Back In The Okavango Delta - 04:26 pm

01 Mar 2010

We have left Savute and are now back in the Okavango Delta.  It is a real change of scenery to the open marsh of Savute with thick, dense foliage and a serious amount of water on the ground everywhere!

Our main aim is to hunt down our regular pride of Lions (Panthera leo).  We are unsure as to what the Xakanaxa pride has been up to in our absence as the thick, dense foliage present at this time of year has meant that the resident lodge guides have really battled to find them.  As soon as the film camp was sorted and all our luggage unpacked we headed straight off to see if we could locate the Lions.  However, things did not start off quite as we planned as within minutes of leaving camp we were stuck in the boggy ground.  Very stuck!!

Half an hour later, with logs piled underneath the sunken wheel and a serious amount of high lift jack work, Brad calmly reversed the vehicle out of the hole and we cautiously navigated our way off.  If there was one lesson I learned from this it was to not panic and to keep thinking rationally.  Brad goes through this sort of thing on a daily basis and it is just part of his job (in a strange way he almost seems to enjoy the process of getting out of a sticky situation like this).  Anyway, once back on track we started scouring the bush for the elusive Xakanaxa pride of Lions.  After an hour or so we got a call on the radio from some of the guides at Camp Moremi (the Desert and Delta lodge close to our film camp).  Apparently they had seen two lionesses that were eating from a fresh Giraffe (Girrafa camelopardalis) kill quite close by.  Could these be our Lions?  Could there have been a major upset in the Xakanaxa pride structure in our absence?

As we closed in on the apparent location of the kill it became obvious that we were in the right place.  At least 15 hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) could be seen resting high in the trees around one small clump of dense bush.  This is a major indication of their being a kill close by and we quickly located the lionesses.

They were tucked away, fairly deep into the bush.  Initially we were sure that these were two of the adult Xakanaxa lionesses but on closer inspection we came to the conclusion that they were not as they were slightly larger.  They were obviously very full after gorging themselves on the juvenile Giraffe they had killed but they definitely looked like they could also be quite heavily pregnant. They appeared to have a very close bond and were very amicable to each other, even when feeding.

As the afternoon wore on their was a stunning, dappled golden light filtering down through the foliage making for some very intricate imagery.  It is unfortunate that we are still unsure of the location of the Xakanaxa pride but will be focusing on catching up with them over the next few days.

We are fighting the elements a little here in Moremi and the water appears to be rising fast.  I know there is a huge debate going on at the moment regarding climate change and global warning but seeing the changes that have happened here in Botswana this year (such as the Savute marsh being flooded and the incredible amount of water on the ground here in Moremi) you can’t help wonder if there are some serious changes to the climate happening right under our noses and at quite an incredible speed.

- Chris Harries

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Carmine Bee-eaters - 02:46 pm

26 Feb 2010

For me, one of the most fantastic experiences to be had in Savute is with a small crimson bird.  The Carmine Bee-eater (Merops nubicoides).  These medium sized insectivores can be seen in quite large numbers on the marsh where the environment is perfect for them to perch up high, spotting insects with their incredibly sharp vision and swooping down to either pick them out of the grass or pluck them from the air

Another strategy employed by these bee-eaters is to follow almost anything that is traveling through the long grass, picking off any insects that are flushed out of the grass.  We regularly see them following Elephants (Loxodonta africana), Ostriches (Struthio camelus), and Kori bustards (Ardeotis kori) but they are also very fond of following our vehicle.  This makes for some quite extraordinary photographic opportunities as they will fly right next to the filming truck, matching its speed so they appear stationary in the air before suddenly swooping off to the side or even right in front of the vehicle to pick off any tasty morsels.

Their aerial agility really is quite incredible, they will hover, swoop and dive and often appear in quite substantial numbers which leads to a lot of squabbling whilst on the wing.

After spending quite a few hours surrounded by this cacophony of carmine there is one thing that is really puzzling me. 

Carmine Bee-eaters can pick up the tiniest movement when traveling at great speed, react to it and successfully pluck an insect out of the air at the last moment.  The only way I think they can achieve this is if they perceive time in a completely different way to us humans.  As a species we need a minimum of 25 still images to be displayed to us a second for us to see smooth motion (ie 25 frames a second, as in the Earth-Touch podcasts).  I am sure these birds must process visual information at a much faster rate.  The newest generation of superslow motion HD video cameras (such as the Phantom HD) film at about 2000 frames a second, I wonder if this is how these birds perceive the world..Effectively living life in super slow motion??  Answers on a postcard!?

- Chris Harries

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Savute Rocks - 08:20 pm

23 Feb 2010

It’s official...The Savute channel has finally hit the marsh here after a 30 year absence! This region has been devoid of water for the past 3 decades so the flowing of the Savute channel is quite a historical moment.  As such, I feel it deserves a little bit of background information.

Approximately 130,000 years ago this whole region of Botswana was completely submerged underwater.  The Makgadikgadi mega-lakes immersed a vast area stretching from what is now the Okavango delta, 400km west to the far side of the Makgadikgadi salt pans.  It is thought that the unique environments of the Okavango delta, The Savute marsh system, the Kalahari desert and the Makgadikgadi salt pans all owe their existence to this once great lake.  On the image below you can clearly see the Okavango delta at the top left and the Makgadikgadi salt pans at the bottom right.  As an idea of scale the Okavango delta stretches for just over 300km!

Image courtesy of NASA visible earth

The topography of the land here at Savute initially looks like fairly normal Botswanan bush.  However, on closer inspection you can see some strange features such as a huge sand ridge stretching around the reserve and strange rocky outcrops dotted in a fairly regular north-easterly direction.  The sand ridge is the former shore of the lake and the outcrops are former islands in the Makgadikgadi mega-lakes, their east sides are steep rock faces whereas the western side slopes gently towards the ground.  The reason for this difference in morphology is due to the waves that once crashed against their eastern sides, smashing the rocks and speeding up the erosion process (see map below for an example)

View Larger Map

We decided to head over to one of these unique outcrops (known locally as Koppies) to see if there was anything interesting to be found.  Below is the view from the top of one of these micro-mountains.  You really get an idea of how flat the landscape is and how unsual it is to have an elevated view of this place.

The rocks that cover the steep easterly side of the koppies are clearly formed by underwater volcanic activity and are covered in small ridges which appear to have a regularly spaced geometric pattern.  Initially I thought that these patterns could have been caused by either waves or tidal action on the rocks over geological time but after finding another set of large stones covered in tightly packed concentric rings I figured that they are more likely to do with the highly ferrous structure of the rocks causing them to align with magnetic fields when they were formed.

Besides the historical weathering of these koppies due to the ancestral super-lake there is also strong evidence of current day erosion due to water.  They actually appear to be hollow and probably have a cave system within where water either drains in from the top or bubbles up from the water table.  The cave you see below was easily big enough to crawl into but the glass-like smoothness of the rock at the entrance indicated that their was probably something living in the cave that regularly used the entrance….Our money is on a big snake.

Inspection of another nearby cave showed more evidence of constant water.  The water seems to be very localised (as the moss growing below indicates).  A few pioneer species of tree (most notably the strangler fig (ficus thonningii))
have managed to colonise this nutrient poor environment by weaving their tendril like roots into the rock.

Another interesting find was the partially decomposed skeleton of an owl (most likely a barn owl (Tyto alba) which had obviously fallen from its nest.  The fact that the body had not been eaten by scavengers is probably an indication of the remoteness of these hills.  We saw very little wildlife while here but interestingly there was sign of recent elephant activity...even at the top.  How they manage to scale these mini mountains is a real mystery to me but they are obviously more agile than I thought!

- Chris Harries

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The Elephants Of Savute - 11:31 am

22 Feb 2010

Water seems to be a constant theme for us here in Savuti at the moment.  As well as the river flowing for the first time in 30 years the rainy season is still upon us and the morning skies are heavy with rain clouds.

The heavy rains from these clouds have caused an explosion of plant growth on the Savute marsh and as such, elephant (Loxodonta africana) can be found gently cruising through this area, specifically looking for the flowering plants and the nutrition found in their roots

We spent several hours with the Bull elephant you see above and he was incredibly relaxed in our presence which allowed us to get exceedingly close.

At the start of the drought here in Savute the migration routes for the elephants were broken so the Botswanan government decided to start pumping artificial water holes.  The pressure of finding enough water caused the breeding herds to move out of the area but there was a core group of about 60 bulls that stayed.  The close proximity to the lodges of the new artificial water holes meant that the bulls had to become accustomed to being close to man.  The long lifespan of Elephants has meant that this learned behaviour is now firmly entrenched in these elephants psyche meaning that they are now some of the most relaxed elephants to be found in all of Africa.

Another interesting factoid about Botswanan elephants is their tusks.  The grazing here is actually of quite a low quality which means that the Elephant have to supplement their normal grazing intake with a high volume of bark which they scrape of the trees with their tusks.  This behaviour combined with the low quality of their diet means their tusks are considerably smaller, less dense and more brittle than Elephants from other regions of Africa. This is demonstrated in the photo below where you can clearly see that the tip of the tusk has broken off.

As he steadily grazed his way across the marsh we followed and watched him as he ripped plant matter from the ground, cleaning the roots by wiping it across the rough skin on his face. 

It was incredible to spend so much time this close with our planets largest terrestrial animal.  Although incredibly powerful it was clear to me that these are intelligent, sentient and incredibly gentle animals.

- Chris Harries

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Leopards and Lions In Savute - 02:28 pm

17 Feb 2010

Up until 3 years ago, Savute had a huge Lion (Panthera leo) pride consisting of over 40 individuals, these were the main predatory force in the reserve but as their numbers grew, so did the pressure to keep its members fed.  The lack of natural water led to prey species becoming increasingly rare so the Lions had to start specialising in large prey...Very large prey...Elephants (Loxodonta africana).  This behaviour is fairly unusual and as such was filmed by the BBC in their natural history series Planet Earth (see here).

However, 3 years ago their was a huge shift in the dynamic of this ‘super pride’ of Lions. It split and fragmented into several much smaller prides which could focus on smaller, less dangerous prey.  We found one of these smaller prides earlier this morning and spent a little time with them and their 3 new cubs. 

The fragmentation of the Savute ‘super pride‘ and the resulting drop in Lion numbers within the reserve has meant that for the other major large feline predator here, life has got a little safer.  Savute is superb Leopard (Panthera pardus) country and has several individuals that are seen quite regularly by the guides working here.  We had been told about a fresh Impala (Aepyceros melampus) carcass that had been seen stashed in an nearby Acacia so we went to check it out.

The Leopard was nowhere to be seen at first but after a few mins searching we found her relaxing on a nearby log.

It is always incredible to see these animals.  They seem to radiate a sense of supreme regality and you defintiely get the feeling that they are watching you as intently as you are watching them!

After a few mins she decided to get back to the business of eating her trophy from the previous night, effortlessly leaping high into the tree to feed in the safety of its branches.

- Chris Harries

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Savute … A Change Of Scenery - 01:56 pm

16 Feb 2010

Jason, your regular Lions of Moremi correspondent is away on leave for a month so it’s my job to try and fill his shoes.  This month we see the Lions Of Moremi breaking from the norm a little as we travel out of Moremi and the Okavango Delta, North east to the Savute region of Chobe national park

The main reason that we are here is the Savute river, which has just started to flow after a 30 year absence.  In the 70’s this reserve was the premier place for game viewing in Botswana but after the river dried up life for the game here became much harsher and the biodiversity dropped quite considerably.  Now the river has restarted flowing the game is flooding in and Savute is really coming back to life.

- Chris Harries

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Echoes in the Forest - 10:35 pm

26 Jan 2010

The Xakanaxa lions were still in the Mopane and had not moved very far during the night.
The male who was absent yesterday had rejoined and the prides alliance seems stronger than ever.






A herd of impala was moving towards their position, but it was only the female cub who showed interest while the others slept.
She eventually lost patience and charged at the impala way too early and never stood any chance of catching them.





It was late afternoon before the lions became active. They were all very vocal.
Last week the interloper lions were in the same area and the pride had probably picked up their scent. The roaring was to establish their dominance and served to chase the interlopers, from their territory, without confrontation. It was amusing to hear the youngest male cub joining in the roaring. It was as though he was still half asleep and was unsure if he should roar or yawn.

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Well Fed Pride - 08:33 pm

25 Jan 2010

The Xakanaxa pride have returned to the heart of their territory.
They were in the Mopane forest near Jessie’s Pools and looked well fed. When one of the males joined the rest of the pride all the cubs ran to greet him and a couple of lionesses joined in later.






There is a possibility that a lioness could be coming into estrus as the male followed her closely and displayed flehmen frequently.
All the lions moved into the shade as the day warmed.





Nearby roosting vultures attracted our attention.
They were attracted to the remains of a giraffe. It was about 4 days old and the lions had finished the carcass, leaving the rest to the vultures.

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Snake Mechanics - 07:49 pm

19 Jan 2010

Moremi is finally damp and swampy.
It has has been raining persistently for the last 2 days. The pans are filling and once dry channels are rising to become deep water crossings. The vehicles take on more water and require added preventative maintenance. The ‘extra hand’ appearing from the radiator ended up being more of a hindrance.





It was a relatively harmless Western / Angola Green Snake (Philothamnus angolensis) and it was enjoying exploring the engine bay.
Eventually it moved under the bodywork and disappeared behind the gearbox and the work continued, as did the rain.

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Hairy Hippopotamus - 07:54 pm

18 Jan 2010

The Magxwegana area of Moremi is a stunning landscape.
With rain falling on a daily basis every depression is filled with water and most of these are filled with hippopotami.





This pod was very relaxed, allowing us to set up the camera right on the waters edge.
The afternoon started off clear and hot, but a towering storm was approaching over the horizon.
As the storm moved closer the hippo became more active, as if enlivened by the thunder and lightening.







It was another waterlogged evening, but with far less mud.

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