The Savuti is on the western edge of Chobe National Park and is known for its savannahs, grasslands and wildlife population. Our visit was during the dry season so there were limited supplies of water (primarily several large watering holes) available to the animals. We spent 3 nights camping in the Savuti and during that time saw many lions, elephants, giraffes, wildebeest, impala, and buffalo. We also had the opportunity to photograph some impressive African sunrises. The rest of this post consists of some of my favorite photos from the Savuti and are shown in the order captured.
This is the third part of a four part series on my trip to Botswana. All photographs are mine and are available for sale in my gallery. Click on the links below (which will become live as I finish the posts) to read the rest of the story.
- Intro, Logistics and Camping
- Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park
- The Savuti (this post)
- Khwai and Moremi Game Reserve
As we entered the Savuti area, we were greeted by a group of bull elephants by a watering hole.
And of course one came close to check us out and say “hello”
We stopped many times to photograph the varied birds we spotted along the road. Both yellow and red-billed hornbills were very common.
The lilac-breasted roller was a favorite throughout the trip. The bird itself is colorful and beautiful, but it also became a challenge to try photographing them in flight. I never really succeeded with that due to their speed and erratic flight paths.
Our first stop after we arrived was a watering hole, where we found several female lions watching antelope, zebras and wildebeests walk by for water. Our guide was convinced they had recently eaten as they made no real move toward hunting the abundant game. Eventually they got some water themselves.
We explored more of the area before heading to camp for the night. This giraffe was enjoying a snack as we drove by. Closer to sunset we found some buffalo eyeing us suspiciously.
The next morning began with a visit to an African wild dog den. The pack had left for the morning to hunt, leaving mom with the pups. She would occasionally call the pups out to nurse and then they would play (as pups do) before going back inside. Eventually the pack returned after killing an antelope. The pups were clearly excited, both for their returning family as well as the opportunity to have some of the meat regurgitated by the hunters. Note that some of the following photos are somewhat graphic.
We eventually moved on, spending the morning looking for wildlife and spotting some mongoose and antelope.
We then got the call on the radio: two leopards had been spotted nearby. The guides in Botswana use radios to share game sightings and locations. This helps to ensure that as many visitors as possible have a chance to appreciate some of these beautiful creatures. When we made it to the leopards, several other vehicles were already there. We followed one of the leopards for a while as it worked to hunt a squirrel. The thick trees made photography difficult, but I did manage to get a few shots that I liked. As it turned out, this would not be our last leopard encounter.
We did see several black-backed jackals in the Savuti, including a couple that wandered into our camp. This one was spotted with a herd of impala.
Giraffe were also common sightings, moving quietly through the landscape.
While on game drives, we made a point to look for interesting trees that might look good against the bright red African sunrises we had been seeing. Our first stop the next morning was a large baobab tree. Sunrise was beautiful with some nice clouds as well.
We moved from there to a nearby watering hole where we cautiously left our vehicle to capture some reflections. The mood was definitely enhanced by the roaring lions nearby…
Our next task was to find the lions that were making so much noise. It didn’t take long to find four adult males that were walking along the road. One of them decided to stop for a drink in the early morning light.
We then made our way toward another watering hole, observing some zebras and female lions along the way.
A large herd of buffalo were at the watering hole when we arrived. Our presence clearly spooked them and they ran off.
We decided to head back to check on the lion brothers, seeing an eagle and some giraffes along the way.
When we found the lions they were resting under some trees. I truly enjoyed watching them interact. They would alternate between roughhousing and being affectionate with each other.
We then got the call that the leopards we had seen the previous day had been found again. The fast bumpy drive to see them resulted in only minor injuries to our crew, but the results were worth it. We were able to get close to a leopard with a clear field of view for some nice photographs.
The next morning we began our drive toward Khwai and the Okavango early, so we could take some sunrise photos with some acacia trees we had previously scouted.
As usual, we stopped for the occasional photo along the way. We did see quite a few wildebeest in the area, so I had to include at least one photo here.
And another roller…
The photo trip story is worthy time and attention. I have enjoyed this wild story photo trip and how professional it’s arranged brother.
Your photography is breathtaking and so inspiring!