Sunday, June 15, 2025

Lions and cheetahs at Xukanaxa


Female waterbuck

We were awakened at 5:30 on Father’s Day by a nearby lion roaring. We dressed and had our morning beverages before our guide, GB, came to escort us to breakfast at 6 am. There was a good selection of locally made bread, sliced meats, cold cereals and hot porridge. Mark, Cindy, Gav, Mel, Mary and I were in the Land Cruiser with GB by 6:45. We drove over to a camping area to watch sunrise and saw a lot of elephant footprints along the road. We drove through a part of the park that we hadn’t visited on Friday or Saturday. We saw a family of warthogs, many impala, giraffes, lechwe, and elephants. One bull elephant became impatient with us and trumpeted before coming at us. Fortunately, GB was able to get the truck out of the way. We were impressed by a male and female waterbuck moving through the underbrush. These animals are larger than most of the hoofed animals that we have seen here and are best identified by a white circle on their rear.

Helmeted guineafowl

GB decided to take us by the recently killed Cape buffalo that we saw yesterday. It appeared that the buffalo had only been partially eaten yesterday and the lions should still be nearby to continue eating the dead animal. Along the way, we passed several flocks of helmeted Guineafowl. These birds are often kept as domestic barnyard fowl in the US although they tend to remain somewhat wild. Large flocks of Guineafowl are found throughout their native range in Central Africa. When we arrived the entrails of the buffalo had been eaten since yesterday, but we were unable to see the lions who were probably nearby sleeping off the meal. A radio call came through that a leopards was spotted about a 30-minute ride from us, so we left quickly heading for the last place it were seen. GB drove through quickly the bumpy roads in the savanna and got us to the area where it was last seen. Circling vultures told us that a kill was nearby. Thanks to GB’s driving, we found the leopard in less than 20 minutes after we left the buffalo carcass While we watched the leopard, a small herd of impala and a few wildebeest approached until they scented the leopard. A jackal kept a respectful distance from the relaxing leopard.  We were impressed by the power of leopards, not only to catch and take down large game animals bit to hold the prey animal in their teeth and climb a tree.  A leopard will cache an impala or similar game high in a tree to protect the kill from hyenas and jackals.

Leopard

We pulled over near a pond where we watched four hippos, three crocodiles and many impalas, wildebeest and birds. GB prepared tea and a snack for us as we relaxed by the pond.

As we left the pond, we spotted a large female lion crouching on a bank. When we approached and looked through binoculars, we saw that there were two adult lionesses and a young adult male lion. GB alerted other guides in the area of the find as we photographed the three lions basking in the sun. About the time we were leaving, a radio call came that two male cheetahs were near us, so we took off and found them reclining in a shady spot with full stomachs. We took a lot of photos of them before starting back toward Camp Xakanaxa.

Preparing an elegant bush lunch



Just before arriving at the camp, we caught the smell of someone barbecuing. It turns out that the camp staff had prepared a surprise meal outside for us. There was a table set up outside and the staff was grilling chicken wings and beef sausages. We had rolls, salads and a choice of wines, beer or mixed drinks with lunch. The staff sang traditional tribal songs and danced while we were served lunch.

Traditional songs and dance before lunch

We came back to camp happy to find that we did not have baboons and vervet monkeys all over our tents. We relaxed as we read and dozed before our afternoon game drive. As always, tea here is served at 3 pm and the game drive is at 3:30.


Baboon





High tea was vegetable mini pizzas, fruit bars and a selection of fresh fruits. GB met us at 3:15 and said that we would have a low impact leisurely drive in the park. We went through an area with a number of birds, then we stopped to watch a band of baboons crossing the road. We saw a few Nile crocodiles, one of which was over 18 feet long. A slender mongoose, small species of mongoose, was climbing a tree. We asked GB lots of questions about the local plants that we have been seeing. Cindy also asked about many of the birds. Mary, Cindy and Mel checked off animals and plants that we have seen over the past three days. As we drove, GB heard on the radio that there were cheetahs visible again, so we drove the short distance to where two male cheetahs were resting in the shade of a termite mound. We took several photos then continued toward Camp Xakanaxa. 

Happy hour drinks and snacks

GB stopped at a pond where we saw crocodiles, hippos and vervet monkeys. GB served happy hour from a rack on the Land Cruiser at the edge of pond. The gin and tonic with (rusk) shortbread made a very happy hour watching African wildlife. We have become very fond of the local Okavango Gin along with Fitch and Leeds Indian Tonic. Vervet monkeys played all around us then went into trees to spend the night. We watched sundown as we enjoyed our drinks and snacks then returned to the camp.

Bushbuck

As we walked through the camp we saw that a bushbuck had entered the area and was grazing in the camp. It just made us think of the game Bushbuck Charms, Viking Ships and Dodo Eggs that Sarah and Emily used to play as children. The bushbuck was a full-grown adult but resembled a young deer.

When we entered our tent, we saw that our laundry had been returned, clean, dry and folded. The room has been straightened, and the mosquito netting had been lowered around the bed. Laundry at the camps is considered a “bush laundry” which is hand washed without a machine, line dried, and ironed.

Oscar the hippo

We were escorted to dinner at 7 pm where we sat at the fire pit and visited with the ladies from California who were on the flight from Maun with us. They had just arrived from their camp in the Okavango Delta. We were interested in hearing about their experiences since we would be going near there for our next camp. At dinner, we met a nice couple from London who just arrived this evening. As I was leaving our tent for dinner, I hooked my watch on the tent and lost a pin holding the watch to the strap. I was aggravated since I like to wear an analog watch when I am out in bright sunlight. Digital watches are not as easy to read in bright conditions. We searched for the pin all around the tent entrance with no success.

Dinner included beef filets, chicken thighs, pasta salad, garden salad and a creamed spinach casserole. The appetizer was butternut squash soup and dessert was chocolate pudding with coffee ice cream. Everything was excellent and the dinner conversation was fun.

We look forward to tomorrow morning’s game drive before we fly out to the next camp at midday.


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