May 9: Chobe
We got in too late yesterday to go out looking at animals, so
today was our day to be out and about. In the morning, we hit
the water for a boat ride up the Chobe. Among the interesting
bits we passed was a patch of disputed territory, an island in
the Chobe claimed by both Botswana and Zambia. The fight for possession
is being carried out in the World Court, so they should have a
decision any decade now.
Among the animals seen were ibex, elephants, crocodiles, monitor
lizards, vervet monkies, and a number of birds. We were also charged,
or at least lunged at, by a hippo. We've decided that hippos are
such hostile animals because people keep making fun of their cute
little ears.
"Two can play the waiting game...oh, the waiting game sucks. Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!"
Comorant over the Chobe
Our closest encounter, however, was with an elephant. Jimmy, our guide, saw a lone elephant strolling along the bank, and so pulled us up on the shore a hundred meters or so farther down. From our vantage point, we could see him coming closer and closer, occasionally tossing dust on himself. After a few moments, he strolled right in front of the boat, no more than ten feet away from the prow. He stopped, turned to look at us, and after a long moment went back on his way.
.
Elephant approaches
Elephant very close
Elephant watching us
After lunch, we were off for an afternoon game drive. Jimmy is
our guide again, and he has gotten visibly darker in the course
of the day. He speaks some of the local languages, and we start
speculating on his origins. On the drive, there were baboons,
giraffe, mongeese, water buffalo, and many of the same animals
as seen this morning, but in even larger numbers. In particular,
there seemed to be a huge number of elephants, which we saw singly,
in small groups, and in herds of up to twenty or thirty. There
seemed to be a great many baby elephants, which strikes me as
a good sign for the overall elephant population.
Elephants at Mowana heading inland at sunset
Antone and I agree that we wish we had a tape recorder as well
as cameras. The sounds the animals make are just as remarkable
as the sights they present: the snorts of the hippos, elephants
trumpeting, monkies chattering at one another.