks once again for the continued interest in this thread ........ You guys keep me motivated to get through the editing which is long over due

 

Today's batch of images .......

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@@madaboutcheetah those hyena pups are adorable and I had to look twice to find the Leopard cub!

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madaboutcheetah

Today's instalment.......

 

I am thinking that the male Lion in the image here is one of the Pride males of the large pride that usually hangs around Half Way Pan (Pl follow the Kwando sightings report for more up to date info) - It's been nearly a year, so my memory of who he is isn't very good.

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madaboutcheetah

We had been tracking a Mother and two sub-adults for the better part of a day and a half ....... Suddenly, we drove to a pan close to the Lagoon airstrip to find 3 cheetah (two together) and one in the vicinity, but, aloof .......... We were told that the Mum and Sub-adults were super shy and bolted away from vehicles (probably arrived from either Muvumbi or the mopane veldt and had never seen vehicles prior) .......

 

So, anyways much to our shock as the sun set we realised we were with two adult male cheetahs trying to make a mark on the territory ....... and the second image is Mr.Johnny Walker trying to slip away from the other two .......

 

If you follow the recent Kwando sightings report, you will see that the sub-adults are now by themselves and are posing for game vehicles ( I wonder where these two males are) ......... Hmmmm or Mr.Johnny Walker for that matter!

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Peter Connan

Magnificent sightings and stellar photography, as always!

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  • 2 weeks later...
madaboutcheetah

Thanks for all the kind comments - Much appreciated!!!

 

There was a magnificent Bush dinner set us for us at Lebala by Camp Manager Tshepo and the amazing Waiter See ............. But, en route we were delayed photographing the Fires over in Namibia (Caprivi Strip) at Lechwe corner

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madaboutcheetah

Next instalment ............ Another year and no elephant charge!!!

 

The earlier segment has a very large herd of Elephant at Twin Pools (we were waiting for the dogs to wake up; but heard from Hobbs that there was a herd of 100 plus Elephants at Twin pools and we did indeed head over)

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These are all so good but the cheetah looking back over his shoulder is a favorite and a pose I'm always looking for.

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madaboutcheetah

Next Up - The big buffalo herd that popped out at Lebala. There weren't any signs of Lions that afternoon around the herd - We did try to track them the next morning ..... but, we just found some splinter groups from the big herd.

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  • 2 weeks later...
madaboutcheetah

I have no words ......... Jane and cubs put on an absolute show!!!! In the now dry again ..... Lechwe Island.

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madaboutcheetah

After all the entertainment led us to a lechwe kill hidden away in a thicket as the sun quickly went down .........

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madaboutcheetah

edit- might be a reedbuck carcass that!

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