Clik here to view.
A different kind of line-fishing
When this female pied kingfisher dived into the waters of the Savuti Channel to catch a small fish, she got a bit of a surprise. As can be seen in the picture, the bird managed to grab the tiny fish,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Leopard behaviour – Information technology
It is quite fascinating to follow a big cat when they are on a territorial patrol. Last month I was able to watch the Dumatau male leopard as he went about on an early morning patrol. He is one of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who is following the sardine run?
This week’s blog post comes once again from the Wild Coast in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. The annual sardine migration that takes place here is happening as I write, so I thought I would describe some...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Deadly Game
Working with Andy Biggs on one of his special interest photographic safaris in Botswana, Grant Atkinson and fellow trip leader and photographer James Weis were lucky enough to be witness to this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Little Leopard Learns a Big Lesson
A female leopard that we see quite often killed an impala close to Savuti camp. After a couple of hours of feeding, she moved off for a while, only to return with her subadult female cub in tow. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Pack Is Back!
The Linyanti concession area in northern Botswana, where Savuti Bush camp is situated, has a successful population of African wild dogs. Every year, sometime around the end of May, the wild dogs...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Upsizing The Meal
African wild dogs are big predators of impala in most areas where the ranges of the two species overlap. Whilst the average impala will feed a small pack of dogs for a day, larger packs need more...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Power of the Pack
I was on a game drive out of Chitabe camp when we came across an intriguing interaction that took place between the local wild dog pack and their pups, and a young female leopard. The dogs had killed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Warthog Hunt
In northern Botswana, the rainy season is the time when many animals have their babies. The carnivores of the area know this, and will often concentrate their efforts on catching these young animals....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Savuti wild dog encounter – one for all and all for one
We were following a pack of wild dogs to the north of Savuti camp on a late October afternoon. We know this pack as the Zib pack, their name coming from a local name for a nearby lagoon. The dogs had...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My best leopard sighting ever
As it seems that many of the folk who read my blog enjoy reading about leopards, I thought I would share a particularly interesting sighting I had a few years ago. I was guiding out of Chitabe camp...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wildlife Watching – please be patient
I am not writing this week’s post from the bush in Botswana but from the Eastern Cape coast in South Africa, where I am on vacation with family and friends. Every year, between June and July, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who is following the sardine run?
This week’s blog post comes once again from the Wild Coast in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. The annual sardine migration that takes place here is happening as I write, so I thought I would describe...
View ArticleClik here to view.
One lion, many habitats
Lions are one of my favourite animals (I have a few) but one of the reasons that I find lions interesting is their adaptability. The diverse habitats that are found in Botswana illustrate this well....
View ArticleClik here to view.
A year in the life of an impala
Impala are one of the most common antelope found over much of Southern Africa. This is a good thing, as they are vital components of the ecosystems that they inhabit. One of the important roles they...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Of water, trees and nutrients
This year the Okavango River is carrying more water than it has for many years. On a recent flight over the Delta I was struck by the impact the high water levels are having on trees. Much of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mother leopards
Spare a thought for female leopards, and some of the challenges they face in their lives. Leopards are for much of their lives, solitary creatures. Adult male leopards only spend brief periods...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Whatever happened to the lionesses with manes
A few months ago I posted a story with pictures about female lions with manes. The lionesses I wrote of were all seen at Mombo, in the Okavango Delta. Since then I have visited Mombo again, and was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Respect those old bulls
Whilst on a recent visit to Seba Camp in the Okavango, I spent some time with Kate Evans and Simon Buckingham. Together they run the charity Elephants for Africa, which supports the research project...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Other Side
These days the Savuti channel plays a major role in the lives of the animals that live alongside it. For the lions of Savuti, the channel provides ample drinking water. On the other hand, the rising...
View Article
