Page 106 - Discover Botswana 25th Edition - 2025

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Previous pages: After the first rains the desert turns periodically into a temporary delta, bringing life to all – including the lifeless bones of an aged oryx carcass. This
jackal was going from carcass to carcass, feeding on scraps of meat turned soft by the rain, a perfect example of their ability to adapt and survive. The transition from
death to life is instant, as a blanket of velvety green covers the thirsty sands, and a sense of revitalization fills the air in what I believe is the most dramatic and beautiful
time of year in Botswana’s Kgalagadi.
Above: An oryx quenches its thirst as the golden rays of dusk illuminates the Kgalagadi. When the water hole is guarded by lions, prey are forced to drink from the
diminishing mud puddles formed on sandy roads.
Facing page top: After hours of observing, a cheetah spots the movement of a springbok lamb hidden in long grass, a turn of ear giving away its secret location. The
tiny movement sparks the hunt as the chase begins. Despite the multitude of animals frantically fleeing at her unwelcomed arrival, the cheetah’s eyes lock onto her
prey like missiles on a target, and the hunt is over as quick as it began. During the early summer months when springbok mothers give birth, cheetah hunting activity
escalates with relatively easy meals scattered across the grassy plains.
Facing page bottom: A lioness licks her lips as a giraffe approaches the water hole, aware of the dangerous predicament it now faces. Driven on by an intense
thirst during a severe heat wave, the giraffe has no choice but to face the lions for any chance of survival. After several failed hunting attempts the pride
finally retreated to the shade, allowing the giraffe a deserved opportunity to quench its thirst and live to see another day.