Page 47 - Discover Botswana 20th edition

CHDEE Nl'lllUlii\i r/il1l<
National Park
of Botswana's
' I s
‘.H‘iltH in t l- : ii 2‘ ‘ i.li ,i .li ili.i ti
l ‘llHl‘ir i i .i i i ll ‘ll ii ilixiil i-
ii“ "ii ilil ll ill‘ :5 ll-i
WORDS St IMAGES: JAMES GIFFORD

.. he dark ttirnis glided lhmugh the rolling lurquoisu waves
«xi like it pmccssitni of Illl(l(:rW‘.I|4.‘l' glitixts. Al first glance. their
"'._ curvud §i"l0lk‘llI.'d utitllni.-s were stlmttsi rcminlsccnl of '.|

-i V scliutrl nl’dulphins until -.i series tlf telltale. glia-letting trunks

' ‘l‘ hi-entiiirssly erupted rrrnn the depths nr Ihc river, fipmying

' lfifl fountains ofwnter droplcls into the crisp. dusk all‘.

I _ . —< -s. l wlllclled a ynuriprter al the buck. clearly lacking lhc bunyllllcy
ta ' sud conlidcllce ht‘ his older rrlalivcs: his wide. ulnrrnetl eyes hetruyert
_‘._ _ i«=;-s. the sense of fear lhal Comcs with learning lu swim int the firs! rinre.

_ .4.-" ‘ ' V ‘ AllhouglllllcopllqitcsurfdcerclldcrcdIlishtidyinvislbIt‘.ilwas«:as)'ln
"" 57$ _. N‘ ,_ imagine Iuslcgs pedallitigwildlyasliclhitlicallyattcmplcd lnslayallnal

~ , _ '. _‘ . and keep up with the lrcnl. lt tnnk several minute: hetzire his lvrinkled

. Ti 'r.-.: ‘- ' \._‘ . ‘ styles finally relt lhl: reassurilig solidity ofland. in celcbmliult ni his

- , ‘_:;.i_~ ~_ fii‘ .‘ ...._ - '. ‘~"-jt schieirenient,tiiecalrperinrnred an cxllberalll trunk rplnslrsquirtinga

_- _, '.1j;i. J}. ‘;— _ , v 1;’ lurrclllofwillcrnnlllhisnlflivitiusnmlller.

' l ‘ " ' » ' ' "“"' — ,3. / lalsewhere in Arrica, swimming eleplrnnts are-sttnietliiiigntxi rarity,
_. — 4’ _._ _ f- irut I have been lnrtunnte in witness this scene cnuntli-st limcs, Fur.
r na\'lg.\l|ng the broad clrnhe River ls ii regular iiitrlcrtnkini; rnr the parks

—' rcsidcm clcplmnl herds. which are lured acres. by the succulent grass

.-———-$- sprouting [mm the lush islands llml scparnlc Hulswana nntl Namibia.

'[l\c islands’ low-lying elm-rltld banks (unlrzsl rt.-srltly wiih the

__ — orange. parched earth (ha! characlcriscs the mainland al the pt.-nk urtlan
_ dry season. Consequently, hnth elephant and (tn a lesser extent) huirrln

have become adepl swinriricrs in rpite iii the l4.’Vil|l1'Ilin crncodilcs lhal

_ _ inhabit this slrclch nl unter. which pose a rent lhreal tn Iht smallest

nilvrs erhutli spener.
_.
| Prevlmls piles: Life can be a lnnely existence as a leopard euis. Faniales
will hide their cubs tor days at a (lme wiiile they go hunting and patrol
their territory. When this pair are linally rwnited, the cub is understandably
overiuys-d, exuberantly greeting its mather with playful aliection.
Lm: For Globe’: elaphant bulls. Ihe river is not simply a hurdle In
nvucome to reach the nutritious grass on the neighbouring islands. it also
represents a rare opponunity lur c.-sverrlng and playing with each rather.
rrww.tiisctnertretswanstlielmirhir 47