In February 2004 I realised a lifelong ambition and visited Africa for the first time. While most wildlife enthusiasts head to the famous game reserves of Kenya or South Africa, I spent several weeks volunteering on a Nile Crocodile research project in the heart of Botswana.

 

Not only was this a less expensive option, it also gave me a taste of the real Africa, away from the commercial trappings of the tourist industry. The fact I was working on a conservation project only enhanced the experience, although consequently I missed many of the iconic African mammals that are so easy to see on organised safaris.

 

 

On the plus side I spent countless hours cruising along near pristine rivers radio tracking crocs and checking traps. By night we used spotlights to search the same waterways for eye shine, hopefully leading to a crocodile capture so we could collect data, blood and sometimes stomach samples. This information was later used to produce a management plan to help conserve the Nile Crocodile – a vital keystone species to the Okavango Delta.

Wildlife of the Okavango River

Our camp was based on the banks of the Okavango River, several hours away from the frontier town of Maun. Not only did wildlife flourish in the surrounding area, many species ventured into the campsite, much to my delight.

Although not really a birder at the time, it was difficult not to take an interest in the many bird species I encountered.

Birds of prey were conspicuous throughout my visit, especially the magnificent African Fish Eagles that were observed daily along the river. African Marsh Harriers were often spotted from camp patrolling the reed beds, while a Long-crested Eagle graced a nearby tree one afternoon. Bateleur, Black-breasted Snake Eagle, Yellow-billed Kite and Black-shouldered Kite were all noted at various times throughout my time in Africa, and naturally many raptors escaped unidentified.

One group of birds that proved easier to identify were the kingfishers. Pied and Malachite Kingfishers were continuously present along the rivers, and early one morning we spotted a Woodland Kingfisher while searching a lagoon for crocs.

The Herons also caught my attention, with Purple and Squacco being the most common. A couple of Goliath Heron added some variety, as did a number of Black-crowned Night Herons and various egret species.

Bee-eaters were represented by three colourful species; namely Little, European and Blue-cheeked, while Weavers seen included Large Golden and Southern Masked.

Other interesting birds seen along the Okavango River included African Darter, Saddle-billed and Open-billed Stork (below left), Hamerkop (below right), Black Crake, Coppery-tailed Coucal, African Pygmy Goose and Blacksmith Plover.

 

One of my favourite birds around camp was the Grey Lourie with its distinctive ‘Go-away’ call. I cared less for the Red-billed Francolins which would flush yards from my feet giving me a small heart attack time after time.

Pel’s Fishing Owl was heard once or twice, and a pair nested near a dwelling upriver. I’m sure these days I would be much more determined to see such a magnificent species, and I would try to organise a stake out of a regular hunting area. At the time I was far more interested in seeking out reptiles and mammals.

On the day I arrived, I was told of several recent encounters involving venomous snakes in the camp. Snouted Cobras were the main culprits – one had even been found inside a researcher’s tent! Of course I didn’t rest until I found one of these beautiful snakes for myself, finally getting lucky when a particularly large individual crossed a hippo path about a metre in front of me.

Frustratingly the second and third snakes I saw remain unidentified. One was most likely a Western Green Snake but views were very brief. The other swam across the river so fast I didn’t get any field markings.

The final live snake of the trip was a real gem. While constructing a croc trap we found a tiny little serpent which was quickly captured and taken back to camp. Closer inspection revealed the snake to be an Eastern Striped Swamp Snake – an endemic to the Okavango and a lifer for all the research staff.

Lizard diversity was low around the Okavango and it was definitely a case of quality over quantity. Stripped Mabuya Skinks were a common sight around camp, including a particularly tame individual that had set up home in the equipment tent.

Nile Monitors were seen several times basking on riverside trees, dropping into the water as the boat passed by. A fairly large specimen seemed to hang around the boat area of our camp although it was very vigilant, not allowing me to get close enough for a photograph.

My favourite lizards were the Flap-Neck Chameleons of which we found two. The first was a juvenile found at night with the aid of a flashlight (they tend to glow white in the dark in artificial light). I stumbled across the second in broad daylight, but quickly lost it again due to the lizard’s legendary camouflage ability. I re-found it again that evening with my torch and it turned out to be a gravid female.

 

As I was participating in a crocodile research project, I also got to see a number of Nile Crocodiles very close up and personal. Crocodilians have been a lifelong obsession for me, and I savoured every second I was in their company. It must be said that despite spending many hours a day on the river, only a handful of crocodiles were seen in the daytime. Past hunting pressure has made the older animals wary of humans, and high water levels covered the usually exposed sandbanks where these reptiles like to bask.

Even at night with a powerful spotlight, the Okavango crocs proved elusive. A year earlier I had visited the Northern Territory of Australia and found the Estuarine Crocodiles much less bothered by man. I guess this can be attributed to the protection Australian crocodiles have enjoyed for so long.

On the right is one of the traps we used to catch the larger crocs.

Amphibians were thin on the ground on my visit, but I did see a Strongylopus River Frog and an Olive Toad. A number of frogs were picked up in the spotlight but none were identifiable, at least not by me.

Although Botswana boasts some of the best mammal watching in the world, most of the game and associated predators are easiest found downriver in the Okavango Delta.

That’s not to say mammals were not to be found around our camp. Hippopotami were common in the river during the day, often with just the tops of their heads visible. As night fell they moved onto dry land to feed, favouring an area of grass between our tents and the toilet!

The danger hippos present to people in Africa is well documented and we gave them a wide birth at all times. One night we unwittingly startled a particularly bad-tempered animal as we returned to camp after a spotlighting session. The unseen hippo had been feeding on the cut grass around the boat area, and our boat was preventing it escaping into the river.

It wasn’t until the next morning when we examined the tracks, we realised just how close we had come to being torpedoed by one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.

I was reliably informed that elephants can be seen from camp at other times of the year to my visit.  Fortunately we came across one at the roadside while driving to our camp from Maun, allowing for great views of this symbolic African mammal.

 

Another interesting mammal we sighted along the river was the elusive Sitatunga. This rarely seen antelope is well adapted to life in the swamp and we were lucky enough to enjoy several encounters on evening croc hunting sessions.

Smith’s Bush Squirrels were a common site in the woodland along the banks of the Okavango, and I often found Musk Shrews of the genus Suncus whilst searching under debris for reptiles.

A whole plethora of other mammals lived around the camp but remained frustratingly elusive. A collection of large burrows in the scrub behind my tent could have belonged to one or more of a number of creatures including Porcupine and Warthog. I would have loved to have explored the area at night with a spotlight, although the high density of Hippos in the vicinity made this a very dangerous idea.

I was told large carnivores were also active in the area, although they are heavily persecuted and so keep well out of sight. Prior to my visit, a Leopard was seen twice about a mile upriver.

Tsodilo Hills

A day off from crocodile research gave us the opportunity to visit the sacred Tsodilo Hills – a national monument and the site of more than 3,500 examples of rock art, dating back thousands of years.

 

We also saw some interesting wildlife.  An African Grey Hornbill was seen en-route to the site, together with many Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills and a beautiful Lilac-breasted Roller. South African Ground Squirrels inhabited the car park and could be seen keeping an eye out for overhead raptors.

By far the best sightings of the day came in the form of three new mammals, all seen dashing across the road in front of the 4x4.

 

The first was a Vervet Monkey, closely followed by a Slender Mongoose. I was fortunate to be in the company of an excellent naturalist and former wildlife guide who was able to confirm the sightings and also identify the last mammal – a tiny Steenbok.

Mahango Game Reserve, Namibia

On a second day off we left Botswana and popped into neighbouring Namibia to call into the Mahango Game Reserve. This gave us volunteers a chance to catch up with some of the larger African mammals, although the nearest we came to the resident Lions were some fresh footprints.

I did see plenty of new herbivores including Giraffe, Red Lechwe, Sable Antelope, Common Wildebeest, Burchell’s Zebra and Common Warthog.

Notable birds included Slatey Egret, Marsh Sandpiper and Spur-winged Goose.

Farewell to the Okavango

Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and it was with great sadness that I left the Okavango and made the long journey back to Maun.

 

I did spot a couple of Ostriches from the pick-up which was an unexpected bonus, together with many hornbills and raptors. Sven (who was driving) also noticed the remains of a car windscreen closely followed by the impressive remains of a hapless Lappet-faced Vulture.

After a farewell meal with the other volunteers and research staff, I spent my last morning in Botswana with a local ex-pat birder who showed me some of the common bird species around Maun.

We visited the Maun Game Park, a very small reserve home to a small selection of semi-captive game animals such as Giraffe and Warthog. A family of Chacma Baboons were also noted and I’m still unsure if they were wild (presumably they could climb the fences surrounding the reserve).

A good selection of birds were found around the reserve including Red-billed Hornbill, Yellow-billed Oxpecker and Red-billed Buffalo Weaver. An Eastern Paradise-whydah was pointed out by my host, together with a flyover White-backed Vulture. Much more familiar to me were good numbers of Barn Swallows, possibly the same birds that fly over my garden in the summer.

My last few hours in Botswana soon past and before long I was heading to the airport for the first of three flights home. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience of Africa and I vowed to return to this alluring and fascinating continent many times again.