South Africa
Kgalagadi NP
Kgalagadi is one Africa's great wilderness regions, it is the first transfrontier park with a significant part located in Botswana. Infrastructure is more developed in the south african side with roads manageable in a 2WD car. This is the area we have been able to visit in September 2009, August 2012 and September 2022. During these visits we made use of available campsites in Twee Rivieren and Mata Mata. The park covers a huge area of dry kalahari sand with interspersed bushes and the characteristic shepherd trees. Wildlife is concentrated along two, usually dry riverbeds, the wide and open Nossob and the steeper, narrower Auob. It is along the latter that most pictures below were taken. Kgalagadi lacks large herbivores like elefants, buffaloes, rhinos and hippos, but supports big herds of springbock and antelope, including the iconic gemsbuck. Predators like lion, hyena and leopard are well represented and this is one of the best areas in Africa to observe cheetah.
Surface water is rare in the kalahari and artificial wells driven by windmills are the only source in the park. These windmills are located in fairly regular intervals along both rivers and are centre of attraction for wildlife. Also gemsbuck, which are - when needed - independant of water, gather around these wells.
A herd of springbuck was looking for seeds under some surprisingly green camelthorn trees. These trees have extensive and very deep roots enabling them to reach the ground water.
Springbuck fawns are able to run within 15 minutes from birth, but are still vulnerable to an array of predators. Often mothers prefer open grasslands in the dunes with lower predator density to give birth and spend the first weeks thereafter.
Gemsbuck and two bateleur eagles at an overflowing well. The horns of these large antelopes are formidable weapons and gemsbuck know well how to use them, they are no easy target for predators.
Herds of wildebeast and groups of red hartebeast can usually be found in the riverbeds.
The Auob near Mata Mata is home to a small number of giraffes, surprising in this arid environment.
2022 was an exceptional year in Kgalagadi caused by highly unlikely winter rains. In September the grass was dry but still very long and ubiquitous seeds had led to an explosion of rodents and birds. Hunters including snakes, owls and birds of prey were to be found in astonishing numbers.
This mole snake is a non poisonous, powerful constrictor.
Puffadders are ambush hunters, they possess a strong haemotoxic venom.
Cape cobras are active at daylight using a potent neurotoxic venom in search of rodents.
13. borehole in the Auob was frequented by a spectacular number of red-billed queleas.
A cape crow and a pair of red-necked falcons both succeeded in catching a meal.
Lanner falcons usually prefer larger prey like pigeons but were attracted to the shear number of queleas too.
The time of plenty gave superb chances of raising her chicks successfully to this spotted eagle owl.
Black shouldered kites are inter african migrants and were attracted in large numbers by the abundance of mice.
Higher up in the food chain this tawny eagle killed what appears to be a mole snake.
Lions are a common sight in the riverbeds, males are often impressively large.
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As long as prey animals like these springbuck have the hunters in plain sight, they feel safe.
One afternoon near Twee Rivieren we came across a lion pride, which had managed to immobilize a gemsbuck.
In particular the younger pride members constantly played with and harassed the injured animal. Its fate was sealed and the lions finally killed it during the night and had feasted the next morning.
This black maned Kalahari male had climbed a dune to get a better view of the Nossob riverbed below in his search for prey.
At one of the windmills a spotted hyena defended her wildebeast carcass against cape vultures.
Leopards are found mostly in the Nossob river and the southern Auob, they are excellent climbers. Being largely nocturnal this cat gave a midday show.
Seemingly hungry the cat was stalking rodents.
Usually small to medium antelopes are targeted, but leopards can survive on smaller prey like rodents or frogs. This animal finally caught a ground squirrel.
Kgalagadi is one of the best places in africa to observe cheetahs and it is in particular in the narrow Auob riverbed where with some luck a hunt can be watched.
female on a good vantage point near Twee Rivieren
male cheetah on the move using the Auob road
A few km south of Mata Mata this cheetah was overlooking the Auob river in search of possible prey.
At the same time and closeby down in the riverbed a cheetah mother was nursing her two cubs. At this young age they are very vulnerable from competing predators like lions or hyenas. Mom needs to be on constant alert and also has to deliver food daily, not an easy life at all!
While watching the cheetah family some distance away a group of springbuck suddenly panicked and ran in our direction at full speed. The cheetah we observed on top of the riverbed was running down towards them, but failed to catch up.
Now our cheetah mom saw her chance. She left the cubs behind and stalked the distracted springbuck, moving quickly around them while making use of available cover. It was not long that the springbuck had to run for their lives a second time that morning. They came at maximum speed directly towards our car, followed by the cheetah. All of them passed just meters away with amazing speed and the sound of hammering hooves and feet.
All the power and speed of the cat, which is only possible with the help of semi retractable claws and an extremely flexible spinal cord, was not enough this time to catch up with the prey. Some very lucky springbuck escaped with their lives for a second time within 15 minutes and continued grazing the river bed for another day.
An exhausted and disappointed cheetah mom soon after rejoined with her cubs.
