On Safari

So you ask, what does one do on Safari?  Well, first and foremost, "Safari" does not mean hunting,  or sightseeing.  In Swahili, it means"long journey," be it by land, sea, or air.  By the time we reached Deception Valley, we'd already been on a bit of a journey, mostly by air.  We were about to experience a completely different kind, and pace, in this next part of our journey.  First, we were up with the sun, to capture the animals when they were either just waking, or just going to sleep, depending on who we were talking about.  Second, instead of flying at 130 nautical miles per hour, we were driving at about a walking pace. 


From the air, the Kalahari looked pretty desolate, without much in the way of vegetation.  From the ground, it was a completely different story.  Our trip, which was in May and early June, was in late fall,  just after the summer rains, so the bush had not yet died off and was reasonably thick.  The variety of vegetation was also pretty diverse, with several kinds of grasses.  

Where's the lion?

The thick bush made it very difficult to see the animals, but the carnivores in particular were tough to spot, even when they were reasonably close to the road.  Without the guides and trackers we would have driven right by them without even realizing that they were there.  That adaptation thing that Darwin went on about was on full display here.  All of the animals really did blend in with their surroundings really effectively.

As I said in other posts, we were extremely fortunate (and probably also really lucky) as we saw both leopard and lion (including five cubs) during our stay at Deception Valley.  I've shown you pictures of the lion, before, but I am compelled  to show them again.  (I took 1,700 pictures, you are going to have to bear with me.)  This set of shots is new, so you shouldn't find yourself too terribly bored with them....I know that I haven't yet.   

The light in this part of the world is unbelievable. The early morning and late afternoon is bathed with a golden color that is pure magic.

Add lion cubs and it feels like you are in the middle of your own private movie.  These little rascals were 5 months old and full of spit and vinegar.  They were also a handful.  Poor Mom never got a break.  It seemed like they were constantly on her or at her in one way or another.

Even with all of that cuteness on display, it didn't take long to be reminded that these cubs are carnivores, with lot of pointy teeth and sharp claws.  If the cub's display of dental work wasn't reminder enough to keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times, Mom's bigger teeth really made the case.

Keep your hands inside the vehicle

As I mentioned before, we also saw a leopard during our stay at Deception Valley.  We interrupted her hunt and, rightly, she was pretty cross with us about that.  As Jacu, the proprietor and guide told us, leopard are very patient hunters.  Chote (pronounced Cho-Tay) the Bushman guide/tracker sighted her as she was waiting for a Springbok.  The antelope saw (or maybe more rightly heard) us coming and bolted, leaving our leopard with no breakfast and a group of tourists in a truck following her through the bush for a while.   Jacu said that he feels a bit guilty about potentially causing any animal to go hungry, but then again, all of the animals at Deception Valley are free to roam on and off the 17,000 hectacre property at any time.  And, there is absolutely no hunting on the property, so he views the picture taking and the Land Rover pursuit as a form of rent. It's hard to say what the animals think about it.  The lion cubs seemed pretty non-plused by our presence.  The leopard on the other hand looked pretty torqued off, in that cat-like way in which you know you could pay for it later. It was probably good that she didn't know exactly where we were sleeping.

Even when you know she's there, she's hard to see.

The carnivores always get all of the attention, on the game drives.  They are always the thing that people ask to see first...and they are beautiful, but they are not the only thing to see.  The DeceptionValley property had a variety of antelope: Kudu, Springok, Wildebeest and Eland to name a few.  They also had Zebra and Giraffe (which we didn't see), Warthog and Porcupine.  Many of these animals came to the water hole just in front of the lodge for a drink, so after the morning drive, all we had to do was sit, drink our tea, and watch.

Kudu and Zebra

Kudu

There was also abundant bird life.  Not one of us came with any birdwatching skills, although that would change later in the trip.  But for now, we marveled at the home-building prowess of the Weaver Birds and the watchful eyes of the Vulture, who was waiting for the thermals to build before taking off from his high perch.   Apparently his huge wings create lots of lift, but they really can't help him to take off without some help.

 As I may have mentioned in my prior posts, the lodge was really comfortable, handling pretty much everything that we might want, including all meals, sun downer cocktails after the evening game drives and even our laundry.  We were definitely well cared for.  

All that said, we were treated with an unexpected and special experience late in the afternoon on the second day.  And, that, will need to wait for another post.  For now, I will leave you with more lions, just to keep you coming back!

This is the light I was talking about.  Amazing, isn't it?