Okavango Delta, a paradise for animal stories

Okavango Delta, the largest and most wildlife-rich wetland in Africa, is fed by the river of the same name from the highlands of Angola. The city of Maun, located to the north in Botswana, is the gateway.

With specially developed vehicles, skylights for ultimate viewing and photo opportunities, and a competent crew that takes care of our well-being, we begin our journey in the northern Moremi National Park.

September/October is a good time for big game viewing. The delta is excellently filled with water, the animals can indulge, and the area is virtually a paradise filled with milk, honey, and chocolate.

Elephants love to take baths frequently to cool off, care for their skin, and of course, it is fun when a boat passes by, creating some waves.

We drive further along a waterway, passing numerous dead buffaloes, with a very dominant smell of decay, and crocodiles approaching—a rather sobering situation. The cause is likely contamination of the water or an unknown disease.

We continue past the ugly old man, the marabou, thankfully only from behind, the yellow-billed stork, the snoring desert king, and the Pundamilia (zebras).

Right on time at the camp, we are greeted with a four-course meal with chilled white wine and the background noise of trumpeting elephants and roaring lions.

African wild dogs are critically endangered predators known for their unique hunting technique and strong social behavior. They are coursing hunters that hunt in packs, chasing their prey, here a pregnant antelope, until exhaustion, before bringing it down.

After setting up the camp and the sanitation tents, our brief trip for sundowners was rewarded with an elephant story.

The adult elephants tried to cross a river, and after several attempts, while we had been wondering about their restlessness and constant back and forth, they finally dared to step in very cautiously. Once on the other side, it became clear to us why they had hesitated and tested it for so long. Honk honk :-))

The crowning conclusion of this journey was the Victoria Falls. Easily reachable from Kasane in northern Botswana. The waterfalls are located on the Zambezi River and were discovered by missionary David Livingstone in 1855.

...and now for some animal impressions....