Safari in the Kalahari

Well well well, it has been quite a week for the Botswana ’18 crew.  Yesterday we returned from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and are staying for two nights in Maun at Camp Kitso.

About our recent adventure:

The CKGR is enormous, so much so that we were only able to explore the northernmost portion of the reserve.  The region is patterned with valleys formed by ancient sand dunes, which has resulted in a huge compositional diversity of vegetation.  Some valleys were dense with tall grass and thick shrubs, while others were seemingly endless expanses of short grass.

For three days we drove around looking for Kalahari wildlife.  Springbok, gemsbok, and steenbok (aka the three ‘boks), were very common.  We were all amazed by the beauty of the gemsbok, or oryx, the agility of the springbok, and the large, black eyes of the tiny steenbok, which looked at us with surprise whenever we drove past them.  We also saw honey badgers, black-backed jackals, and bat-eared foxes.  Everyone was amused by the ground squirrels, which squatted with their little beer bellies, eating the grass that surrounded their burrows. 

All of us saw giraffes and we felt very small when we drove near them. 

To top it off, a handful of us were fortunate enough to see a Kalahari lioness walk purposefully across the savanna to greet her two adolescent cubs.  She passed within 5 feet of the vehicle, and we were in awe of her presence and strength. 

Yesterday was our TA Francisco’s birthday.  We celebrated his 25th with chocolate cake and plenty of laughter.

We’re off to Khwai, where we’ll be able to tour the Okavango delta for the next four days! 

Springbok walking with gemsbok in the background

Springbok males fighting.

Lioness walking across the savanna.