Kalahari Sands




After one last game drive at Kanana where we came upon a beautiful tower of giraffes we boarded a flight to a private concession on the northern border of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.  We checked in to the brand new Dinaka Lodge which was very nicely appointed and provided a shady respite from the hot afternoon sun.  After lunch and a siesta we had the traditional high tea at 3:30PM ad then set out in our 4x4 land cruisers in search of the unique game that reside here including rare endangered white rhino, eland, majestic gemsbok (also known as oryx), and lion. 

One of the surprising aspects of the Kalahari desert is how plentiful and rich the game is.  Our game drive today was no exception.  We quickly came onto rhino tracks but it took us a while to finally locate this rare and endangered animal.  Luckily we were treated to a close sighting of 5 rhino just as the sunset.  A big surprise awaited us back at camp as we returned in the dark - a pride of lion had virtually surrounded the camp - over 12 individuals all long in various positions in the grass.  We pulled up next to 4 females and switched off the engine.  It was exhilarating to sit in the silence enveloped by total darkness knowing there were 4 lion only a few feet away.  We pulled out a powerful torchlight and fitted a red filter over it to protect the lion’s eyes.  It was eerie see the lions eyes reflect in the light.  After about 30 minutes observing the females and some cubs that came out we returned to camp but had to be driven to the door of our tents for safety reasons!  Amazing.  What a great farewell to the bush this evening has been.

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