11/9 Etosha NP day 2b

Lunch was salad and dietary counciling for Geoff (he had chips no salad)

Blazing heat so we stayed out of the sun until we set off for afternoon game following the same route as this morning, west-east route across the pan. A lot of nothing down to Gemsbokvlakte until we got back north to the culvert at Namutoni where we had the lioness encounter this morning. Fascinating to watch the same lion (ok one that looked similar) go into stalking mode in the long grass as a long line of tasty springbok came directly towards her. Perfect, except she let the entire herd pass her, unseen, with no attack. So the "unusual thing" was that the lioness did not strike at a point blank target.

Gradually a few other lions emerged, two males this time. It looked as though they had pulled off a circling move around the waterhole but the ever approaching sunset meant we had to beat it out of the park before sunset.

Did a quick climb of the old defensive tower then to the waterhole to watch the elephant mud bath.

Jackals everywhere



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Location:Etosha NP

11/9 Etosha day 2

We got to the waterhole at 5:45am and Geoff brought the vehicle by at 6am. We headed off to see what we could find on our second game drive.
This time we headed east along the southern edge of the pan to another natural waterhole, Nebrowni. Interesting brown hyena the other animals treat them with respect and clear out of Dodge.
We were just tooling along the road a bit past the waterhole when we came upon a lioness just standing there - presumably strategizing about her breakfast.




we are talking 10 feet from the car window.
She loped across the road and proceeded to waterhole through the perfectly camoflaging grass.




Geoff says "unusual" but wait, there's more. Not 10 mins later we come across a honey badger digging out a ground squirrel nest and capturing the owner.
Now this is very unusual..



Honey badger is swinging the spoils in his mouth. (apair of pale chanting goshawks are on standy cleanup duty)

Pretty succesful drive.

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