Page 69 - Discover Botswana 23rd Edition 2023

KGALAGADI
My thoughts and energy are now the focus of a fourth book on the greater Kalahari.
Life on the road and living out of our trusty Landrover extrapolates into hundreds of days and thousands of hours each year in pursuit of images and film footage. Luckily, I met my wife Noa in the Kalahari some twelve years ago who shares the same passion and dream of recording this environment. For the book – Dark Side of the Kalahari, Noa and I followed a Leopard for two and a half years. We wanted to understand everything about her from her seasons of mating, raising cubs and hunting. But we also wanted to understand and record her deep-seated relationship with her environment and the many other creatures that she shares her world with. Watching her grow and hone her hunting skills, watching her rear cubs and in turn teaching them
Facing page: Leopards are frequently observed in the Kgalagadi. With an enormously varied diet, these spotted cats are adapted to all sorts of habitats surviving on anything from Squirrels to medium sized antelopes.
Above: Bad luck for a young Black-backed Jackal taken by a Caracal. Predators like Caracal are quick to capitalize on any weakness shown resulting in a worthy meal.
Left inset: A male Lion sports an embedded quill from a Porcupine which could take months to remove. Although Lions hunt them, it is a risky game between predator and prey.
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