August 15, 2018
The morning was eventful, starting with a mini-game drive before we departed Moremi Game Reserve. One of the first things we saw was a Great White Pelican, standing alone in shallow water. Mothusi, our guide, told us that pelicans are really fascinating birds because they are able to catch a fish and subsequently squeeze the water out of their mouth,... more
August 14, 2018
Today was a day of observations, which means we got to see a little bit of everything as we traversed the delta. But, today was especially memorable because it is the first (and only so far) time we have seen a lion! I came on this trip with an appreciation for all wildlife, but a strong drawing to these majestic... more
August 13, 2018
The sun rose on our first day in Makgadikgadi National Park and even though I had received a full 10 hours of sleep I found myself glued to my bed mat. We had been in Botswana for two weeks and the fatigue of changing campsites for the fourth time had set in. We had just gotten in from Maun the... more
August 12, 2018
One of the major themes of this course has been human-wildlife conflict in areas where there are no clear (if any) boundaries between wilderness and human existence. While a notable portion of conflict stems directly from human-wildlife proximity, such as crop raiding by pesky elephants, nature is often caught in the middle of the conflicting interests of humans. Of the... more
August 11, 2018
We were all hoping to see large predators, but they are typically active at night, when you don’t want to be out roaming around in these ecosystems. When you do see them during the day—for instance the lions and leopards we observed on occasion—they rarely do anything then other than sleep or otherwise rest up for their night-time hunting forays... more
August 10, 2018
After an incredible first night in Moremi Game Reserve and a stunning eclipse, we all had some time to “sleep in” this morning. Our day began at a crisp 6am with the beautiful sound of hippos grunting and our ever-exciting “good morning” call. Right off the bat, we gathered around the fire with a cup of coffee for a lesson... more
August 10, 2018
Our day in Moremi began on safari with the search for big cats. While one car had already had their first leopard sighting the day before, the other was more eager than ever to see the elusive cat. After meandering through the less traveled roads we found ourselves on the main road driving from island to island. That’s when I... more
August 9, 2018
After seeing some of the adult African wild dogs yesterday, our car was eager to make it to the den to see the puppies. We headed out in the late afternoon, just as the intense heat of the day was becoming bearable. The den itself consisted of a small mound in a clearing just off the road. As we arrived,... more
August 8, 2018
On our evening drive we were on the search for wild dogs and their pups that we knew were in the area. Suddenly, a line of six dogs come out of the tall grass, walking right past a seventh laying in the grass that I hadn’t even noticed was there. They walked right by our car, seemingly unaffected by our... more
August 7, 2018
After over 24 hours of flying and a couple of comfortable nights in Maun, our journey to the Okavango Delta has begun. Despite our varying levels of jetlag we are all excited to head into the wilderness, or what people here call "the bush." Our group, chatting excitedly, piles into two rather impressive vehicles. Although we have spent months preparing... more