🙂 Lions for sunrise. Black rhino and lions for sunset.
🙁 Can’t complain but the black rhino mewling all night kept us awake!
Wednesday, 6 January 2021: Etosha Pan, Olifantsrus – Okaukuejo (127Km) 37C
I went to check the hide out at 01h30 (only a springbok) and then again at 04h30 – nothing. Up at 05h45 and packed up. Loved this camp site. Drove to first water hole and decided to take a look – we were the only vehicle out. Delighted to find two females and 2 sub adult male lions playing in the rising sun…watched them playing until 09h00 while we had our coffee. What a way to start the morning! We even thought we were going to witness a kill as a zebra came down to drink and they went into stalk mode – but they spotted the lions and ran off. The female then roared calling to the big male. Heaven on earth….We will let the photos do the talking …. we really did not want to leave…
Finally another car turned up so we though that we would leave the sighting to them, especially as the lions had moved to the shade and were likely to become flat cats very soon. Game viewing was prolific! Ostriches, Giraffe, Zebra, Springbok, Jackals, Eagle, Hartebeest, Gemsbok, Wildebeest etc etc Especially cute with all the newborns! Very Hot.
Charlotte spotted three male lions right next to the road – they were also hot and super lazy so we headed onwards to camp.
Allocated Site 34 – on edge of site and and near the water hole. Lunch was pleasant but very slow service. Spent the afternoon lazing around the pool and when it cooled down at about 16h00 decided to go for another game drive. It was quite amusing listening to a group of women and their kids from Walvis Bay talking to each other in Afrikaans (Walvis Bay Poppies) obviously assuming that we were British and couldn’t understand them… they had hogged every single sun lounger and there about 6 which were unused – she told the kids to put their towels on them so we didn’t take them… the husbands then arrived and said they were going for a game drive but none of the group round the pool wanted to go … but they were still holding on to those sun loungers! We lay on the concrete on our towels which was rather uncomfortable but we were in the sunshine in Etosha feeling fantastic so we were not going to let them bother us. When we were in the pool a bit later the teenagers came to chat to us to ask us where we were from …it was quite amusing as everyone looked horrified when I replied in Afrikaans as they realised that I had understood what they had been saying about us! LOL… Quite amusing.
Still Super Hot. Lots of birds:
A wonderful time of year as they all have newborns.
Back to camp at 18h00 when Godfrey came to fix the car AGAIN. Had a braai with pork chops, pap ‘n sous and salad – delicious. Stunning sunset.
Headed to waterhole. Caterpillars EVERYWHERE!! The descended the trees on threads and covered the walkway and benches – called Commando caterpillars because the large numbers of larvae advancing are reminiscent of a commando of soldiers on manoeuvre. The worst outbreaks occur occur after late summer rain following drought- the exact circumstances which we found ourselves in – what a nuisance!
The waterhole was literally a Garden of Eden! First a lone black rhino came to drink. He was joined by a lioness and two male lions. Then a 2nd, 3rd and 4th black rhino joined the party. Incredible. The lions roared until 23h15! Two black rhinos mewled and snorted and growled at each other all night long! A car alarm went off at about 02h00 – then ours did the same!! Very disturbed night but without a doubt the best camp for wildlife viewing in Etosha!
Go Back to: Olifantsrus
Go To: Halali
