And occasionally it can get a bit scary, even from the relative safety of a Land Cruiser!

 

Watching a group of about 10 male elephants, two of them started with a little trunk-wrestling which turned into a fight.  Two several-ton (they can weigh 5-6 tons each!) hormone-crazed male animals seriously tussling just a few feet away from you is pretty unnerving, and I had to ask Brooks to please drive away.  He didn't seem too concerned but was glad to oblige this frightened old white gal.  Too close for comfort for me...

 

Red lechwe antelope love the marshy wetlands....

 

Beautiful, graceful animals!

 

Giraffes were everywhere!  And not that easy to get good photos of, as they are amazingly good at hiding amongst the trees.

 

Large herds of cape buffalo...

 

Just follow the dust....

Lovely zebra...

Pronounced with a short "e"..."zeb-ra"

 

Vervet monkeys are the only monkey species in Botswana.

 

Also known as blue-balled monkeys...for obvious reasons....

 

The occasional hippo...not too numerous in the Linyanti during the dry season.

 

We spent several minutes watching a large troupe of over 100 baboons one morning...I love their interactions!  Looks like this toddler is sassing his momma...

 

This little one is wide-eyed at the nearby impala...

 

A female and male kudu crossing the road right in front of us....

 

Wow...are they ever magnificent!

 

These?  Not so much...

 

We saw these wart hogs hanging out with a small group of wildebeest.  Brooks said they were having a beauty contest...

 

...but there were no winners.

Strange-looking creatures, aren't they?!

 

Looks like this hyena found itself a bloody meal...

 

A pair of black-backed jackals...

 

Brooks is a walking encyclopedia of bush knowledge!  

 

He also serves up a pretty nice bush coffee break...

 

...and provides the finest of bush bathroom facilities.  A safe termite mound, toilet paper hanging from a branch, and hand sanitizer...what more could a girl ask for?

 

There are a few sad moments as well, like coming upon this dying elephant.  She is obviously in her last days.  The circle of life is very evident in the bush...soon she will become a meal for the scavenging hyenas and jackals and vultures.

 

But there were PLENTY of very healthy and robust elephants around.

 

I just never tire of seeing elephants do their thing!  An elephant's trunk is one of God's many incredible engineering marvels!

 

We even got a brief glimpse of a sable antelope...pardon the fuzzy focus, but they are quite shy and it quickly ran away.

 

Throw in a few big cat sightings...

 

...and you've got yourself an awesome day!

 

Oh, and those Botswana sunrises...Brooks quickly figured out that I am a sunrise fanatic, so he stopped for a gorgeous photo (or two or three) every morning.

 

Every time out is a brand new adventure!

Linyanti game drives.