Safari-Tips

Traveling Season

The dry period of the southern hemisphere, so the European summer, is the traditional Safari period. The wildlife observation is easy because the animals are forced to frequent the waterholes and the river courses. Lions just have to wait here to catch their prey.

In the rainy period of the year the landscape displays itself in a flush of color, and most mammels start bearing their young. The sky enfolds itself with theatrical cloud displays, and the thunderstorms create fantastic light images. If there is a choice one should omit traveling in the months with the most rainfall, since wild game retreat into the deepest parts of the bush during this time. As such short heavy rain showers do not disturb the observance of game. Birds are exceptionally numerous during this season, since migratory birds like to associate with native species.

Preparation for a stalking drive

Before one starts out on a stalking drive, one should start in the Camp with having a look at the book with the latest "sightings". Many park visitors and employees register exactly which animals they saw when and exactly where. Most often it is worthwhile to start at these points, since animals have specific habits - e.g. to go to the same waterhole when they felt it safe. It is a friendly gesture to register one's own experience, and to pass it on to others.

Employees of the parks gladly provide information on worthy waterholes or routes to drive. It is recommended, especially on routes in areas in Botswana and Zimbabwe that are not frequented that often, to study the map carefully before beginning the journey.

More than often there are little or no signs existent. One should be careful to calculate enough time for the drive. On an interesting stalking drive one does not reach more than 20km in one hour. The best hours of the day to watch game is either very early in the morning (just after the opening of the Camps), and during the late afternoon. Should one be the first vehicle to leave Camp and drive very slowly, one often meets the animals that are later scared away from the road by noisy cars.

Behaviour on a stalking drive

Any speed over 30km/h makes it almost impossible to see any wild animals that is not standing directly on or next to the road. Try to look deep into the bush or forest. Once you have spotted an object, it is useful not to startle the animal by coming closer too fast. Close the distance slowly and carefully, bit by bit. Should the animal look into your direction, use their technique of camouflage by going into a freeze position. Stop the vehicle and don't move. The animal will settle down and continue grazing. Should you see another vehicle that has stopped to watch, it is only fair not to scare the watched objects by cautiously driving closer.

Do not only search the ground for interesting objects. Beautiful birds and sometimes even a leopard hiding are found in trees. Circling vultures often indicate a carcass. Take the time to occasionally look at your surroundings with a pair of binoculars. Water holes, rivers and ponds are often the center of attraction for wild animals. Especially during the dry months, it is advisable to linger in these places and to wait patiently. When visiting a Game or Bird Hide one should avoid loud noises. It can easily happen that one scares up dozens of birds by just carelessly opening the airlock.

Even if it is not quite understandable, avoid large dung-hills. Especially after a rain shower, these are full of crawling beetles and other insects that are reliant on faeces to be able to survive. Be aware of small creatures like chameleons or scorpions, that risk their lives to cross roads.

Elephants and rhinos always have right of way and spare no effort in using this authorisation. Never put yourself in the middle of an elephant herd or a cow and her calf - the consequences could become very unpleasant.

For your own safety, you should at all times follow the rules of the parks that you are in, especially the speed limits and the request not to leave your vehicle at any time unless where expressly aloud.

If you are spending the night in a camp directly in the National park, remember to return to camp at the assigned times. At night the gates are closed, and whoever returns later will be punished by fine.

What goes without saying is that one should never disturb or feed wild animals, that one is not aloud to bring pets into the national parks, that rubish is not to be left behind, that no "natural" souvenirs are aloud to be taken with, and that listening to the radio on stalking drives is not aloud.