November 12: Baobab Trees & Leopards

We began our safari tour early at 6:30 am but were one of the last tourists to leave the camp.  I assume we will start even early tomorrow.  We are once again on the search for leopards, lions and cheetahs.  It was already 77 degrees Fahrenheit as we drove slowly across the baked plains.

During our morning excursion, we stopped by a Baobab Tree sanctuary. Mature Baobab trees can live up to a 1000 years and are a source of food, medicine, and shelter.  They are revered in both superstitions and legends.  Throughout the years, the Baobob’s survival has become a priority as its population has decreased dramatically due to drought, elephants and climate change.

At about 11:00 am, we hit paydirt as we found a female leopard with her juvenile as they protected a recent kill.  We were joined by a few other vehicles who took the opportunity to capture this special moment.

After a lunch and siesta break, we headed back out in search of lions.  After about an hour of driving in air conditioned comfort, we came upon two females and four juveniles.  They slept for most of our time there — only occasionally raising their heads to look around or yawn.

After another stop at the water hole to see elephants, we were able to catch a spectacular red sunset at Leopard Rock flat plane.   The red sun contrasted perfectly with the deep blue skies and wispy white clouds.