Page 19 - Discover Botswana 24th Edition 2024

www.discoverbotswanathebook.biz 19
O KAVA N G O
The Okavango Delta remains one
of the last true wilderness areas
in the world. The meander of
waterways crosses the landscape
and defines the aquatic lifestyle
associated with the Delta. It is
also home to a large number of apex predators;
namely lion, leopard, wild dog, hyena, cheetah
and crocodile.
Lions are probably at the top of everyone’s
list of apex predators. The Okavango Delta
supports some of the largest and healthiest
prides of lions with numbers at times over 35.
Territories are vast and spread across a varied
range of land and water. Lions find strength in
numbers, coordinating their hunts amongst
the pride, using various hunting techniques
which depend mainly on terrain. One way is to
spread out, lay low and force their prey to run a
certain direction, herding them towards waiting
members of the pride who will make the final
catch. On several occasions I have witnessed
lions practising this hunting technique using
the bend in one of the meandering waterways.
Lions are spread along the bend out of plain
sight, awaiting plains game coming to drink.
The prey will be trapped, allowing no way out.
The kill may happen on land or in the water as
prey often attempt to escape danger by crossing
the water.
Leopards rely more on camouflage - they are
ambush predators, and generally feed daily.
A leopard hunt might take several hours, they
are patient hunters and don’t act on impulse as
lions do. They are opportunistic hunters and
in between hunting larger game like impala &
kudu, they continuously feed on smaller animals
including ground birds, squirrels, mongoose
and occasionally even snakes and lizards.
While the leopard is stealthy and waits for its
prey to approach before shooting out of hiding,
wild dogs actively hunt, and cover vast distances
in search of prey. They are persistent hunters and
are not easily defeated, seemingly rather small,
but their strength lies within the pack members.
They can cover miles without needing to rest
and are strategic when it comes to using the
terrain and planning their hunting technique.
Previous pages: Snarling at the water, a
lioness starts to cross one of the many
rivers in the Okavango Delta. The lions
here grow up around water, but just like
any cat, they avoid it where possible.
Being territorial, rivers crossings are
necessary to follow the game and
maintain the pride land.
Facing page: A male leopard descends
into the darkness of night to quench
his thirst. Under pressure from hyenas
to protect his kill earlier in the day,
he hoisted the carcass up a tree.
Competition for meat amongst the apex
predators is constant as they battle it out
to survive.
Above: Lions tend to make river crossings
with both caution and haste. Once
committed, they tend to do it as quickly
as possible as danger lurks in the form
of crocodiles. Crocodile attacks are well
documented especially the taking of
young and inexperienced cubs.