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Namibia Trip - September 2008 September 5 - Etosha Pan and Okaukuejo Camp After getting up we went for a quick look at the waterhole, which was about a 5 minute walk from our tent. There were once again hundreds of birds and a few antelope. We packed up our tents and headed out for more animal watching. |
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 While driving along we saw a pair of lions coming toward the road. Dad drove up closer to where they would cross so we got a nice close-up view of the pair. The lion first crossed the road then marked a bush on the other side of the road. The lioness followed him across and sniffed the bush where he had marked it. We were all amazed at how large these animals are. You don't get the full impact of their size when watching them on TV. |
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 Jane at Etosha Pan with the boys - Treasure, Ruffus, Grumpy, Andy and Festus This shows the pan dried up. The texture of the ground is really strange as it is very fine mud which has formed cracked flakes. We tasted it and it is very salty. |
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After watching a large herd of elephants drinking at a waterhole we went for lunch in a fenced-in picnic area near the waterhole. That way the lions cannot make a meal of you while you are enjoying lunch. This Hornbill was sitting in a tree near our picnic table. |
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We saw what must have been a thousand Zebra at Rietfontein waterhole. It was amazing to be surrounded on all sides by these animals. At another waterhole we saw several Springbok, a couple of Gemsbok and a beautiful Eland buck. |
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On our way to another waterhole we saw this large bull elephant walking down the road coming toward us. There was a small car following just behind him as he walked along. It was a narrow two-lane gravel road and he was keeping to his lane. It was amazing to watch this enormous animal plod along with his huge feet, coming right at us. When he got close to our car he gave us the evil eye but kept on walking in his lane, about 6 feet away. |
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After a full day of watching animals we set up our tents at Okaukeujo camp and headed for the pool. That night we had a braai (BBQ) and went to the waterhole after dinner. There were many birds, about 6 jackals and a couple of elephants. |
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As you can see in the photo above the seating is arranged all around one side of the waterhole with a low stone wall and fence between us and the wild. |
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After dinner Robert and I went back to the waterhole. There was a large bull elephant eating the grass which was growing between the wire fence and the stone wall. We were about 8 feet away from him where he took trunkful after trunkful of grass from the other side of the fence. It was amazing to be that close to such a large wild animal. Later that evening we saw a group of giraffes drinking, with their legs splayed wide apart so that they could get their heads to the water. After watching the elephant for some time we heard a
jackal howl near the waterhole, then another jackal howled in the distance
in reply to the first, and suddenly there was a loud howl right behind the
bench we were sitting on, not 6 feet away. We discovered that there
were quite a few jackals inside the fenced area. That night one
chewed the shoelace off one of Dads boots. The jackal didn't eat it, he just chewed it
off and left the bit lying there. |
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| Windhoek & Halali |
Etosha - Halali |
Etosha - Okaukuejo |
Oujto & Xaragu |
Twyfelfontein & Swakopmund | Swakopmund |
Sossusvlei & Nubib |
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