XAKANAXA NEWS
- July 2011
Rising water, stargazing and aborted landings!
Water is still rising and we had a report yesterday that it is expected to do so up until September. Environmentalists are of the opinion that Botswana is now in a natural wet cycle which will probably last until 2020. Unfortunately this does play havoc with the road infrastructure in the Moremi, with the roads becoming very muddy and sometimes submerged! However this doesn’t seem to be affecting the game viewing…
The Elephants have arrived by the hundreds and even though there are quiet a few babies amongst the herds, they are ‘very’ tolerant of the cars giving guests great photo opportunities. However, the pilots of the local air charter companies are not so impressed, as occasionally they have had to abort landings and take offs as the herds meander casually across the airstrip feeding!
Wild dog sightings have been exceptional - stealing kills from leopard, chasing a female and her cub up a tree and proceeding to eat her kill, plus making more kills! All dogs are fit, really nicely marked and in good health.
Lion and leopard have been highly vocal during the night and early mornings and with our local hippo population around camp (noisy eaters and movers), guests have been treated to the real sounds of Africa (not sure if this is appreciated as it does tend to wake one up at night!).
An amusing sighting, after Lions had brought down a buffalo and the males were eating inside the carcass – it looked like the buffalo was giving birth to a lion!!
Cheetah’ have been seen, but mostly lying around.
In the areas where the water is covering the roads , birding is at an all-time high, Egyptian geese, knob-billed ducks and egrets storks to name a few. The Heronry is still not active, but we are sure it is because of the cold and will become active the closer we move towards spring and summer! Unfortunately the usual owl population one sees around the camp has been noticeablyabsent and the eagle sightings have been surprisingly poor for this time of year!
Star gazing in July has been a bit of a damp squib - so cold. Not much exciting stuff through our ‘resident’ telescope. However, fabulous 'gazing' was had off iPads, which a few members of the Griffen Group had brought with them. They held the iPad up to the sky and everything lit up on the screen!! When one clicks on the star/object you want, it is magnified with a short write up on it - brilliant. Zodiac constellations even had the shape in the background so that one could 'see' what it was instead of having to 'imagine' the shape. One can even point the iPad down to one’s feet and see what is on the other side of the globe! Definitely something worth taking along if you are keen star gazer!!
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
