Namibia - Okonjima/Africat Foundation

After traveling to Bitterpan, Marius and I re-joined Chris and Kalima at the Mata Mata entrance/exit gate to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on Valentine's Day and crossed the border from Botswana into Namibia.  Chris and Kalima headed to Etosha National Park a few days ahead while Marius and I took a detour to the Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge - a luxury resort - for a hot shower and a soft bed.  It was a perfect place to spend the evening with my Valentine!

On our way to Etosha we stopped at Okonjima nestled among the Omboroko Mountains for two days. Okonjima is a Herero word meaning "place of the baboons".  Okonjima is also the home of the AfriCat Foundation.  AfriCat became internationally renowned after being featured in a Discovery Channel documentary filmed in 1995 and 1996.

Namibia is home to the world’s largest wild/free-ranging cheetah population; the majority of this country’s cheetahs and leopards can be found on approximately 7000 commercial farms. These large carnivores occasionally prey upon the livestock that roam unprotected in the bush. As a result, carnivores are often regarded as vermin by the livestock and game-farming community and are deliberately trapped and/or killed.  AfriCat has taken in a large number of captive cats/carnivores no longer wanted by other establishments. Among the carnivores being rescued, researched and rehabilitated by AfriCat are cheetah, leopard, lion, caracal, wild dog and hyena.

Okonjima is a family-run business. Wayne, Donna and Rosalea Hanssen who co-own and live on the property, bought Okonjima from their parents, Val and Rose in 1993 turning, the then, cattle farm into a conservation project.

Today the 20,000 hectare Okonjima Nature Reserve – is still the home of the AfriCat Foundation.  AfriCat’s main focus is - Conservation through Education, Researching Carnivores & Rehabilitating Captive Cheetah.

Martin our guide explaining AfriCat's mission.

Various tracking devices used by AfriCat.

Steenbok - one of the many animals at Okonjima

A Cheetah in one of the reserve enclosures.

We arose early the next morning to join Martin who took us on a tracking expedition to find Nkosi, a male Leopard.  The cats are tracked with electronic devices that pick up signals from the collars they are wearing.  Martin is exceptionally good at finding the animals!!  While searching for the Leopard we could not get out of the vehicle because they are aggressive toward humans.  Martin maneuvered the vehicle through some pretty dense bush until we found Nkosi lying under a tree concealed in the tall grass.

Martin using a tracking device to find Nkosi.

Nkosi had gotten into a bit of trouble with another Leopard the day before and had to be darted in order to break up the fight and then relocated.  Leopards, we were told, will fight to death if necessary in order to maintain their territory.  We were on a mission to find Nkosi and make sure he was okay.

Nkosi - meaning revered one or king.

DIZZY AND HER CUB

When I heard about the Cheetah rehabilitation program I wanted to participate.  Martin told Marius and I about a seven year old Cheetah named Dizzy who was successfully rearing a cub.  We set out to find her that afternoon with high hopes after experiencing Martin's outstanding tracking ability earlier in the day.  This time he took along his assistant to help and we were able to get out of the vehicle because Cheetahs will not attack humans unless they are provoked.

Tracking Dizzy on foot.  Marius there on the right.

Dizzy was an eight-month-old cub when she came to AfriCat. She arrived around the same time as four other cubs - Ruff. Tumble, Dash & Baxter who were all of similar age.  They were introduced to each other and bonded soon after.  Dizzy and her coalition were released into the Okonjima Reserve on the 1^st June 2012. She was 5 years old and soon showed her dominance and desire to survive. Four weeks after the release, Dizzy broke away from the coalition. Dizzy made Okonjima/ AfriCat history when she became the first cheetah in the park to give birth to three cubs born in the wild!

Dizzy has proved to be a great mother, however it is not easy to protect three cubs from predators. Studies show that many cheetah cubs are killed in the first 3 months. Unfortunately this was the case for two of Dizzy’s cubs, one presumably being killed by male cheetahs and the other by leopard, before turning 4 months. Every day with Dizzy and her cub in the reserve is a blessing, and the little one, at the time of the photos below, was turning 7 months! 

Dizzy in the foreground with her cub.

Dizzy's Cub

A playful moment!

Dizzy patiently waiting while the cub decides to climb a tree.

Climbing backwards up the tree!

Oops!  Not such a good idea!

We stayed with Dizzy and her cub for a couple of hours and after doing so I officially adopted her for a year by making a contribution to the AfriCat Foundation.

On the way back to the lodge we experienced this incredible sunset.  Yet another spectacular close to a most memorable day.

Jackal and Porcupine - an unlikely pair at the Okonjima water hole.

I would like to acknowledge Martin our guide for his passion for the animals, his dedication to his work and the visitors entrusted to his care.  He is a remarkable person who made our visit one that we will never forget!!

GOOD LUCK DIZZY.  May you live long and prosper!

The Polentswa Wilderness Trail

The highlight of the Kgalagadi was our three days in the bush with no fences between us and the wild on the Polentswa 4X4 Wilderness Trail.   Access is controlled and you are allowed to drive on the trail in groups of two to five vehicles a day.  Ours were the only two vehicles on the trail and we saw no other humans for three days.  

The first night was uneventful in the Polentswa camp.  Marius relaxed and studied the route we were to take on his GPS while Chris, always looking for an adventure tried to get a 4 foot long Puff Adder to come out of a bush.  He got quite a scolding from all of us even though he used to work in a reptile park with snakes in Durban!

At the trail head

Studying the trip route

Chris teasing the Puff Adder in the bushes

Day Two’s activities included driving through the first white clay pan called Tweeling Rambuka.  Chris and I tested the depth by walking through.  He went all the way across but I retreated after the little creatures in the water started tickling my legs.  Yikes!!  The pans are depressions in the land where water evaporates faster that it is replaced.  Most hold water after a heavy rain but dry up quickly into hard crusty and cracked surfaces.  The Cruiser hauled through the slimy stuff with no problem.  Kalima had to gas it through in the 4x4 rental but also made it without any problems.

Enter at your own risk!!

Assessing the pan

Tweeling Rambuka Crossing

We stopped along the trail for some of Marius’ bully beef, beans and onion.

View of the trail

Chris helping with brunch

Danger, men cooking!

Devil's Thorn

The Kalahari Desert was in full bloom following recent rains.  The yellow Devil’s Thorn flowers blanketed the ground for miles.  I could not imagine how they got their name.  They were so delicate and fragile looking.

Sociable Weaver nest in a dead tree over a blanket of Devil's Thorn

We decided that the Devil's Thorn must be holding a secret that is revealed well into the dry season.  The Cat’s Tail, Desert Lilies and Nerine only last a short while after the summer rains so we timed it perfectly.

Desert Lily

Cat's Tail

Nerine

Even butterflies need water in the Kalahari

That night we spotted two lionesses eyeing some Eland about 300 yards from our campsite at Sesatswe.  They watched us after the Eland left and then disappeared into the bush.  The next morning we found these two fellows right outside our camp.  Fortunately for the Hartebeest and Gemsbok they took a greater interest in Chris and Kalima.  One of them laid down right in the shade of their vehicle giving the occupants quite a thrill!

Sesatswe Camp

Lucky for the Hartebeest and Oryx they were more interested in us!

They are VERY big lions when they are up close!

Day Three we reached Chris’ dream destination – a place called Kaa which means “nothing”.  I asked him what the significance was and he said, “It is just in the middle of nowhere and I wanted to say I’d been here!”  Kaa is the site of the most remote entrance to the Kgalagadi from the Botswana side.

Chris and Kalima at Kaa Campsite #1

The third night we camped at Lang Rambuka.  We put our vehicles a little closer together, knowing for sure there were lions close by even though we could not see or hear them.  We had a great dinner and sat around the campfire under an almost full moon before climbing into our rooftop tents.

Moved the vehicles closer together at Lang Rambuka

A bigger fire too!

It wasn’t long before we heard an owl in the tree above our tent with a deep, throaty WHOO-HOOOO.  Hearing the soothing sound, I fell fast asleep.  In the morning, sure enough, we spotted this group of feisty boys and girls on the pan fronting our campsite.  

Comparing a lion paw to Marius' hand

As we reached the end of the trail this Secretary Bird landed right in front of the Cruiser to bring a close to our adventures on the Polentswa Wilderness Trail.

Secretary Bird

Sleeping in the bush was amazing and something I will never forget!!  

We made our way back to Nossob for fuel that night and split up, with Chris and Kalima heading to Mata Mata and Marius and I taking a sand trail to Bitterpan.

The entrance gate at Nossob Camp

Basic Dune Driving 101

The road to Bitterpan

The lovely ending of another day!