Kanana Walking Safari

We were up at 6AM and out on a game drive eery this morning to try to find a leopard that had killed an impala in the night.  When we got to the kill zone the impala was gone - taken by the hyenas who often come on the scent of a kill and chase off the smaller leopard.  We continued on through old growth rest of sausage, leadwood, ebony and mopane trees almost a hundred feet high.  Soon we reached Jesse’s pool which was a channel of water teaming with zebra, impale, red lechwe and more.  A lonely older buffalo stood in our path.  These old bulls get pushed out of the herd and are some of the most dangerous animals one can meet in the wild on foot.  This is why they are grouped in the Big Five along with elephant, black rhino, leopard and lion.  He stared us down with no fear at all and then snorted and trotted off into the bush after showing us who the boss is!  A bit later our guide, Solomon, spotted a leopard perfectly posing abut 20 feet up in the branches of a dead leadwood tree.  We had a perfect unobstructed view of this regal creature as she looked out over the channel for any careless impalas that might walk under her perch.  Leopard are in my top three animals in Africa along with elephants and gorillas.  They have such beautiful golden coats with black spots that look like paw prints.  Their bodies are sleek and muscular but for me it is their golden green eyes that seem to look right into your soul.  This is one of the most rare animals to see on safari and I like to send guests to Moremi because it is excellent habitat for leopard with the tall trees, good water source, and lots of grazers like impala.  More worked its magic again for us just like it did when I first came here in 1989!  Love it!

Soon it was time to board our flight back west into a different part of the delta to the private concession at Kanana.  The lodge is set on a large lagoon and they offer game drives, walking, mokoro canoe, boat trips, and night drives.  We opted for a sunset walk in the tall old growth mahogany trees.  Our guide, Simon, showed us how to read tracks, which plants were used for medicinal purposes, and told us more about his culture.  The golden light was perfect as we walked under the shady canopy witnessing Chackma Baboons, red lechwe, colorful birds, and more.  A large waterbuck allowed us to approach quite close.  It was great to get out of the vehicles and stretch our legs.  There is nothing quite like being on the ground on foot in the bush.  All your senses are heightened and you are so much more aware of your surroundings.  As a result you are more likely to notice small things that may have escaped notice from a vehicle.  Leopard tracks here, impala hiding in the bush, the warning call of a Lorie bird with its signature “go away” melody.   Once back at the lodge we enjoyed our sundowners and were treated to a hippo sighting as the big guy rambled right down the path next to our tent and across the grass in front of the main lodge.  A good reminder why we need to be escorted after dark between the main lodge and our tents!