Game viewing statistics - Botswana
 

Hello everyone,

I just finished my gameviewing statistics from my visits to Botswana over the last 2 years and it seems that I saw 6 different mammal species in every camp (stays ranging from 2 - 10 days) I visited.

Do you Fodorites have any idea which mammals I am talking about?

Greetz,

Johan

Impala
Lion
Elephant
Baboon
Vervet Monkey
Black Backed Jackal

How did I do?

My guess:

impala
kudu
lion
elephant
baboon
warthog

1. Spa Girls
2. British Twitchers
3. Honeymooners
4. Australian Blokes
5. Arielles
6. Fodorites

NapaMatt has an impressive list. I'll trade his jackal for a zebra.

If you saw a serval at every camp I will turn green with envy.

In the Fodors Lounge I wrote that I hate playing games at parties but this game is kind of fun. Maybe if my next holiday gathering gets dull I'll pose this question.

I posted before I saw Predator's list. I'll also trade lion for warthog.

Johan went to Duba Plains, so it's unlikely that he saw a zebra there. Wildebeest at every camp is a possibility. The squirrels are also very successful and possible to see at every camp.....and don't forget hyenas.

With the Duba info, which I should have recalled because I think there were 2 trips to Duba, I revise my list to

Impala
Elephant
Baboons
Vervets
Warthogs
Tree Squirrels

Johan, you better not have tricked us by including Humans as one of the species "in camp."

Hello everyone,

At the moment, there is only one species missing.

And because I went to Duba plains that will exclude some species like Gaurang correctly mentioned.

From the lists I saw, the highest score is 3 out of 6.

And one last thing, in the list of 6 is only one species belonging to the big five.

So I am curious who will know the sixth one.


Greetings,

Johan

ones answer would have to be buffalo. If i remember correctly, there were one or two of them at Duba.

forgot to mention, you always see at least one dagga boy or kakuli at each camp

my vote for No. 6 = tree squirrel

I see that tree squirrel has already been listed, so I'll go with scrub hare.

If only one of the species in your list is a "Big 5" and you went to Duba Plains, then you missed either lion or buffalo there. I will assume it was the lions that were not present.

Buffalo (that's the big 5)
Impala
Vervet
Baboon
Tree Squirrel
Tsessebe (hope spelling doesn't count)

As you can tell, I've become obsessed with your little game.

I just read that only ONE species had not been mentioned.

So now my list is

warthog
baboon
vervet
impala
tree squirrel
buffalo

I am not sure I am comprehending your observation:
You saw six species of mammals in two years of visiting Botswana? Or at the various camps that you visited of all the species of mammal that you have seen only six were common to all camps?

If so:
Giraffe.
Impala
Lechwe
Warthog
Mongoose
Squirrel
Would probably balance the lsit.
Seconding it would be hippo & lion.

The six animals I saw in every camp were the following:

- squirrel;
- baboon;
- wildebeest;
- warthog;
- tsessebe;
- lion.

The only one on the list that surprised me a bit was lion.

Because I went to Duba Plains zebra and impala couldn't figure on the list. Also buffalo are difficult to see
during rainy season in some of camps.

The following species were not seen on only one occasion:

- elephant; common reedbuck; red lechwe and greater kudu.

- leopards (8 out of 12 camps);
- cheetah (6 out of 12 camps);
- wild dogs (5 out of 12 camps).

If I visited one camps three times in these two years than it counted for 3.

During several visits in two years I didn't see a glimpse of the following 5 species:


- sitatunga; roan antelope; eland;porcupine and the elusive pangolin (never seen anywhere by me until now).

Greetz,

Johan

Johan,

I havent been on fodors a lot lately, so i missed out on this thread.....

Ok here's my guess for the 6 camps with cheetah....let's see how i did

Lebala, Chitabe, Mombo, Kwara, Vumbura?, Duma tau........

How did i do.....

the 5 camps with wild dog.......Lebala, Duma Tau, Chitabe, Kwara and Mombo?

Anyways, good fun......

Hari

Hari,

You were very close:

Cheetah: Lebala (2)/Chief's camp/Kwara/Chitabe trails/Baines camp.

Wild dog: Lebala (2)/Duma Tau/Chitabe trails/Kwara.

Greetz,

Johan

Oh, i thought they were 6 induvidual camps.....no surprises though....

I was off the mark a bit.....Baines in particular.

Rgds
Hari

Johan.... during my recent 8 nights in Kwando, I saw eland, roan, porcupine and pangolin. I have some interesting photos but you'll have to wait until I reach that part of my trip report ;) I guess we must have been very lucky, especially considering it was the rainy season.

Hari...I hope all is well. It was unfortunate that we couldn't meet up recently but maybe another time.

Regards

Gaurang

Gaurang,

Your trip must have been amazing I think. I am very curious to read all about it and to see the rest of your pictures.

I am dying to go there again ...

Best regards,

Johan

Hi Gaurang (U r some lucky guy !)
Was the Pangolin seen during a night drive ??

I remember years ago, at the University in jo'burg, there was a kind of a poster saying:
Headline: <b> &quot;There are only 5 Pangolins left (in the Kruger Park&quot; </b>
then second line smaller letters:
&quot;Can anyone prove otherwise ??&quot;
then a whole article ...
I was lucky enough to see it in Kruger Park during day time (very cloudy dark day). got out of my car &amp; ran to it. as it curled i couldn't help touch it
(don't tell anyone) - i was more than ready to pay the fine had a ranger seen me...

aby

Johan (U2 have got some excellent relations with the goddess of luck...)

Can you gather ta list of links for your photos (some under your previous nick)?
Since IMO, yours r probably the best pictures i've seen on this forum

aby
PS how can i send you some comments on your photography ?

seriously some AWESOME luck!!!

Hari

Aby,

I am glad you like my pictures. At the moment, I removed all of them on the different websites (Kodak Gallery - Aardvark - ...).

I'll be planning to do something special after my 3 safaris next year because it will be my last year of extensively going to Botswana. You just have to be a bit patient.

Best regards,

Johan

Johan,

I'm very surprised that red letchwe were missing in one of your camps.....they seemed to be around every other corner in the wilderness of Botswana.

Cheers,
Hari

Hi Guys
What a nice and enjoyable thread to read. I would like to keep it going so I have a proposal. Everyone is always talking about the leopards, lions, wild dogs, etc they saw but what about the smaller nocturnal animals that never get mentioned like the Bat-Eared Fox, the African Wildcat, Porcupine, etc all seen on night drives.
Folks, lets read about the smaller creatures you've seen on night drives. Anyone ever hold a cameleon in their hands or picked up a nightjar?
Mark

Aby....yes the pangolin was seen on a night drive, waiting at the side of the road. Every Lebala vehicle raced to the sighting. We spent 30 minutes with it. All of the guides performed a traditional ritual by touching the pangolin and then touching their head - it is meant to be very lucky. One guide even knelt on the ground and bowed to the pangolin, touching the pangolin with his head, followed by a traditional song and dance.

Even I touched the pangolin - Mark how does that rate for a night drive experience?

Gaurang

Hari,

I missed the red lechwe at Chitabe Trails.

Greetz,

Johan

Chameleons and nightjars are not unknown to me at all. The only problem I got with nightjars, is that they are not easy to identify.

Best sighting I had during a night drive this year, was a serval kitten at Lebala.

Gaurang,

That sighting of a pangolin must have been something. I am sure Spencer, Charles and Thabo gonna tell me all about it next year.

Greetz,

Johan

Hi Johan

I was with Vundi (new guide) at the time and our tracker Julias spotted it. Thabo and Charles were 30 minutes away when we told them by radio (we were 5 minutes from Lebala and they were beyond the airstrip). We still don't know what was more amazing - the pangolin or the fact that Thabo and Charles made it to the sighting in 10 MINUTES!!!! Spencer was on leave when I was there.

Regards

Gaurang

Hi Gaurang,

So....you must just have to return to Lebala when the man is not on leave!!!

Hari