The Kalahari

Kalahari Beginnings — January 2024

8 January 2024

It’s my first visit to this part of the world, and as we step out into the open, we’re greeted by intense, dry heat. Setting up camp under what we thought would be a perfectly shady tree turned out to be wishful thinking — the Kalahari sun has a way of finding you no matter where you hide.

Our first afternoon drive brought early rewards. A small pride of lions strolled leisurely down the road, heading toward a nearby waterhole to quench their thirst. The following day, we found a female lion sheltering with a tiny cub, no more than four weeks old, beneath a bush in an effort to escape the blistering sun. It was a beautiful sight — though photographing her in the harsh light was no easy task.

As we scanned the horizon, a few ostriches with very young chicks appeared, moving steadily — and unknowingly — toward the lioness. We waited in tense anticipation as they edged closer. Finally, the lioness noticed them. In an instant, she sprang into action. The chase unfolded across the hot, soft dunes — the male ostrich valiantly tried to distract her by pretending to be injured, but it was in vain. She was focused on her target. In a swirl of golden dust, she caught one of the chicks while the rest scattered in panic.

On our way back to camp, dark clouds gathered on the horizon, and soon a massive rainstorm rolled in — the kind we came to witness at this time of year. The Kalahari had shown us her extremes: blistering heat and dramatic summer storms, both equally spectacular.

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Over the next few days, we encountered many of the Kalahari’s iconic residents — cheetah, lion, and even the elusive leopard. One morning, we were incredibly lucky to find not just one leopard, but three: an adult female with her two cubs. We spent the following days searching for them again, but they remained ghosts in the dunes.

Then, luck surprised us once more. Early one morning, we noticed a car stopped ahead on the road. Expecting another leopard sighting, we were shocked to discover something far rarer — an aardvark! My first ever. We only caught a glimpse as it scurried over the dune in the golden morning light, but the excitement was electric.

The next morning, to our disbelief, we saw the aardvark again — this time closer and in perfect light. Chaos ensued as my friend and fellow wildlife photographer, Armand, and I scrambled for our cameras. The sound of rapid shutters filled the air. Then we decided to take a risk: we lowered our shutter speeds to capture the motion — a gamble that could either fail completely or result in something truly special.

It paid off. Both of us walked away with smiles, high fives, and that incredible feeling of having witnessed — and captured — something extraordinary.

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As the days went on, the afternoons grew quieter. The searing heat kept both animals and us still. One particularly hot afternoon, we decided to wait patiently at a waterhole near camp. Within minutes, Armand suddenly called out, “What is that?”

To our astonishment, we watched a Cape cobra killing and eating a puff adder — a rare and brutal spectacle of predator versus predator.

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17 January 2024

My time in the Kalahari has come to an end. It’s been an unforgettable first trip — filled with heat, dust, storms, predators, and once-in-a-lifetime sightings. More than anything, it’s been a journey shared with a good friend, making every challenge and every moment even more memorable.

What a beginning to my Kalahari story.