Chobe National Park - Day 11

Expect the unexpected, a dead elephant loaded on the back of a truck. 

We were a bit later than expected to start thanks to having breakfast in the campsite and last minute packing but we were still on the road just after 6.30am.

Chobe National Park - Day 10

The legendary elephants of the Chobe river. 

Since we'd were going into the park for the last day, we were up as usual before sunrise and ready to go soon after. We were dropping Sudesh off on the way to the park for him to pick up a guide and head to Maun to continue his adventure.

Chobe National Park - Day 9

Zebs on the flood plain. They seem to only hangout close to Ihaha. 

Today we leave Chabe National park so packed up and ready to go at 5.40 in the hopes of catching the resident leopard and her sub-adult cubs. She was elusive though so we changed tactics to follow up in the lions near to camp that had been roaring in the night.

Chobe National Park - Day 8

Yellow Billed Ox-pecker

Ready to go by 5.45am, we headed out of Ihaha and on to the plain. We hit paydirt quickly when we spotted 2 lionesses coming from the Chobe River channel after drinking, literally next to the camp site!

Chobe National Park - Day 7

Finding this guy around twin hills was pure magic!

We had a long drive ahead of us, out the Ghoha gate and re-enter the park through Ngoma gate but the priority was a morning game drive before leaving Savuti. So we headed straight to the elephant carcass in the hopes that the lions were feeding.

Chobe National Park - Day 6

The Lilac Breaster Roller kept us going waiting for the Leopard to arrive. 

Despite the roaring lions and kudu barking early in the morning, it was straight to the leopard sighting from the day before with the idea to just check on it before focusing on the lion cubs of the Marsh pride. The choice of chasing that 5 minutes away against a Leopard that is 45 minutes away! We went for the Leopard on the outside chance of the Marsh pride which had cubs.

Chobe National Park - Day 5

This guy had huge issues with the Northern pride on his doorstep.

We were up at 5.20 to get going by 6am and don't water valuable first light by fiddling around, just get out. As self drivers, it's critical you pick up as much intel of the night activities to work out where the predators are moving. The lions had roared the whole night and had not moved going by the roars. A Honey Badger had got in and emptied our bin! Just cannot keep these guys out no matter what.

Chobe National Park - Day 4

Always air down on bush tracks to ensure you don't dig up the track.

It took a while to get going but eventually we left Sitatunga around 7am and started the long trek to Savute. It took 3 hours on the sometimes corrugated, sometimes sandy road to finally get to the Mababe gate. The road to Mababe has long stretched of soft sand which is not a problem provided you have you have aired down and engaged 4x4.

Chobe National Park - Day 3

Campsite #5, good stand with a nice tree, we are set to hit the road north to Maun. 

An early start for us to get in a morning game drive before leaving. We did a round through the park but as expected there wasn't too much around. We have seen both Hyena and Leopard tracks at Kharma, but this place is about the Rhinos. There are Giraffe, Zebra and other game about including Impala and Springbok appearing in the same place.

Chobe National Park - Day 2

The Gaborone - Francistown road is always busy, a 5 donkey powered cart taking
it's position on an unexpectedly cloudy start of a long trip north.  

It was a gloomy morning when we finally left around 9am headed for the Rhino Sanctuary in Serowe, but luckily it wasn't too far a drive to our spot for the night.