My Luxury Safari in Botswana
Day 2: Chobe Game Lodge
It was just getting light as I clambered into the luxury 4WD jeep waiting outside my lodge, the Chobe Game Lodge in Chobe National Park. The early morning chill was combatted by the provision of fluffy blankets. Thrilled at the thought of seeing lots of wildlife for which Botswana is famous it had not been too difficult to part from my comfortable bed in the luxury lodge five-star lodge where I was staying.
We were one of the first jeeps to start exploring the park as Chobe Game Lodge is the only lodge inside the park – the only other jeeps were from their fleet. It was not long before a pride of lions was spotted in the shade of the tree. A recent kill had provided a hearty breakfast and some were still eating while those replete with food had moved from the shade to enjoy the sun that had just appeared over the horizon.
After a while our guides – we had two – indicated we should move on. Word had gone out that a kill was imminent. Tense with excitement I scanned the area around me. I soon spotted a herd of buffalo moving across the horizon. Behind them no less that six lionesses were following in a semi-circle. The lionesses hunt, not because the lions are too lazy, but because they don’t have manes which are easily spotted by prey.
As I watched the deadly manoeuvres happening across the plain, I noticed another spectator. A black backed jackal was sitting a safe distance away from the action and no doubt licking his lips in anticipation of a meal on the remains of the kill when the lions had finished with it.
Suddenly, the chase was on. The lionesses had moved in and the buffaloes were in flight mode. A cloud of dust swirled around them but not so dense I could not see the actual kill as the lionesses pounced on one single buffalo that had been left behind the others.
Only two of the lionesses, joined by a lion, settled down to devour some fresh buffalo meat.
The other lionesses re-grouped and began stalking the buffalo herd once more. After all, they had a large pride to feed including a lot of youngsters. This time their task was not so easy as the buffaloes were fighting back, chasing away any lionesses that got too close. We continued to watch for a while and then our guides indicated that etiquette demanded we make way for some other jeeps that had just arrived. Time to move on and see what else was going on in Chobe National Park.
Excerpt from my diary of a journey through Botswana with Desert & Delta Safaris
Valery Collins is the Experienced Traveller . An excellent raconteur, Valery has been writing about her experiences on the road since she started travelling 28 years ago. After publishing four books she turned to online travel writing.