Searching for Wild Dogs


Today was spent searching for painted dogs - we picked up their tracks in the early dawn and followed them a long distance across the open plains.  A hot air balloon rose in the distance and since we could not locate the dogs we went to meet the pilot who landed nearby.  One of the great thrills available to guests in this area is a pre-dawn launch in a hot air balloon over the Okavango delta.  It was fun talking to Mervin, the pilot, as we shared stories of balloon rides in Turkey, Namibia, Napa, and Burma.  Unfortunately he could not fit me onto a flight this time but he left me an open invitation to come fly with him in the future.  In any case, today was what we call a “slow news day” and we did not see any big cats or painted dog though we did see an African wildcat which was a treat.  

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