Vumbura Plains

Today we left Jack's Camp for Vumbura Plains, which is in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta (still Botswana), on the edge of a large floodplain.  Unfortunately, first we have to get on a 90 minute flight on the dreaded 206 plane.  Let me tell you, 90 minutes of PURE HELL for me.  

I was nauseous and petrified the entire flight, until I was ready to pull my hair out - when hallelujah, we landed.  After that flight, Gavin is determined to make sure we only fly on the larger caravan planes from here on out .... 

Welcome to "Vumbura Airport"

Our driver picks us up from the dirt airstrip and we do a game drive on the way to the camp.  Immediately we see elephants, giraffe, antelopes - and the endangered African Wild Dog (also known as the Painted Wolf).  Although they were once spread across Africa, there are now fewer than 5,000 that exist in the wild.  We come across an entire pack of them - including probably 10 puppies.  They are all lazily napping in the heat, and we plan to revisit them on our afternoon drive.


The environment here could not be more different from Jack's Camp and the Makgadikgadi Salt Pants.  The trees are lush and bountiful and there is plenty of water.  The hotel is fantastic - it is only 5 years old - and is a modern and minimal style.  Our rooms are huge and completely screened in the entire way around.  Once again, I'm thrilled to have electricity and a massive shower!  (No ac though).  The entire camp is on stilts and everything is connected by elevated wooden walkways.  After high tea, we set out on our afternoon drive.  Elephants, warthogs, wildebeest..... and then we head for the wild dogs.  

They are all starting to stretch and yawn as they wake up from their afternoon siesta.

Suddenly, their mom arrives - and they all leap up and are circling each other and running and letting out the happiest greetings - a high pitched squeeking noise.  The adults take off for their evening hunt, and the puppies tag along behind them.  According to ST (our guide here) this is the first day that the puppies have attempted to follow their parents in their hunt.  This amazing animal has an incredible endurance and are relentless in running down their prey.

We gun up the land rover, and chase after the dogs -- bumping and sliding as fast as we can.  We catch sight of one of them - and then he's gone - catch sight of another - and gone again.  We then hear hyenas howling - and Gavin says that the dogs must have a kill, and the hyenas have come along and stolen it from them.  The hyenas have chased the dogs away - so after all that work, the dogs don't even get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

There is a small herd of elephants right near the kill sight - and they are upset and confused by all the carnivore action going on around them.  They keep raising their trunks in the air and trumpeting their disturbance.

We follow the dogs - and they lay back down to rest in an open clearing.  A large male baboon moseys along and starts to taunt all the dogs - climbs into a tree right in front of where the puppies are laying - and they all stand at attention.  They are having a stand off - one big hairy baboon and a pack of wild dogs.  The dogs take a step forward, the baboon takes a step back.  The puppies step back, and the baboon steps forward.  Only the 5 of us are witnessing this hilarious display of wildlife dynamics.


From behind us, we spot a hyena .... and so do the dogs - as they forget all about their baboon game and take off after the hyena.  He heads into the water nearby for cover, but all the dogs - adults and puppies - leap into the water after him.  These dogs are PISSED that he stole their kill!  They surround the hyena, growling and barking and nipping at him.  One of them bites his back.  But, it's clear they're not actually going to hurt him - they just want to seek some revenge for this sneaky hyena's thievery.  

Finally exhausted, the dogs head back to their resting place.  Although we would love to stay and watch the continuously fascinating drama that keeps unfolding out here, it's getting dark, and it's time to head back to camp.  We have a delicious dinner (this place definitely wins best food so far) - and as we have a 5:30am wake-up call, we're off to bed early.