Day 25 – Namibia/Botswana Safari 2015. Khama Rhino Sanctuary

We are up at 05h30 to be ready for a pick up at 06h00 to go tracking rhino, we are on the back of this game viewing vehicle and it is freezing, we drive around for one and a half hours and as it gets light we are searching for recent rhino tracks crossing the sandy road. Eventually our rangers see tracks of a mother and baby and we dismount cracking our icy joints and start to follow the tracks. There are times when I think we have lost them, but our tracker keeps us on track by following other signs, grass bent by their passage, grass eaten, area where they have laid down, dung and finally in dense bush we get see a movement and a large grey shape, but getting closer is too dangerous and they have already got our scent and are on the move.

We liked the experience and spotted other wildlife including Zebra, Wildebeest, Mongoose and a carcase of an Eland that has probably died of old age, there are 52 White Rhino and 4 Black Rhino in the sanctuary and the only predators are 10 Leopards, Spotted Hyena, Caracal and African Wild Cat.

After a late breakfast we go on a self drive and at a bird hide waterhole we come across two White Rhino, Warthog, Impala and a wide variety of bird life.

In the late afternoon we go on a game drive and we see another six White Rhino one with a month old baby. The place is used as a Rhino breeding ground and the Botswana Defence Force are involved in protecting the Rhino and anyone caught killing a Rhino is jailed for 10 to 15 years and have to pay a fine of Pula50, 000.

Another interesting point is that all hunting has been banned in Botswana by the current President Ian Khama who is an avid conservationist; this will obviously be to the advantage of South African Game Farms and to a lesser extent Namibia. 

Khama Rhino Sanctuary our first sighting at the Bird Hide

A Nice Warthog Specimen

Mum and baby going home

A flying Banana according to our guide (Southern Yellow Billed Hornbill)

A Serowe chicken I am battling to identify this bird, the closest I can get is an Orange River Francolin

The endangered species; Mum and baby boy.
In the sanctuary they have named all the Rhino and a male called Jack thinks the swimming pool is his private bath