Chobe National Park, 1

Botswana's premier wildlife reserve is Chobe National Park, only a few kilometers from Senyati. On September 6th the safari trucks took us there. Only 4WD vehicles are allowed, and not all of them can handle the deep sand.

"African massage" it's called, riding the 4WD truck across the
bumpy sands

Most of this was along the Chobi river and marshland

No swimming

A Monitor; ugly critter

The usual impala

Waiting for lunch

River tour boat

A striped kudu or possibly something else (I'm at an oyster bar
in Port Vendres, France, and don't have my African animal guide
handy)

Impalas are especially predator-wary, and the baboons prefer
their company

When feeding, baboons always appoint a sentinel to keep an
eye on things

There he is

With a friend

Of course, baboons are not all brilliance; here's one picking
through elephant droppings for undigested morsels

The birds are not impressed

Nor is Mr. Croc

Note the bird exploring the gash on the hippo; a little croc in
the background

Peaceable kingdom

Night At Senyati

After sundown, they turn on a few floodlights as the elephant parade continues...

From Senyati's Hide

The hide adjoins the watering hole, and the elephants are just outside. They're clearly aware that humans are that close but seem not to mind...

Inside the hide

OK, a male saunters by...

And another

The hole is served by this (spring? bore?) outlet