This morning’s game drive took us to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans and a visit with the meerkats, but we saw other animals and birds along the way.
Northern Black Korhaan (“Helicopter Bird”)
Ostriches
Springbok
Bat-eared Fox
Ground Squirrel
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Everyone was hoping for a photo op with a meerkat in someone’s lap or on someone’s head, but the meerkats were having none of it (perhaps they’re getting tired of tourists). Still, it was fun to watch them digging, exploring and standing sentinel.
This is the closest a meerkat came to someone in our group
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We had breakfast in the bush and then resumed our game drive.
Wildebeests
White-backed Vultures
Acacia shrub
Springboks and Waterbucks
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We returned to camp for lunch and a siesta, then headed back out to the Pans. Most of the group chose to venture further out on ATVs, but a few of us chose another game drive. We successfully located a lioness and her cubs (about 2-1/2 years old) as well as a jackal. The lioness was actually on one side of the “road” and her cubs were on the other side. She woke up from her nap, crossed in front of our safari vehicle, and called for them – and they came.
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We headed back to the Pans for drinks and dinner under the stars.
Some of our group chose to sleep outdoors on the Pans, while the rest of us went back to camp for the night. There were a lot of rustling noises outside my tent that lasted for about 5 minutes before I went to bed. Could that have been an elephant?
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