Aat: TT Namibia (Last update April 6)*

[aat]

Thanks for the comments for Part 9 & 10.

Part 11 - What a Cat

Big Cats continued..........
Another day and another chance... going direction Namutoni and then along the big Pan following one of these small roads along Stinkwater (nice name ) ending up on a small road with one of the waterholes. Staying there for some time hoping for...?
After about 45 minutes fighting with making a decision to go ahead or stay, some movement and a very very nice cat was coming closer.

First "shot" of him

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Really unexpected .... a leopard and not just laying in a tree or hiding at a difficult position but walking slowly.

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Funny when you hope to see some antelopes coming to the waterhole but nothing at all and then the appearance of this beautiful cat...

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We could understand why we did not see another animal near the waterhole... think they knew...
The leopard did not come for a drink but was looking for a nice place to lay down

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All time to watch him and what a beautiful cat he is. Made a lot of photo's but he did move much so most are identical

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Think he could read my thoughts so without moving he showed me why many antelopes like him so much and never running away...

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More detailed look at his teeth.... any dentist would say "wonderful , see you next year"
Our leopard was asking for a detailed shot of his mouth

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Just a few seconds later he disappeared in the bush .... Gone.... like leopards always keep up their mysterious coming and going...

With a big smile and happy with the decision to stay for some time near the waterhole we continued our drive ....

Thanks for joining again

Almost forgetting to say but we just booked for Kruger NP, arriving April 20 and leaving May 9th
Camps : Skukuza, Satara, Mopani , Shingwedzi , Satara and last night in Skukuza.....

See you next Part.... about ehhhhhhh.... well you will see

[aat]

Thanks for the comments again. TR is far from over so I am happy to share this part 12 with you.

Part 12 - What a Catch

Etosha has a number of waterholes. Think we all know that sometimes it's quiet and other times we can be lucky.
Well, we left Halali camp heading for Natumoni and planned to visit all waterholes. Our first trip ever to Namibia we spent 3 days in Etosha and best sightings we had near the waterhole called Kalkheuvel. That;s why we decided to have drink there and see what's coming to visit us. We just arrived and two "tourist vehicles" just left the waterhole. Nothing to see.....

We stopped and got our drinks. Just a few minutes later and looking around we suddenly saw an Eland coming out of the bush

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Wowwwwwwww really Eland ? Yesssssssssss
We have seen Eland before but mainly at large distance or difficult to see because of the bush....but this one came for a drink and not far from us...


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What a beautiful male


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Just after making this photo he walked away , so a short but great sighting.

We stayed since some other animals like zebra and giraffe appeared and showed us their way of drinking.


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Still talking to each other about the Eland. We haven't seen them that many times so it was very special.
But.......... an half hour later..... don't know what happened but our Eland came back with two other males.

One of them drinking
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and number 3 walking to the waterhole to find a place to drink


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We were quiet , afraid to chase them away because they are shy animals. But what a chance to have a good look at them and no other cars so no disturbing noises. I think it was the first time we could have such a good view on them. Beautiful !!

Out friend was looking at us (I guess)
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Carefully trying to photograph them , pending from one to the other


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In the mean time the giraffes were drinking and this one showed the other way of drinking after 10 minutes of thinking , looking around...


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A few more pics of them...


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They slowly moved away , back to the thick bush.
Kalkheuvel, where heuvel = hill in english made them walking up the hill so for some last pictures one of them was posing nicely.


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Hope you liked this part. For us it was one of the special sightings during the trip. Looking at these rare antelopes was great.

Bye and see you back next part

[aat]

Part 13 - Black Rhino

In one of the previous parts I showed some Black Rhino's , a wonderful sighting with a Black Rhino at short distance and some we have seen at night near the waterhole.
Black Rhino was high on our wishlist since Etosha is a good place to see them.... that's what Namibian information told us.
I think we can say we have been lucky with them. In total 14 Black Rhino's showed themselves to us and I like to share a few other sightings of BR with you.

This one , at bright daylight on a small road
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A real beauty and impressive one

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In the area around camp Halali we have seen several.... not always posing that well, but one cannot excpect them to do this.
First of December at lunch time we found this guy on our way to Halali

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and

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And Second of December, very early in the morning another one showed himself....

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and

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20 minutes later a bit too far for making good pictures this Black Rhino family decided to go somewhere and they did not stop but walking away from us.... this is best I could do. Realizing we never saw 3 Black Rhino's together.


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We have asked some rangers if there are also White Rhino's in Etosha and got the answer Yes, there are a few, average number we got was about 10. Just during our last day in Etosha when we were driving the Stinkgat drive we suddenly saw a White Rhino....
So mission completed..... smileeeeeeeeeeeee

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Not able to make really good pictures of them, but that's life and good as well.... it's Etosha, it's wildlife but hopely you liked it is.
One remark about this Stinkgat drive.... a part of of this drive looked very similar to area's in Kruger... no white rocks or dust.

See you next Part....

[aat]

Thanks all for the comments.... seeing Black Rhino was a great experience. We hoped to see a few but with all luck seeing 14 of them was amazing.

Part 14 - White Washing

Time to launch another part of the Etosha experience.
Driving around in Kruger it's hard to mis elephants. In Etosha it's a different story. I have to add to this that it very much depends in what period or season you visit Etosha.

This bull was near the Rhino Drive , not far from Halali camp

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he was friendly enough to come out the thicker bush to show himself on the road

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A bit curious and following what I was doing with that lens pointing on him

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He was walking towards me, so keeping distance is always a good advise. A last view on him before we moved on

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I remember that someone was talking about White Washing of elephants in Etosha. The white substance on the ground , some rain and you get the best mix you can imagine for the elephants for white washing.

Another day , on our way back to Halali we met these two bulls

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Just at a junction in front of us they took the "right" direction.

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Near the road they found some "white water" and the white wash process started

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More in detail

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I started to sing a famous song , just with some other text... referring to the rolling stones "Paint it White"

Funny to see this happen

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Whit this last view on this bull I like to say.... see you next story

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Next time ? Birds in Etosha or Male Lions .... let me know

[aat]

Mel,

I don't think you can say that. The ones I met in Etosha were calme and relaxed like they mainly are in kruger.
Bulls in musth can be more agressive anywhere in africa so don't see much difference between Etosha and Kruger.

I think it is possible that many elephants in Kruger are more aware of visitors and several rangers threating them wrong... getting very close to them with their vehicles , getting to close to herdes with babies / younsters so protecting mothers , aunts etc will act... like I a saying mainly caused by the "people" around. I am not a scientist but I think it is possible that in some areas elephants are changing their attitude as protection. It's just a thought no science.
Looking at another african country like Gabon most elephants are hiding in the bush and selden show themselves anymore because of all the poaching.... they are intelligent and sensetive. Elephants even devellop smaller tusks or even no tusks at all in these countries (proven by research) then many years ago...

Super photos once again, aat!

Would you say that Etosha ellies are more placid than their Kruger counterparts?
These look very friendly and - apart from being white-washed - remind me a lot of the Addo kind.

[aat]

Thanks all for the comments, now time for the birds. Actually I am not a birder but I asked you for Birds or Male lions... your choice was birds

Remark about the birds. We did not see that many and like we all experience , many times they just too far away to make good pictures of them, so I selected a number I liked going through the pictures.

Part 15 - Birds of Etosha

We just entered Etosha and found this one
Pale Chanting Goshawk

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We have seen many many Ostriches but this group was close by and it looks like they are "talking" to each other

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In a tree we found this Giant Eagle Owl

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Two pictures of the Kori Bustard, known as the biggest flying bird.
We have seen a large number of them. Sometimes you compare Etosha with Kruger...although you find them there as well, in Etosha you just can't mis them at all... spread all over the place

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One of the raptors we have seen... I think it is a Tawny Eagle...but correct me if I am wrong

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Near the road , one of my favorites , the Secretary Bird... difficult to capture since they are always walking...moving away..

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Further away in a tree a Tawny Eagle

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Same bird as on the first picture but so close this time

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Ready for landing...? Impressive Martial Eagle

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Ready for take-off ..? I think it is a Tawny Eagle (did not like to pose for a photo)

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With a lot of help by my friends here , this is a Steppe Buzzard. Very relaxed and posing nicely.

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Hope you liked it....

Next time ? Male Lions, with kill and Mating ...what else...?

[Lisbeth]

The first one is a Pale Chanting Goshawk. The last one a Steppe Buzzard. I am not sure about the one that you call a snake eagle....only that it is not a snake eagle They are lovely all of them. The birds of Namibia are more like the ones in Kalahari than Kruger

[Pumbaa]

Awesome birdies here, Aat,

I do love them all

Definitely not a snake eagle and I would say same is a tawny

[Richprins]

Caught up now, aat!

Brilliant!

I like this part: Another bottle of wine was empty before we went to bed with a big smile on our faces.


You were very lucky!

Thanks very much for the info on the fairytale forest!


Regarding poaching:

There are not many rural communities around Etosha?

There is not yet a massive Chinese involvement in Namibia, but already a significant one...so it may come!

Black rhino are far more savvy and tree-bound than white, and nocturnally mobile, and skittish?

Staff in Etosha are more thinly-spread, as there are fewer camps and picnic spots, so they don't have the regular influx of weekend friends etc. that Kruger has.

Also no foreign border?

Staff is the key question, as the rhino are absolutely bound to waterpoints, and may become easy targets...


But still, enough about that, and I love your whitewashed ellies!

[aat]

Thanks for the comments and the help with ID-ing some of them, I am afraid I never learn. After a look at the birds we have seen it's time again for some Big Cats. Kings they are... Impressive and lazy they are but always great to see them

Part 16 - Kings of Etosha

Driving through Etosha is actually going from waterhole to waterhole , hoping to see animals coming for a drink. I am always getting suspecious if you don't see any animal at all. Then it's time to have a good look for Cats like here. Near one of the waterholes we found our first lion, a single male.

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Posting one picture here since he was not moving at all so one will do.

Later , the 1st of december we left Halali and went to Namutoni. Not far from Namutoni we followed kind of loop along one of the waterholes and saw something weird from a distance... including lots of flies....
Getting closer, it was the carcass of a Giraffe

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We saw a few more cars and people were looking at ? Two Kings near a tree... relaxing after dinner

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Turning on his back

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A few moments later King 2 woke up a bit showing his eyes

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We have seen many males but it's always impressive

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May be they liked my camera but a bit of talking to them helped a bit to keep their attention

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They did not really move or standing up so it was waiting for a good "pose" of both

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Last view on them...and yes boy...nice teeth

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In the mean time a jackal was taking away a piece of the stomic (I guess) , not really making you hungry by looking at this

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Toko - still following your advise with 10 pictures

Thanks for being with us again and next time: Impressions of Etosha