Our plane to Moremi was scheduled for just after 1pm so we had time for a morning excursion. After breakfast, Mike and I and Niels collected our bush babies and joined Karl and Gee on the boat. Helena had an upset stomach so had a morning rest. We headed for Lopis Island which is a 40 min boat ride away where we heard the baboons barking. 

It was cold on the boat but a lovely light. I had my scarf to cover my head as managed to leave my hat at Savute. It was cold with no hat the day previously. 

We saw some (6) Red Lechwe crossing the river in front of us. So cool. Evidently they splash in the water with their front legs and then wait 5 minutes or so before swimming across fast to avoid becoming crocodile food. 

We passed a branch of papyrus with about 7 little bee eaters all sitting close to get warm. They were so cute. Every now and then one or 2 would fly to the next reed and bounce up and down. They didn’t seem to mind that we had to restart the motor every time we drifted past. 

African guides have amazing eyesight. They can see a locust 500m away when driving 80km/hr or whizzing past in a boat!

We landed at Lopis Island and began our walking safari, this time travelling much faster. We got quite close to a giraffe feeding. Karl said that they give birth standing up so quite often the babies die from a broken neck if they come out the wrong way or land awkwardly. This one had only one horn and he said that could have happened at birth. It was on its own so perhaps not attractive enough for company!

We set off across this huge grassland area tracking a lion. Karl and Gee pointed out its footprints and we could hear 2 roaring, but they were moving away from us. There were elephants a few hundred metres away and also bushbuck, Impala and warthogs. 

I must confess to having a panic attack in the middle of the grass on the way back to the boat. My imagination was in overdrive as there was sandy soil with big holes in it that looked like snake nests (no one has corrected that view since) and as the third or fourth in line the areas above some holes started to collapse as I stood on them. I had visions of landing in a nest. On our way back to the trees we stood on a mound and everywhere seemed to collapse and I was jumping about. So we had a couple of minutes of calm time and then set off again. I still haven’t actually seen a snake in Africa but was glad when we got out of the grassland. 

We saw some neat vegetation and cute monkeys and lots of birds.

 

The trip back on the boat was excellent and we stopped at a bank beside a sizeable crocodile sunning itself. It is about half grown and obliged by letting us take photos. 

We had time to have brunch, pack and then walk to the airfield after we got back. Just as we heard the plane, the guy in the lookout jeep (there is always a lookout jeep midway along the airfield) radioed to say there was a male lion crossing the end of the runway. He was likely the one moving away from us on the island. Fortunately he kept going and there was no issue for the plane landing. 

We were met at the Moremi airstrip by our new guide, Cops. He is very tall and very black and not terribly chatty, which is unusual for a guide (the lack of chat that is).