A Few Perfect Days in the Kalahari Winter

Kalahari Plains Camp
Date: 15 – 18 July 2010
Observers: Marian & Mike Myers
Photographer: Mike Myers

I had never been to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve before, and so I really was not sure what to expect. The truth is that you cannot really explain fairly how the “fairy Bushman grass” dances and glows in the light and to the tune of the desert winds, or the vastness, or the magic of what was once a massive inland sea. Although, one thing I can explain fully is the fact that the desert wind was unbelievably cold for our visit. We had the misfortune of arriving at Kalahari Plains Camp at the same time as a cold front, which had just swept through South Africa heralding the end of the World Cup. Although it was cold enough for me to get dressed in bed, we made our way to the early morning fire set in front of the main area of camp where we thawed out with a cup of coffee. Whilst we were remarking on how quiet the night had been for animal sounds, the roar of a lion interrupted us. Another lion accompanied him and both were clearly visible on the plain. We headed out and Mike was just in time to get a pre-dawn shot of the two magnificent beasts walking in front of camp.

That then was the start of one of the coldest, but most rewarding, game viewing days of my life. With the icy cold came clarity of colour in the pale blue sky of the Kalahari that is a delight to any photographer. Aside from massive herds of springbok and oryx, honey badgers, giraffe, red hartebeest, kudu, steenbok and warthog, we managed to get the closest I have ever been to a juvenile Martial Eagle.

But that was not the end of it. We took a drive down to Letiahau Pan where we came across a brown hyaena feeding off the remains of a dead lion. Two days earlier, a territorial battle had ensued and two lions had succumbed. That was the second kill we witnessed that day; the first was a lanner falcon on a Hornbill and the final one was a pale chanting goshawk on a black korhaan kill.

Of course the birds were spectacular too and our special sightings included an ant-eating chat and swallow-tailed bee-eaters. Lots and lots of pale chanting goshawks (affectionately known as PCGs) are a feature of the area.

During our three-day stay, we found what we believe was the black-maned lion responsible for the territorial fight. He was strolling along with a lioness and two sub-adults. It was a fabulous sighting of what we considered THE perfect black-maned lion of the Central Kalahari. We also saw bat-eared foxes and an aardwolf up towards Deception Valley.

The weather finally warmed up so we could do the cultural walk with two Bushmen or San people, which is an activity I can recommend to anyone. We were fascinated when they demonstrated how to catch a spring hare using their elongated reed sticks that had a hook on the end made from the horn of a steenbok. They also demonstrated how they read the signs of the wilderness as well as their tracking and fire-making skills.

After a fantastic three days, we agreed that it would be our wish to make a pilgrimage to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve at least once a year – it is that special. We also agreed that our future visits will not be less than three nights at a time as that way we will be able to cover a larger territory and to get a better feel for the Reserve.

Our thanks to Basha, Russel and the team at Kalahari Plains who made our stay so memorable.