A Time To Put The Camera Down And Embrace The Moment

Anne's ipad was sitting on the console behind me so our guide Neil quickly snapped this parting shot just before the elephant decided he'd had enough of us...

I'm always looking for new and better images when I travel even if I've been on safari before and already have lots of wildlife pictures. Take this recent safari to Botswana and South Africa for example. Every African safari, indeed every game drive and bush walk, is different and I just have that constant urge to capture each unique wildlife encounter and cultural experience to share with our travelers as well as my own family and friends at home.

Sometimes I have to remind myself to put the camera down and embrace the moment like our elephant encounter in Sabi Sands Greater Kruger Nature Conservancy.

Neil saw these two eles approaching so we parked by the shore of the water hole and waited.

On our first game drive out of Savanna Lodge our guide Neil saw two eles approaching a water hole at dusk so he pulled our vehicle around to one shore where he figured they would likely meander around. We parked. Shut off the engine. Started photographing and watched in the waning light of the day. It was serene, just us and the two elephants. But when the elephant started approaching our vehicle I stopped taking pictures and just turned the video camera on so that I could pay full attention as he got closer and closer and closer...

Parked in the path of a young bull elephant at Sabi Sands Greater Kruger Conservancy.

As Neil describes on the video below, we were parked in his path so he came right up to the open vehicle and played with our minds. Acting casual with his trunk hanging off one tusk, he just stood there checking us out to see who was going to blink first. The camera was rolling as I gave him my full and very relaxed attention sending vibes speaking silently to him: "I'm cool. You're cool. We're all cool here." And he seemed OK with it all. You know the ending already. He flinched.

keeping in wild,

kurt kutay

See more information about travel in South Africa. Questions? Ask our Africa expert, Jeff Stivers.

Our Walk Through A Jurassic Park on Safari in Botswana

Relaxed and smiling now, after our walk, but when they are leading foot safaris in the bush, Brian and Chantal are focused!  

Brian points out the leopard tracks at our feet. He kicks over a fresh pile of dung on our path where a buffalo has just passed. And, with a keen ear he listens intently to the trumpeting of a young elephant somewhere in the trees around us. “This is a Jurassic Park we’re walking through!” he exclaims in an excited whisper.

We had heard elephants trumpeting around us so we walked to the top
of this rise and could be more relaxed seeing that we were separated from
the herd by a large lagoon. 

We signed up for a jaunt on foot through the bush in the Linyanti concession on our Botswana safari with expert trackers and bush guides, Brian Rode and Chantal Venter. On a walking safari I feel invigorated. All my senses come alive when I'm on foot in the African bush. For me,  it’s the ultimate safari experience to get out of the vehicle and feel Africa on foot.

This is the real thing. No electric fences. No designated trails. Just us bipeds hoofing it through the bush with the most confident and competent walking safari guides in the likes of Brian and Chantal. They have made a life for themselves as wilderness safari guides providing intrepid safari travelers a closer look at the ecosystems of southern Africa. Here Brian sets forth his 5 rules of a walking safari: 

Although I feel a deft sense of vulnerability, I'm not exactly on equal terms with the wildlife because between me and a wild beast are the keen eyes, ears and nose of Chantal, and the sharp aim of Brian with a 376 rifle in hand. Although in over 20 years of guiding walking safaris neither one of them have ever had to use their rifle to harm an animal protecting a guest; they are equally concerned for the protection and comfort of the game as they are for the safety of their trekkers. 

Brian points out leopard prints in the sand while Chantal keeps a keen eye out in all directions.

They manage the animal and human interaction primarily using their keen understanding of animal behavior taking all matter of precautions not the least of which is to maintain a comfortable distance between animals and people. In fact, they always work as a pair and I noticed that while Brian was pointing out details about the flora and fauna, Chantal was always on the lookout for game that might be wandering by, ready to move us out of the way--which never happened on our 2 hour walk.

There are so many details about the bush that one discovers walking instead of riding in a vehicle. Brian found a dung beetle working over a huge elephant dropping. Throughout Africa dung beetles play an amazing role in fertilizing the bushveld. By utilizing animal feces for sustenance and egg development they spread it around and subsequently fertilize the ecosystem. Some dung beetles burrow and nest 'in situ' when fresh dung is discovered. Others tunnel under the soil surface and deposit dung balls they craft and roll in underground tunnels for their consumption and reproduction. 

Dung beetles play a vital role in breaking down animal feces, keeping the flies down and fertilizing the habitat.

At this brief stop looking down at minutia on the ground  Brian summons the forces of the universe above to inform us of the amazing fact that dung beetles are currently the only animal, other than humans, known to navigate and orient themselves using the Milky Way!

Another thing I learned on this walking safari is that mud pans are created by elephants coming here to bathe and roll in the mud, then they walk over to nearby trees to scratch their backs depositing layers of dirt nearby.  

Pan form in the bushveld when elephants congregate for a mud bath and carry it away.
(Notice Chantal in the background never stops looking out for game in the vicinity.) 

Trees get covered in dried soil where elephants got a good scratch after their mud bath. Over years and years, and one elephant after another rolling in the mud and then walking away carry more mud on their backs the pans get formed and become larger and larger in the process.

A good scratching tree smoothed by rough elephant skin is covered in mud .

keeping it wild, 

kurt kutay

For more information see our safaris in Botswana. And ask our Africa Program Director. 

Surrounded By Beauty At Savanna Lodge in Sabi Sands

The first member of our welcoming party at Savanna Lodge, Sabi Sands, South Africa.

Upon arrival in our private Executive Suite tented cabana at Savanna Lodge in the Sabi Sands Kruger National Park Conservancy in South Africa, we were immediately surrounded by beauty on both sides. Before we even stepped foot in our tented suite we were stunned by the spacious luxury cabana in the bush and were just relishing in the moment of our new home when we heard a deep breath behind us and turned around to see a lone elephant had just arrived for a drink at the private waterhole in our back yard. She was just yards away (but separated by a low-lying electric fence) which her and us some comfort!

Looking one way we first were stunned by the beauty of our tented cabana at Savanna Lodge.

So, we dropped our day packs, quickly grabbed cameras and now turned our attention to the beauty of the wild outside our back patio. The young female drank from the pond and took her time pulling up the reeds and munching away. We stepped forward a little closer and she took little notice of us as we sat on the lawn with a completely unobstructed view to watch.

We watched in awe, and in very close proximity, from the front of our tent. 

Then, much to our surprise and delight another elephant arrived, and then another, and another with baby and before we had even entered our tent and unzipped our luggage we were experiencing an amazing wildlife encounter on safari in Africa right from the privacy of our own cabana at Savanna Lodge. And we hadn't even been out on a game drive here yet! (More on that forthcoming in another blog so register to receive my next blog for details, images and videos.)

Then the rest of the herd arrived with two babies in tow.
See the live-action video below!

Finally our welcoming party meandered on and we finished our room check-in with time to enjoy our new quarters in the bush before we headed out on our first game drive in Sabi Sands

Our suite had an out-sized bathroom with free-standing bath, double vanities, and double shower. 

There is also a spacious outdoor shower.

keeping it wild,

Kurt Kutay

For more information, we included Savanna Lodge on our South Africa Honeymoon Adventure, and often feature it on custom trips in the Sabi Sand Kruger Conservancy.

A Dog’s Life On Safari In Botswana

Starred down by a pack of wild dogs on safari in Botswana.

....we were taken by surprise when we rounded the corner to find multiple pairs of big ears and piercing eyes starring us down in the middle of the dirt track.

Headed out with "Ace" on safari in Botswana.

Early in the morning on safari in Botswana our guide Ace spotted some paw prints on the dusty earth. You never know what you’ll encounter on safari and not far from Savuti Camp in the Linyanti concession featured in several of our Botswana Wildland Adventures we found ourselves tracking wild dogs. Based on the paw prints on top of our tire tracks from the day before Ace knew they were near.

Impalas are in rut in Botswana. Males are busy watching over their females and young impalas are a favorite prey for wild dogs.

The African wild dog, also known as the Cape hunting dog, is among Africa's most endangered carnivore, although in many remote places assisted by ecotourism in Botswana they are making a comeback fight against distemper, habitat destruction and pursuit by humans in outlying areas. Their golden brown coloration with white, tan and black mottles helps them blend into the tall grasses of the Mopane woodland habitat, but at this moment they stand bold and brazen in the open glowing in the early morning light.

Graceful giraffe in the golden grass of the morning light in Linyati Concession of Botswana.

Little did we know this was going to be a day in the life of the wild dogs of Savuti. After carrying on from our first dog sighting we spotted giraffe, waterbuck and other game on todays' safari in Botswana before running into the dog pack again prancing deftly through the bush calling out to each other to stay in contact through the thick vegetation. It didn’t seem as if they were on any particular mission at the moment as the morning turned from frisky cool air to sundrenched warmth and the pace of life in the bush begins to slow. So we returned to camp as they fanned out across the terrain and disappeared into the bush.

Dogs and cats of the wild like to sleep during the day although wild dogs often hunt by day.

When we headed back out for our afternoon game drive Ace suggested we return to the area where we last saw the pack because he predicted this time of day we’d probably find them bedded down since they are more active at dusk and dark; sure enough, dogs will be dogs especially in the African mid-day heat and Ace tracked them to an open area under shade catching some z’s for the busy night ahead. 

We found our pack taking an afternoon snooze in the shade. Little did we know they were resting for their late afternoon hunt.

As sunset approached and we were getting ready to stop for sundowners, we scratched the gin and tonics and made a be-line across the bush when we received a radio report that the dogs had just made a kill. After their snooze they brought down a young impala. We arrived at dusk within 30 minutes of the hunt when there was a frenzy in the air: we drove upon the scene of bloody-faced dogs trying to regroup their strength as a pack after they lost their kill.

Bloody-faced dog looking to gather the pack to recover their kill...

A hyena must have picked up the scent and tried to steal their meal.

A bold hyena gets away momentarily with the dog's kill until they regrouped and recovered it.

But after some yipping and yowling among the dogs to establish their locations they regrouped and easily ousted the lone scavenger. We watched as darkness fell and the canines feasted on their prize at the end of a dog’s day in Africa. 

In the wilds on safari in Botswana the dogs earn their effort and finish off their kill.

keeping it wild,

Kurt Kutay

For more information see our safaris in southern Africa.