Hugh & Debra Beard's 2022 South African Photo Journal
SELF-GAME DRIVING KGALAGADI PARK.
Over the last few years, we have explored Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a vast wildlife reserve in the
Kalahari Desert region of Botswana and South Africa, bordering Namibia to the west. It’s characterized
by red dunes and dry riverbeds. Wildlife includes migrating herds of wildebeest, springbok, and
predator cats, including leopards, cheetahs, and the famous black-maned Kalahari lion.
October 2022 trip – Each morning, we rose early before the camp gates opened. As the sun breaks the horizon,
we follow the dune roads that criss-cross through the park, driving slowly, searching for wild animals and birds to photograph. We stop, roll down the windows, feel the cool morning air, and experience the deafening silence.
Alone with nature, we marvel at its biodiversity.
Hugh Beard
Cape Fox mother with cubs.
Cape Fox affection
Lion Cub
Early in the morning, jackals wait at the Cubitje Quap waterhole for dove and sand grouse flocks to land
in the water and soak their feathers. The birds carry the water back to their nests for their chicks.
We captured a moment in the cycle of life.
Lion Family
Juvenile Bateleurs
Juvenile Bateleur flying
Male Lion reflecting
This lion mating pair had no interest in the herd of wildebeests that nervously watched from a distance.
It was unnerving as this lioness focused intently on us as we watched her approach our truck’s
open windows.
Lion Cub seeking shade
Male Lion daydreaming
Wind blown Male Lion
At this time of year, you will encounter ostriches with babies.
Mating Pair
Black-maned Kalahari Lion
Nyala portrait
At the end of the day, we decided to go for a quick drive to watch the sunset. We came across this
springbok lamb standing alone at a water hole, shivering, with no sign of its mother or the herd.
Concerned that a lion might spot it, we stayed close by. We waited, but were running out of time,
as the park gate was about to be locked for the night. Then, to our relief, the young Springbok raced
across the field to its mother who had returned looking for her little one.
There were wildfires every day of our three weeks in the park – which is nature’s way of renewing the
grassland. Several times we encountered fallen burning trees, blocking our way.
One night, as the ridge above our wilderness camp burned, we were told to gather passports and valuables,
and if the wind shifted towards us, we would have a 10-minute warning to evacuate to the nearby water hole.
We were lucky that the wind continued to blow across the hill, but wondered if we had gone to the waterhole, would we be sharing it with a lion?
Drop us a line if you enjoyed the photos.
Hugh and Debra Beard