Kaudum National Park 14-16 October

We spent two nights in Kaudum. It is not fenced like Etosha so the animals can come and go as they like, including into the campsite, and you are allowed out of your car. Unfortunately it had rained in the last couple of days so the animals can get water from places other than the waterholes near the roads with hides.

Mornings were spent doing school work and hanging out then in the afternoons we would drive to a waterhole and wait for the animals to come. On our first afternoon we saw a herd of 30+ elephants. I was standing at the Land Rover getting snacks, of course, when then came running over the hill towards the waterhole. They would have been no further than 15m from me. Just after they arrived 6 roan antelope were hanging back waiting for their turn at the waterhole and later on a hyena was lurking about.

During the second afternoon at a different waterhole I saw a lone wildebeest, some warthogs (they’re just like Pumba in the Lion King, except for the talking bit), a parade (Is it obvious we’ve been learning the collective nouns for animals? My favourites are a bloat of hippopotami and a crash of rhinoceroses) of 20+ elephants and another hyena lurking (because that’s what they do) around.

That night I heard hyena howling, a couple elephants that sounded like they were eating next to the tents, and growling from an unidentified animal that was a tad close for my comfort.