Selinda Explorers Camp

Brilliant! It is hard to describe what a wonderful experience we had there. Right from the start we had tremendous animal sightings. On the game drive from the airport to the camp with our guide, Mokopi, we saw the most stunning leopard imaginable. She was in a tree in a mopani forest and not at all bothered by our presence. She found a comfortable position, lay down and went to sleep. We were a mere eight to ten feet away from her, and the light was perfect. We could have sat and watched her all afternoon. We also saw a male lion sleeping in the shade of a tree, a few sable antelopes (a first for us) and a dead aardvark that was being feasted on by vultures. It was not the prettiest sight, but it is another example of the efficiency of nature. The only aardvark it was possible for us to see (a night creature) would be consumed within hours.

Selinda Explorer's Camp is located on the Selinda Spillway. It is designed to replicate the original tented safari camps from days gone past. It is casually elegant. Heavy wooden furniture, exotic carpets, oversized pillows, and lots of lounging places. We were definitely back in our comfort zone. The waterway is a popular spot for elephants. In the afternoons, they make their way down to drink, bathe, splash and play. We never got tired of watching them. If you are adventurous you can book the Explorer's canoe trip which is four nights and five days of "glamping." We aren't likely to sign up for this as Craig gets so distracted by photography that he forgets to paddle, and Lynda doesn't have enough experience to be the captain.

We were also treated to several wild dog sightings. One morning, Mokopi took us to a den where we saw both adults and puppies. The adults were all sleeping, but the puppies were whining and romping around. Another day we were near the end of our morning game drive when Mokopi spotted an excessively large number of vultures circling around. We changed course and headed in their direction. Sure enough there was a pack of wild dogs with the remains of a fresh Kudu kill. Mokopi surmised that we missed the take down by 30 minutes. All that remained at that point was the backbone, the ribs, one leg and the skin. The dogs gorged themselves to the point that their stomachs were severely distended. They need to do this because they regurgitate their food later to feed babies and other members of the pack. On our final morning, another guide found a large pack of newcomers to the area. They were in full hunting mode, but by the time we got there, the dogs had changed their minds and gone to sleep.

We had an amazing lion encounter. We stopped at a watering hole so Craig could take another hippo picture. The sound of the truck caused a head to pop up out of the grass. It did not escape Mokopi's keen eyes. There was a male lion about 100 metres away. We drove over to check him out. Although we were there for about ten minutes, the lion was incredibly uninteresting and we were going to leave. Then Mokopi spotted a set of ears in an adjacent field about 200 metres away. We quickly drove over there and discovered it was a female lion. She was sleeping in the shade, but then she decided to make a move. She led us to a mother, her six month old cub and another female. They were sleeping in the shade of their individual bushes, but they were all within close proximity of each other. We had driven right past them without seeing them in the tall grass. As the sun set and it became cooler, all the lions decided to move. We followed them, lost them, found one of them, and watched as that female met up with the male we had seen earlier. Unfortunately, it was getting dark and we had to return to camp, but it was thrilling to be so close to the lions, yet again.

To Mokopi, Kerrie, Ashley, Freeman, Joe, the chef and all the kitchen and room staff who took such great care of us, we send a huge "thank you." We especially appreciated the romantic dinner for two on our second night when we were the only guests in camp. They set a beautiful table, hung some lanterns, made a fire right outside our tent, and we dined under the stars. On our last night, the camp was full and we were all treated to a traditional Botswana meal. Tradition dictates that the women wash their husband's hands, serve him his meal and sit on the floor at his feet. You had your moment, Craig. It is not likely to ever happen again.

Photos

A final note: None of this could have been possible without the commitment and dedication of the owners of Great Plains Conservation and the Selinda Concession, Dereck and Beverly Joubert. They have been studying, filming and photographing African animals for twenty five years. Their efforts allow people like us to share in the wonder, and for that we are eternally grateful. (We were lucky enough to see the Jouberts in their vehicle the morning we went to the wild dog den. They hung back while we spent some time there. We are looking forward to seeing the results of their latest project.)