In our first day on game drive, we saw 80% of the mammals we will see in the next 7 weeks in the bush across 4 countries and 1 kingdom in Southern Africa. This fresh elephant kill by a pride of lions was shocking; the picture does not convey the size of this adult Eli nor the size of the lions.

The kudu is a big antelope, which makes a great meal for a hungry cheetah below. Since cheetahs are fast but not strong, he cannot drag it up a tree like a
leopard. He eats fast while looking over his shoulder for other predators.

Giraffes poke their heads up right over the open air game drive vehicle…

Baby lions sleeping in the shade (it is over 100 degrees F. each afternoon)…

Our best leopard sighting of the trip…noteworthy as he is only 5 feet from us…)

It is so dry that all the animals make their way to the river once a day. Too hot to eat or chase, they leave each other alone…..

…except to have sex:

…followed by a nap, of course!

Wildebeests and zebras use their different sensory abilities to detect predators together…

Cape Buffalo are reputed to be the meanest…

…or was that the
Hippos?

The vervet monkeys are the naughtiest (sneaking onto the vehicle to steal cookies out of our hands)…

We haven’t even shown you any bird pictures yet, and this is the first day!!!

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Location:Botswana