Kgalagadi Adventure

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a result of the historic 1999 unification of South Africa’s Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and Botwana’s Gemsbok National Park making it one of the largest National Parks in the world – approximately 38,000 square kilometers.  It is named after one of the first black tribes to penetrate the northern Kalahari.  They were eventually driven out but the name they gave the area remains, meaning salt pans or “the land of great thirst”.   The Nossob and Auob Rivers run through the park and much of the game we saw was located in the dry riverbeds.  The Nossob actually has water maybe twice every 100 years and the last time it flooded was in 1963.

Within two hours of being in the Park we spotted a mother leopard and her cub in a tree above the road near our first camp at Kielie Krankie!!

The sunset that night was a breathtaking, deep red glow.  A hyena visited the waterhole that night, not for a drink, but to take a swim.  It splashed around in the water including a roll-over on its back and then jumped out and ran away as quickly as it had arrived.  

The next morning we went back to the spot where we had seen the leopards.  They were gone but we saw lion tracks in the sand in the road and followed them until we came upon these two brothers lying right next to the road.   You can see the famous black manes!  There are no words to explain what it feels like being that close to adult male lions especially when they start growling.  These two were very used to automobiles and basically ignored us except for an occasional, nonchalant glance.

Lion tracks in the sand

The Brothers

Brother #1

Brother #2

Something lions do when they smell another lion

Springbok

Seeing the big cats is the ultimate reward however there is so much more including Springbok, Gemsbok (Oryx), Black Backed Jackal, Warthog, Red Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest, Leopard Tortoise and so MANY birds. 

Oryx

Black Back Jackal

Warthog

Red Hartebeest

Blue Wildebeest

Leopard Tortoise

Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk taking flight

Our favorite and most entertaining little bird with a flattop hairdo is called the Northern Black Khoraan.   These guys cannot fly very well but they are constantly taking off to patrol their 300 to 500 meter section of the grassland.  The entire time they make a terrible noise – kak-kak-kak.   When they set up for landing they put feet out in front and then basically fall in a crash to the ground.  It is hilarious!!  Marius and I never get tired of watching them and have too many photos of their awkward final approaches.

Landing gear down!