
The days are warming up as we head towards summer, and the waters have started to shrink back as the days lengthen again. The Boro River was still high enough for boating safaris, however, and boy did they deliver!
As the floodplains empty again, renewed grazing opened up, bringing the plains animals with them. Guides at Moremi Crossing noted an abundance of wildlife during water activities. Elephants and buffalo splish-splashed to get to the best grasses, while Red lechwe, baboons (over 100 of them at one sighting) and impala mingled about on the riverbanks together. We were also fortunate to catch sight of a pack of wild dogs on the hunt! Eight adults were skipping along the shores searching for prey, and we lost them as they diverted into the long grasses.
The birdlife was equally prolific. Fish eagles were a regular fixture, along with their wetland friends, the herons, ibises, egrets and storks. It’s been a particular joy to watch the puny Malachite kingfishers on the hunt. While malachite is a beautiful green coloured mineral, these spectacularly colourful birds feature a fluorescent feathering of blue and ochre with a glittering metallic head of turquoise.
While the owl family may not be particularly colourful, their brown coats better allow them to blend in, so it was with particular glee that we found a Pels Fishing Owl. We saw the nocturnal owl fishing along the river line around camp!
An enormous troop of baboons was also observed foraging in these verdant, towering riverside trees during a boating safari.
We enjoyed witnessing fresh patches of termite mounds being maintained. As the onset of summer begins, these busy insects need to protect their towering homes against the coming rain.