Location:  Kalahari Plains Camp, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana
Date:  28 February 2010
Observer: Simon Stobbs 
Photographer: Simon Stobbs

Arriving at Kalahari Plains Camp mid-afternoon with its wonderful vistas of this remote area, I was not going to pass up the opportunity of a short afternoon game drive. As we did not have a great deal of time, we stayed close to camp. In spite of this, we still had great sightings of springbok and oryx. On our return to camp we found two honey badgers foraging. Viewing honey badgers anywhere is a treat, but to see them carrying on as if we were not even present was a first for me. It was also interesting to see a Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk perched in a tree near the honey badgers. The goshawk would associate with the honey badgers to grab any possible prey items that they disturbed. I had heard about this symbiotic relationship a number of times, but this was my first time to see it.

As dusk fell, the sound of barking geckos echoed around us and returned to camp shortly before dark. I headed straight for the pool area as I wanted to show some staff where the honey badgers were - since they had been in the open area in front of camp. It was then that I noticed the tawny figure of a lioness moving close to camp. She headed across the open area and disappeared into the desert night.

The next morning was an early start as we were heading to the world-renowned Deception Valley. We saw a couple of oryx, springbok and steenbok on our way to the pans, but it was only once we arrived at the pans that we started to see game in larger numbers.

We were fortunate to find a large male lion lying in the open against the backdrop of Deception Pan itself. We found a further three lionesses sleeping in a thicket. As the sun rose in the sky, the animals began to retreat into the shade. We returned to camp around midday and enjoyed the afternoon in the comfort of the camp. It was a really hot day and gave me even more respect for the adaptability of the animals that survive in this uncompromising wilderness.

Late afternoon we did a short walk with 2 Bushmen and they showed us how they survive in the desert. It was fascinating to see and something that made me realise how much I take for granted in my daily life. Read more about this memorable experience here.

During dinner we were treated to the spectacle of a thunderstorm moving in from the south-west. Lightning struck at regular intervals on the horizon offering one of the greatest light shows one could ever wish for. The rain arrived during the night and stopped shortly before we departed on morning game drive.

It was amazing to see the contrast to the landscape compared to the day before. It was as if the desert had been swathed with a tinge of green. The roads were full of puddles and big herds of game gathered in the pans, safe in the knowledge that the rain would make their lives that bit easier, if only for a few weeks. We were also fortunate to see a number of bat-eared foxes this particular morning.

I would have loved to have spent another week here to have seen the entire transformation to the landscape, but I was nevertheless glad to have experienced the desert as I did. This piece of wilderness is a huge contrast to other areas in Botswana that I have seen and a visit to the Central Kalahari certainly contributes to a comprehensive experience of this diverse country.