My second trip to Botswana, Kwando, Chief's and first leopard sighting, 2011

[ElenaH]

Botswana, 2011. My first Leopard Sightings!

 

I carefully planned my second trip to Africa, drawing on everything I observed during my first visit. We had met many people who had stayed at Kwando camps, and hearing only good things about them, I decided to visit nearly all of them. The only one I missed was Nxai Pan Camp. My goal was to experience all the key regions: Chobe, Linyanti, Okavango with Chief’s Island, and the Kalahari.

 

Our itinerary looked as following:

02-05.09.2011   Muchenje Safari Lodge, 4 nights

06-07.09.2011    Lebala Camp, 2 nights

08-10.09.2011    Lagoon Camp, 3 nights

11-13.09.2011      Little Kwara Camp, 3 nights

14-16.09.2011    Chief’s Camp,  3 nights

17-19.09.2011    Tau Pan Camp, 3 nights

 

Muchenje Safari Lodge

 

This time, we booked through an Austrian tour operator who recommended Muchenje Safari Lodge for the Chobe River Front. It was the most affordable option, so we stayed there for four nights. Initially, I didn’t have a clear understanding of the lodge’s exact location on the Chobe River banks.

 

 

Now, I’m familiar with nearly every camp and lodge in Botswana, and I know where they are situated. At that location, there are now three lodges: Muchenje Safari Lodge, Ngoma Safari Lodge from Machaba, and Chobe Elephant Camp from Bushways.

 

 

We explored Chobe National Park from the Ngoma gate, but the game viewing wasn’t particularly impressive, and I found that region to be less interesting. We didn’t spot any predators. At that time, there was an issue with the lion prides along the Chobe River Front. The dominant male lion couldn’t produce viable offspring, or they died quickly due to inbreeding or a similar problem. Later, new male lions were introduced to the region, and today there are about three large prides of healthy lions. One of these prides, consisting of around 20 lions, is frequently seen near the Serondela picnic site.

 

But back in 2011, it was a different story... Staying at the lodge for four nights turned out to be a bit monotonous. I also noticed that after three nights, we didn’t receive the same attention as when we first arrived, or as the new guests did. In hindsight, a three-night stay would have been ideal.

 

 

 

 

What for gear we had ... One of the cameras was Nikon D5000 with Sigma 150-500  

And sometimes we even had interesting pictures!  Like this Tower of Giraffes:

 

Or this one with another pattern:

 

Or a buffalo who is waiting for his cocktail:

 

Running giraffe:

 

Here are some road blocks:

 

 

 

 

 

The other camera was Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200/2.8 and 1.4x teleconverter. I had also a normal 24-70 lens.

Here are some buffalo portraits:

 

 

 

 

 

and giraffe portraits:

 

 

  

 

The lodge itself was pleasant, with a wooden deck overlooking the Chobe River where we enjoyed stunning sunsets. There was a waterhole near the lodge, and we were fortunate enough to spot sable antelopes there. The lodge also had a fitness centre, which Hans thoroughly enjoyed, spending hours exercising—a crucial highlight for him.

 

 

 

 

Day picture:

 

And in the morning:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The breakfast (or lunch?)

 

Guests were living in a small chalets. Each chalet had a terrace with a view on the Chobe river:

 

We could also see a waterhole from our terrace.

 

We also went down and took some selfies ;-)

 

 

I was captivated by the abundance of starlings at the lodge. I loved watching and photographing these colourful birds.

 

I was not a good wildlife photographer. But I was absolutely fascinated of wildlife and tried to do my best.

 

Zebra crossing

 

 

 

Sure, we had boat cruises as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishers from Namibian side:

 

Here is also a fisher:

 

A few more:

 

 

 

Elephants crossing the river:

 

Chobe river landscape:

 

Baboons meditating by sunset:

 

Since the lodge wasn’t located inside the park, we took a guided walk in the surrounding area one day. Everything was new to me, and my heart was full of joy. After some time observing impalas and sable antelopes, we found ourselves uncomfortably close to a group of dagga boys (old buffalo bulls). I was terrified, knowing their unpredictable temper.

 

 

Finding out the age of the elephant:

 

and here is a dagga boy:

 

Our guide, Nico, shared my interest in photography, which made the experience even more enjoyable.

 

 

Me at the Ngoma Gate (to the right - aa box of preservatives. empty):

 

In these early years I took some selfies because I was used or learnt to have a kind of reportage from the trip.

 

 

I still love to take photos of impala. I think, it is a veery gracious antelope.

 

Jackal finds a report boring. I agree ;-)

 

Nice memories! We were young! And in Paradise! (written on t-shirt ;-)

 

We also visited the local school and made some gifts for the kids.

 

But lets move to the next destination - Kwando Lebala!

 

 

[John M.]

@ElenaH Nothing wrong with your wildlife pics!  I like them very much. 

   I was in a mobile camp at Chobe in '96 and only visited a lodge to go on a boat cruise. Elephant sightings from the boat were enjoyable but wildlife viewing on land was nothing special.

[Geoff]

@ElenaHThere's some excellent images. I think the first giraffe image is exceptional. I also believe that the Chobe, Linyanti region has some of the best sunsets in Southern Africa and your images are proof of that.

[John M.]

   @ElenaH I didn't want to be unfair to the Chobe River area, so I went back to my files and found there were some nice sightings, mainly elephants, but my photography was not a patch on yours. We saw a lion pride, but lodge vehicles made a bit of a traffic jam. I don't think that annoyed us much probably because we were newcomers to safari, though our guide was critical of vehicles that got too close to animals. 

[soleson]

@ElenaH @John M.  The comments and pictures bring back the memories of my first ever safari, which happened to be at the Chobe riverfront in 2005.  While the on land wildlife sightings were not great, it fueled my love for Africa that still persists today.  I spent a few days along the riverfront, but further up from the busy area a few years later, and it was tremendous wildlife viewing.  So I guess it kinda depends on the time of year and luck as to whether or not the wildlife sightings is great or not.  But as you mentioned, Chobe is one of the most beautiful areas for sunset that I’ve ever seen.  Especially with the elephants grazing along the river.  Few shots from my first Safari are attached.  I obviously can’t match the photography skills of some of the others, but it sure brings back memories.

 

 

 

Edited August 19 by soleson

[pscrimshaw]

So fun to look back at old photos! I agree with others that the land based safaris in Chobe can definitely be a bit disappointing if you're used to the more abundant game sightings in other famous African parks. But nowadays photographing from a proper photo boat can make it one of the most productive photographic destinations in the world in my opinion. 

[ElenaH]

On 8/19/2024 at 6:41 AM, John M. said:

We saw a lion pride, but lodge vehicles made a bit of a traffic jam.

Interesting! What year it was? 

Before they introduced new male lions here was a problem with lion prides along the Chobe River Front.

[ElenaH]

17 hours ago, pscrimshaw said:

So fun to look back at old photos! I agree with others that the land based safaris in Chobe can definitely be a bit disappointing if you're used to the more abundant game sightings in other famous African parks. But nowadays photographing from a proper photo boat can make it one of the most productive photographic destinations in the world in my opinion. 

that's true! Nowadays there is a very good lion population along the Chobe River Front with about 3 lions prides! Last year we saw alo wild dogs there and some other tourists saw a leopard. So, it got much better in comparison to 2011.

[John M.]

@ElenaHIt was 1996. We saw just the one pride, one big male and a few lionesses walking alongside the road and being followed by several lodge vehicles. Our guide thought the lions had a kill nearby

   I plan to post some photos in my historical Chapter one soon. 

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful photos @ElenaH!

 

I find the discussion on predator densities interesting. I have unfortunately only been in the area once, and fairly close to the time of this trip (March 2012).

On land we saw both Lion and Leopard, and I felt this was the most productive area I had ever visited.

[ElenaH]

3 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

On land we saw both Lion and Leopard, and I felt this was the most productive area I had ever visited.

it is interesting!  I would never thought it back in 2011. We also didn't find leopard in Kwara in 2011, I will tell about it later in TR.

But in Lebala / Linyanti the sightings were good!

[ElenaH]

06-07.09.2011 Lebala Camp, Kwando Safaris, Linyanti area. My first Leopard!

 

a few pic during our flight to Lebala. Spectacular!

 

 

 

I vividly remember our arrival at Lebala Camp. The moment we arrived, I immediately recognized Balepi, or Bali, a guide from Little Kwara who had once found a pangolin for us. A year ago, I never imagined I would see him again—I thought my African adventures were over. But there we were, meeting him once more with great enthusiasm. Naturally, we wanted Bali to be our guide!

 

I also recall our first walk to the tent, where I noticed a hippo just a few meters away. That same hippo became our nightly visitor, grazing right in front of our tent. The sound was unlike anything I had ever heard before. I would lie awake, simply listening, and through the netting, I could see the hippo bathed in the moonlight.

 

The tent itself was airy and lovely, with an outdoor shower that I adored. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sundowner at Lebala. I think many of you know that baobab tree.

 

 

Breakfast at Lebala:

 

 

And dinner. Perhaps, you recognise somebody.

 

The landscapes here were so different from the Chobe River Front.

 

I told Bali that I had never seen a leopard or a cheetah and was eager to finally encounter one. And so, the search began.

 

Bali and the tracker, Mike, frequently got out of the vehicle, walking around to examine tracks again and again. After some time, we came across a fresh impala kill—evidence that a leopard was nearby. We settled in and waited for about an hour. Then, she appeared.

“Here’s your cat,” Bali said with a smile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was absolutely stunning—and very photogenic. She lay on a mound, relaxed and serene. I was in seventh heaven. To make things even better, she brought her cub! Though the cub was a bit skittish, I managed to capture some beautiful shots. We spent about two hours with those magnificent cats, and I felt like the happiest person in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love my mom ;-)

 

 

 

And here the mom reads a lesson to the kid (the tails in sync):

 

and again in sync:

 

 

 

 

They fed on a kill.

 

 

Then they went up the tree. Actually on two different trees and the cub hid itself completely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, we saw also other animals ;-)

 

 

 

 

and animals saw us:

 

 

 

I even took pictures of trees. They spring was coming ..

 

During one sundowner we met this giraffe who wanted to have a picture of him. He was very close to us and didn't want to leave ;-)

 

 

 

 

This picture I made using long exposure and a pocket torch. But for our manager Charles it looked very suspicious and he didn't stop to ask me how I did it 

It was Lebala. 

 

It was such a pity that we had only two nights at Lebala. In hindsight, three nights here and three at Muchenje would have been perfect instead of the two and four we had planned.

As I later discovered, Lebala Camp used to be the best Kwando camp for sightings.

If I remember it correctly Lebala means open plains.

 

 

 

[Scooter]

I recognized Charles right away!!!    I just LOVE Lebala camp.    Having lions in such abundance.   The big,  wide open spaces.       The colours you've captured in the grasses with this one last leopard shot!   Stunning.  Beautifully done.        Love the leopard and her cub, obscured by the grasses too.    It's as if they were in a photo studio,   and were instructed how to pose perfectly!   Just lean into mom.   A little bit more.... yup,  right there,  hold it......     Such moments are just so random,   and so fleeting.   You  grabbed it perfectly.   

[madaboutcheetah]

@ElenaHthat iconic baobab is long gone …. Taken down by elephants during an intense drought. It’s been many many years. 

[ElenaH]

20 hours ago, Scooter said:

I recognized Charles right away!!!    I just LOVE Lebala camp.    Having lions in such abundance.   The big,  wide open spaces.       The colours you've captured in the grasses with this one last leopard shot!   Stunning.  Beautifully done.        Love the leopard and her cub, obscured by the grasses too.    It's as if they were in a photo studio,   and were instructed how to pose perfectly!   Just lean into mom.   A little bit more.... yup,  right there,  hold it......     Such moments are just so random,   and so fleeting.   You  grabbed it perfectly.   

Thank you very much! Yes, I also like the photo of mama and cub in the grass, it has an intimacy, like if you were there unseen and took part in their life, as if you were that leopard cub...

[ElenaH]

18 hours ago, madaboutcheetah said:

that iconic baobab is long gone …. Taken down by elephants during an intense drought. It’s been many many years. 

Oh, I didn't know about it... Where is now the sundowner done?

[John M.]

@ElenaHThe leopard images are special. Of those with mother and cub close together in the grass, I think #1 is best. Of course, if a studio photographer took it, they would have removed the grass😁, and it wouldn't have looked half as good.

[madaboutcheetah]

9 hours ago, ElenaH said:

Oh, I didn't know about it... Where is now the sundowner done?

It’s a very big area with plenty of options for a sundowner …. my fav few in lebala in no particular order 1.) lechwe corner if I’m coming back from Half way pan area 2.) twin pools on the boundary with selinda ( strangler fig tree) if I’m going down south for the afternoon 3.) the lechwe jumping arena by BB spot not far from camp 4.) Kubu pan about 1km from camp

[John M.]

14 minutes ago, madaboutcheetah said:

It’s a very big area with plenty of options for a sundowner

 

   Agree. In my day, just about anywhere was good for sundowners. You're in the wilderness, the odd wild dog or hyena comes by and looks at you, and tells you to mind your own business😁 . Yes, it happened to us more than once.

 

 

[Alex The Lion]

@madaboutcheetah@John M.

 

Some of us are too hardcore to stop for Sundowners 

Edited August 26 by Alex The Lion

[John M.]

36 minutes ago, Alex The Lion said:

@madaboutcheetah@John M.

 

Some of use are too hardcore to stop for Sundowners 

🤣🤣

[madaboutcheetah]

7 hours ago, Alex The Lion said:

@madaboutcheetah@John M.

 

Some of use are too hardcore to stop for Sundowners 

 

I know!!!  If the lions or (whatever subjects)  are not waking up any time soon before light goes ....... I will just get a drink and a snack in the car and sit with them!! .... Or if the light is really good, I'd sometimes rush round the corner to see if i can find a giraffe or something else.  (or) sometimes just wind down with a sundowner  

[ElenaH]

08-10.09.2011 Lagoon Camp, Kwando Concession. Dogs!!

 

 

We had a road transfer to Lagoon Camp and met halfway by a small lake or lagoon with guests travelling to Lebala. At the camp, we were assigned the family tent, number one, which was conveniently close to the main deck. I loved the setup—the spacious rooms and thoughtful decorations. Naturally, I snapped some pictures right away.

 

 

 

 

As soon as we left the camp for our first afternoon drive, we encountered a large lioness with sad eyes. 

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t long before we stumbled upon a pack of wild dogs! At that time, such sightings were rare.

 

 

 

 

We not only got to see these amazing animals but also witnessed them moving their puppies to a new den. We followed them closely and watched as they started to dig in a new spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We left the dogs for a sundowner, soaking a special safari gin-and-tonic atmosphere and purple colours. 

 

 

 

 

The following morning was equally captivating. It was the ninth of September, and the chill in the air was unmistakable, especially if you were traveling in an open vehicle.

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of vehicles, back then, Lagoon Camp still used the old Toyota URI cars, which could maneuver effortlessly through the thickest bush. Our guide, Mohali, was an incredible driver, like a Formula-1 racer, navigating the terrain with skill.

 

 

 

We warmed up by observing some general game. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the beautiful morning light faded, we paused for a cup of coffee. 

 

 

 

In the afternoon, we set off on a boat cruise. Yes, back then, water activities were still an option. While we didn’t see many thrilling wildlife moments on the water, the sunset was absolutely stunning. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I returned to camp early enough to capture some blue-hour shots of the camp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day was all about the wild dogs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pack consisted of nine puppies and eleven adults.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember being late to the den once, missing the interactions when the adults returned from hunting. However, the following morning, we tracked the dogs all the way to a fresh kill. Mohali then raced through the bush, anticipating the dogs would head back to the den soon. We arrived even earlier than the dogs! I’ll never forget that exhilarating ride. We weren’t just sitting—we were standing, knees bent, gripping the car’s frame to brace against the jarring bumps. It felt more like flying than driving! That was the URI for you. We were ecstatic—we had made it in time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was our first time observing the complex social behavior of wild dogs up close.

 

And now, here's a well-deserved cup of coffee.

 

 

A very nice Tower (of curious giraffes):

 

and a solo:

 

 

a curious steenbock:

 

and an elephant portrait:

 

So was Lagoon in 2011. Next stop - Little Kwara.

 

 

 

[Ginny]

@ElenaH Your photographs were as terrific then as they are now.

Just curious....who did the digging for the den...the Mom, all the dogs, or just a few?

I also loved Lagoon.

[madaboutcheetah]

Loved your last segment @ElenaH..... Good to see the puppies from that 2011 den. Nice to see Aaron, your tracker .... I don't remember the guide you mention, however.  Seems like you missed the 3 male coalition cheetah in Lagoon/Lebala?  They were in their prime during that period killing very large prey every couple of days. 

Look forward to the next bunch of photos...