The 2025 Botswana Journals, Ch. 22, From the Hide to the Camp

        In considering this day in Botswana, I find no particular storyline, so rather than a lot of text, it's time to enjoy a lot of photos.

        I posted some of these giraffe photos earlier, but here's the whole sequence.   We knew these two were juveniles, so we stopped to photograph them.

        They weren't alone.   There was an adult nearby.

        Then a baby popped its head up from the acacia bush.

 

    Here are all three of the youngsters.

        We saw a lot of black-backed jackals.   Seems like every day we would see a few.

        Not too many hyenas, though.   Here's an adult and a youngster.

        Then we came upon some lions with very big tummies.  We call them "flat cats" when they are well-fed and sleeping.   Not likely to be any activity then.

Makes my stomach hurt just looking at that belly.

        They dined on a wildebeest.   That's the rib cage behind the bush.

        Resting in the shade.

        About an hour after the first lions, we found more with big tummies.   I think these were from a different pride.

        Some Burchell's zebra.

Birds!!!

Fork-tailed drongo.

A Sabota lark.

Common myna.

        The big treat was close to camp.   A number of tiny antelope called Klipspringer.   Less than two feet high at the shoulder, and weighing 18 to 40 pounds, these little guys have unique feet.

        From the internet:   Klipspringers possess unique, specialized hooves, about the size of a dime, designed for navigating steep, rocky terrain in sub-Saharan Africa. They walk on the very tips of their hoof digits—resembling ballet toe shoes—with a rubbery texture that provides exceptional, suction-like traction and shock absorption for jumping. 

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Peeking around a tree trunk.

        Below is one of the several bushbucks that live in or near Tuli Lodge  grounds.   They feel safe from predators there.   These little creatures are about three feet at the shoulder.

        One of them beds down a few feet from my tent.

        And, back at camp.   I love how they incorporated trees into their structures.

        We have time for lunch and a couple of hours to rest in the heat of the day before the afternoon game drive, and it will be special!   Promise.