When we woke up, it was just barely dawn and the moon was still perfectly bright in the sky. We had a quick breakfast of yogurt, cereal, granola, and coffee before everyone piled into the safari vehicle. We were really excited to track down some more big cats after seeing the male lion last night. We rode around for only a few minutes before our driver, IP, slowed down alongside an open field. About 50 yards away, we saw a big female lion leading three baby cubs. Sarah and I, loving babies, were in heaven. We knew there were baby lions in Chobe but we never dreamed we’d get lucky enough to actually see them! They were so cute and playing with each other and then running alongside their mama. At one point, one of the cubs got separated from its mom by the safari vehicle. It hid behind a bush and started making the cutest little growl/roar sounds. It was literally straight out of The Lion King, and then the mama came and saved him from being scared. The mother was beautiful and so powerful. We were all overwhelmed by how majestic they looked walking through the plains in the morning light. We watched them for a few minutes and then went to go find a leopard.
Another vehicle had already found the leopard and its prey, a grown female impala, underneath a big tree. Unfortunately, it had already been scared away by all of the trucks by the time we arrived. All we could see was the impala body in the shade of the tree, so we changed course to go search for other animals. Along the edge of the Zambezi, we saw more giraffe, elephant, a big herd of buffalo, a vulture, a few eagles, warthogs, baboons, an occasional hippo or crocodile, and a jackal. We were particularly excited when IP pointed out two hyenas at the top of the hill looking over the water’s edge. Even though they were the farthest away of any of the animals we saw during the trip, we still managed to get a few decent pictures. It was pretty easy to watch their movements, and they are really awkward animals but definitely dangerous. One of them was dragging an impala along the ground as it walked.
At that point, we doubled back to try our luck at the leopard site. We passed a car of people who said they had just seen it, but again, it was gone by the time we got there. IP tried to encourage us by saying that leopards are shy animals but with some luck, we’d get to see it. He drove us back to base camp to have a nice big brunch of eggs, potatoes, toast, beans, and jam. After about an hour of relaxing and eating, we piled back into the safari vehicle for a final shot at seeing the leopard.
IP is kind of the strong and silent type. At first, we were all so puzzled by his seemingly pointless back tracking and changes of direction because he doesn’t explain anything to you. However, by this point in the trip we’d learned to appreciate his amazing ability to read animal tracks and understand their behavior. For at least thirty minute, we drove in circles around the area where the leopard and its kill were spotted. Eventually, IP just drove off the road into the middle of the field, stopped the truck, and said, “It’s hiding underneath one of these trees I think”. But before we could really search underneath all of the trees and bushes, he drove us back out of the field and back on the road. The confusion was definitely mounting until we rounded a corner and Sarah shouted, “Look! I see something!” And with a satisfied smile, IP pointed into the bush where a full-grown female leopard was standing over the impala kill with her baby cub bounding into the sunlight right behind her. We were SO happy! IP drove us off the path and around a corner so we could get a great view of the leopard dragging the impala into the shade of a different tree so it could eat in peace with its baby. We got amazing pictures and were so proud to be in the safari vehicle of the best guide ever!
Back at camp, we packed up our stuff and loaded up the vehicle for our departure. Meanwhile, a big group of baboons passed right through our camp (one very aggressive male tried to steal our food) and a herd of elephants wandered through a few minutes later. We were a little disappointed when IP said it was time to head back to base lodge because we didn’t get to see any zebras, but we were still really happy at how much luck we had had with the lions and leopard. However, as we started driving, Sarah and I noticed very quickly that we weren’t heading back towards base lodge. IP, again in his very silent way, had one last thing up his sleeve. From his constant back tracking and downward gazing at the ground, we knew he was tracking something—we just didn’t know what. Then we rounded a corner and, you guessed it, there was a small herd of zebras. Win.
All in all, we spent two days and one night in the bush of Chobe National Park. We saw everything that exists there—hippos, crocs, impala, water lizards, vultures, eagles, warthogs, baboons, monkeys, lions, leopards, giraffe, buffalo, elephants, hyenas, zebras, jackals, sables, roans, and many species of birds. It was the best weekend ever!!
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