Both groups have large numbers of individuals and both also have good number of babies which provides interesting interactions all the time. The Kwitonda group has some very interesting dynamics with 3 silverbacks at the moment, which also provides for some exciting viewing.
We managed on both days to get very close to the gorillas, on one occasion we were boxed in to the thick vegetation with a youngster sitting very close by watching with interest our attempts to maintain the required 7 metre distance.
We then flew south to Botswana, with 3 nights on Chiefs Island at Mombo camp. I hadn't been into the camp for a while, in fact my last time there was when we were sent in to help with the new camp construction.
It was good to be back and also good to see how much the area had changed with such high water. The flood was the highest it had been for many years and as such we had some restrictions as to the areas we could access. We only saw one of the resident lion prides; although we heard some of the others.
Despite our best efforts, we failed to find a leopard but enjoyed a very new born elephant, it was still pink behind the ears and very fluffy! The last remaining wild dog in the Mombo area put on a great show with her surrogate pack of black-backed jackals. It was amazing to witness this very unusual behaviour, and also to see it first hand after hearing and reading all about it.
Another highlight, on our last evening after a rather long afternoon searching for leopard, was an Aardwolf, not something you see everyday and certainly hardly ever get a chance to get a picture of...
Our flight out was very early in the morning; and while departures are not my favourite, it was stunning with the dawn light and the dust from the prop-wash.
0 comments:
Post a Comment