We spend two and a half days in Etosha National Park, the best protected area in Namibia for wildlife viewing. With 23,000 km2 Etosha is huge.
We spend about 8 hours driving around on the first day and I was practically dead when we finally arrived to our campsite at sunset.
It is hard to get used the idea that the animals I have seen only on TV are now outside of my truck window. I believe I screamed from excitement when I first saw giraffes chewing on acacia trees (especially through binoculars).
In Etosha all vehicles are restricted to roads and one cannot get out of the car or on the roof. In fact, exploring park in the overland truck offers one big advantage - unobstructed view as we are much higher than any 4x4. Three lodging sites with camping and safari lodges are fenced and they open at sunrise and close at sunset. The opposite of the zoo.
The park is flooded with springbok and zebras. Funny how nobody stops for them after 30 minutes in the park. It's a pity because I find zebras with individual white-black-brown patterns to be among the most beautiful animals.
At lunch we arrived to Okaukuejo campsite with a water hole where quite famous photograph of Gerald Hoberman was shot (his collection is by far the dominating postcard material in South Africa and Namibia). It seems like nothing has changes since those times. The water hole is very busy with an elephant, springbox, oryx, kudu, zebra. Giraffes are approaching very slowly too. Amazing. I could have spent hours watching animals line up for water that hot midday.
In the afternoon we saw heaps of animals - families of elephants, giraffes, countless zebras, blue wildebeest, ostrich. We were lucky to spot one lioness and play a bit with her as she was crossing the road.
THE look:
We camped at Halali campground in the middle of Etosha NP. At night everybody who won over almost irresistible desire to sleep and went to the artificial Moringa water hole was rewarded. Leopard came out to drink some water. Professional photographers snapped masterpieces while the rest admired the graceful predator through 50x binoculars. Three black rhinoceros, jackals and steenbok appeared at the water hole during the 90 minutes we were there.
By the end of the first day my eyes were in great pain after hours of viewing everything through my camera viewfinder or binoculars. Game driving is exhausting!
The next morning we left the campsite at sunrise. Should I mention how beautiful the sunrise is again? We are spoiled by breathtaking sunrises and sunsets everyday.
We follow fresh footprints of lions. Three lioness rest under the tree by the road but relocate further away as the first passing by cars disturb them. Gorgeous cats.
We continue and soon arrive to another water hole with... four male lions. Their faces are covered in blood. They've just eaten and now are taking a early morning nap while the sun is still warm. Soon they will disappear in the shade.
We drive until 12 pm. We stop at Etosha Pan - what used to be a lake but now is a cracked dry surface 130 km long and 72 km wide. Salar de Uyuni in Africa?
I am so tired, hot and sleepy I head over to the water hole for some shade. I arrive just on time to catch a big family of elephants during the afternoon. I skip the afternoon game drive in favor of cold pool.
The night game viewing was quite eventful at our water hole as we see in action how a herd of elephants shares (or rather not) water hole with jackals, hyenas and rhinos.
On day 3 we are leaving Etosha NP, but still do a morning game drive. We see lions again - six of them. A number of jackals are running around and hyena is approaching:
There must have been a recent kill. Small predators are after king's prey.
Further away next to a large herd of zebras we see a dead zebra with a jackal eating out of its stomach. The zebra was pregnant.
My visit to Etosha could not have ended better - another viewing of leopard.
Seeing this abundance of wildlife made it a bit of surreal experience. Can it really be true? Are they really wild? Oh yes, those lions with red faces from blood and the jackal eating out of zebra's belly. It's just easy to forget because the wildlife is so accessible in this region of the world.
Hyenas won my congeniality award - I find their "mean" posture because of high shoulders and low back adorable and special.
A bit more pictures but most of them got censored for poor quality
1 comment:
hi.
It actually strikes me, about zebras; in particular, the fact that they are not, actually, members of the monochromatic world.
I am just kidding, of course.
Still it touches the sensitive faucet of my eye, especially the part about surrealism of the surrounding wilderness. Of course it is not the pseudo "safari" of the entertaining parks around, but somehow I though that it should have felt for you, as a realistic and natural experience. It is strange that you notice the power posture of the very dangerous animal - the hyena (and even giving it honorable banner), and still would not accept is as given reality, that yes - you are could be a night snack for these lions, if you would decide for the suicidal personal trip to the bushes.
Anyway, as usual it is just jealousy talking. Miss you of course, and wish to see it all by my own eyes.
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