Our last full day in Chobe was one of the best! We were back on the basic schedule of morning game drive, lunchtime river cruise, and afternoon game drive. After a quick buffet breakfast, we met our guide Sue at the 4×4 game truck and were underway.
Morning Game Drive
Soon after we began our morning game drive, we happened upon an amazing sight! We had just turned a corner and started down the road when Sue laughed and said “Did you see that?” before reversing.
Cape Buffalo
We had driven right by 3 large Cape buffalo bulls! How we missed such big animals so close to the road I’ll never know. They were “dagga boys” which are older bulls who separate from the herd.
Normally Cape buffalo are dangerous because they attack without warning when they feel threatened. Thankfully these older bulls were very calm; the closest ignored us so diligently that he didn’t even look at us.
Kori Bustards
After the buffalo, we found 2 kori bustards. These are the largest flying birds in Africa although they only fly when necessary due to their weight.
Impala
Then we drove by a large group of impalas. Female impalas and their young can live in herds of up to 100. Following the impalas, we turned back toward Chobe Game Lodge.
Chacma Baboons
Near the lodge, we spied chacma baboons frolicking in the trees. There was even a mother with her infant on her back as she climbed down.
Chobe River Cruise
We had an a la carte lunch at the restaurant before heading down to the jetty/dock for our cruise. There was a little family of banded mongooses playing on the sidewalk and curled up in a nearby rock. We saw a dozen mongooses around the lodge, especially in the grass below our patio. This was the closest we had been.
Elephant Herds
A small herd of elephants ambled down to the river. They had a couple of calves with them so it was great to see. Chobe is known for having the largest population of elephants in Africa.
While elephants drink by bringing water up to their mouth with their trunks, calves drink their mother’s milk for 2 years or more.
Young elephants can’t control their trunks very well and try to mimic the adults’ movements by sticking their trunks in the water.
Nile Monitor Lizard
Wandering across the rocks on the shore of Chobe River was a Nile monitor lizard. They have sharp claws for climbing and digging. These large lizards can grow up to 7 feet (approx. 220 cm).
African Fish Eagle
A bird we saw every day is the African fish eagle. They perch on trees near the river and catch fish as their name suggests.
Elephant Herds
At the ravine by the river, we saw something spectacular! It started with just one elephant herd by the river and then two more joined them. So many magnificent creatures and adorable babies!
Baby elephants stay close to their mothers for the first few months. They recognize their mothers by touch, scent, and sound. Little elephants are so, so cute! I could watch them all day.
Bright yellow sulphur butterflies hovered all around. They drink minerals from the sand where elephant herds have urinated. It was fun to watch them flutter around the giants.
Afternoon Game Drive
Elephants
First on the afternoon game drive was … more elephants! There were a handful of cows and two older calves. They twist their trunks in a circle around grass to get a firm grasp and pull it up. Elephants can eat up to 330 lbs. (150 kg) each day.
Kudu
Farther into the park, the coat patterns of three kudu males popped against the green landscape. They had impressive spiraled horns.
Right near the kudu was a mother elephant and her calf. A giraffe towered above the brush, standing among the clouds.
Cape Buffalo
Then we drove out into the floodplain. While we were in the field, we spotted activity in the distance. There was a stampede of Cape buffalo running toward a small elephant herd. Dust flew in the air. We watched for a while but never saw what they were running from.
Hippos
After the floodplain, we drove by some large ponds. One was full with a pod of hippos.
A hippo yawned widely which is an incredible sight. Hippos can stretch their jaws to nearly 180 degrees. This gives them the ability to have a strong bite force – enough to break bones.
Nearby, we watched a hippo and crocodile face off until eventually the hippo left.
Chacma Baboons
We stopped for a ‘sundowner’ break of drinks, soda, and snacks. Right next to where we’d parked was a troop of chacma baboons. There were several infants playing on the ground and adults grooming each other.
There was one adorable infant riding on its mother’s back who looked like he was telling stories to the baboons he passed.
Large chacmas were eating fruit in the trees.
Sunset
The sun began to set as we turned back for the lodge. Purple and orange saturated the sky, providing a stunning backdrop.
Private Dinner
When we arrived back at the lodge, there was a lovely surprise. We had a private dinner set up on the patio of our suite. I had forgotten that the dinner was part of the Best of Chobe Game Lodge. It was amazing to have dinner overlooking the pool, grounds, and Chobe River.
Best of Chobe Game Lodge Package
2020 Price: R59,852 (approx. $4,144) for 4 nights
Lol those baboons! Adorable!
Yes! I love watching them! All that movement and the babies are so cute!!
Who knew some of these animals are so precious!?
Hey Charlotte! Yes, some of them are so adorable. It’s awesome to see them out and about.
Tonight I took the time to catch up on your newest blogs. An evening well spent. The Chobe Game Lodge should offer a honeymoon package. That private dinner looked So romantic. The river cruise, outstanding. Thank you.
Thanks Liz! The private dinner would be so romantic for a honeymoon. We think there was actually a wedding party there the same time as us.