XAKANAXA NEWS
- September 2011
A near 'deadly experience'
with thanks to Barbara Cantle well known Maun artist for the sketch!
Last Thursday morning, a game warden left the door to the Wildlife Office open so the cleaner could enter. He set off to transport a group of Councillors to the boat station. A while later a group of over landers, stopped at the building to read the game sightings board – LUCKILY, they did not get out of their vehicles and to their amazement a few minutes later, two large male lions and a lioness sauntered past straight through the door into the Wildlife Office (perhaps their permits where overdue!!). Fortunately, the overlanders decided to ‘hang’ around, as a bit later the local cleaning lady appeared mop, broom, bucket and all, to do her daily clean of the offices! After much shouting and waving (the over landers were foreigners) they managed to get her attention and in the nick of time into their vehicle, as the lioness wondered out of the office!!
The lioness then proceeded to relax under a tree at the back of the building, causing a bit of consternation as the plan was to chase the lions from the office out the back door. Luckily this was achieved without her ‘blinking an eye’ and the guides shut the front door and started banging on the windows and door to chase the males out the back! Totally unconcerned the two males eventually sauntered out into the bush and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but not too deeply as they hung around the office for another day or so!
Game sightings in August have been exceptional, in particular where the water has pushed through into areas which haven’t seen water in years. An amazing site was a hippo pool with 40 hippo and a few out of the water. Large herds of about 50-70 impala, smaller herds of waterbuck, zebra, tssessbe, elephant, kudu, wildebeest, lechwe. Interesting sighting of side striped jackal eating jackal berries, reedbuck, a spotted grass snake crossing the road. Groups of warthog, giraffe, vervet monkeys, were viewed often. Other sightings included; An African Wild Cat seen during the day, which is very unusual, Cheetah on an impala kill, lions, hyena, and a honey badger visiting the camp for a day or so, much to the delight of guests. There have been numerous leopard sightings and also wild dog with four pups.
Birds have been just as numerous with secretary birds, wattled crane, ground hornbills, fish eagles, yellow billed ducks, francolin with chicks, Egyptian geese with small babies and herons, to name a few.
We are so pleased that Veronica Roodt is back in Botswana and assisting the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and the staff, look forward to attending her Training Classes early next year. We spent a day with her. It was extremely interesting to observe how they do mapping using a GPS and Satellite images.
Have a look at her site: http://www.botswana-maps.co.za/About.php
Newsletter Archive
January/ February 2012 :: February 2012 :: view
Veronica Roodt in Moremi Game Reserve :: December 2011 :: view
CAUSE AN UPROAR! :: November 2011 :: view
New Xakanaxa representation :: October 2011 :: view
A near 'deadly experience' :: September 2011 :: view
Returning migrant birds and hippos in camp :: August 2011 :: view
Rising water, stargazing and aborted landings! :: July 2011 :: view
Sable, baboons, Pels and leopard :: June 2011 :: view
Lion, wild dog, leopard and cheetah :: May 2011 :: view
A new pool, sitatungas and cheetah :: April 2011 :: view
