Paradise under stress: KTP October 2019

[Alf]

Stunning

[Klipspringer]

Great sightings, I like the secretary, the vultures and the lions under the large tree

[GavinW]

Friday 11 October 2019

For some reason or other, we didn’t make any notes of what we did on this day, so I am having to put it together using photographs

We left camp early, and as it was to be our only full day at Polentswa, we decided to head further north up to Union’s End

The road was terrible

Sunrise looking back down the road.

There was nothing of note to be seen as we bumbled along past Liejersdraai until this Cape Cobra slithered across the road in front of us.

We decided to carry on as far as Union End, and we were glad we did

[GavinW]

Just past Geinab, we came upon this mob of Banded mongooses.

They were scurrying from dead tree to dead tree, digging in search of food.
Really busy little chaps

A first for us in the Kgalagadi

[GavinW]

They also spent a fair bit of time parking off in the shade of the trees in the riverbed

We went as far as the Union’s End picnic area before turning back

At Liersdraai, this herd of Wildebeest crossed over the road in the direction of the old, now closed, waterhole, kicking up a whole lot of dust as they went

To show how dry it was I needed Debbie to take these photos of a dead tree near the waterhole at Liejersdraai.

It was just before 12 when we got back to Polentswa.

[GavinW]

This juvenile bateleur was at the waterhole, having an altercation with a crow.

As were these wildebeest.

We decided to go back to camp to take a break and get some lunch

On the way back to camp, we took this photo of our campsite from across the pan, to show how dry the area was.

[Lisbeth]

Geinab seems to be the place where to find the banded mongooses as far as I have heard and you were very lucky to see them, also because there wasn't very much else

[Peter Betts]

In my 50 years of going to Kalahari ..never seen a Banded Mongoose ..but then I havent seen a Pangolin there either

[Alf]

Banded mongoose

[Klipspringer]

Banded mongoose are they very rare there?