Cheetahs, Lions And Thousands Of Zebras At Nxai Pan

Last month, Eric Gauss Professional Photographer and I left for Nxai pan with an overnight at the funky Planet Baobab. It was Eric’s first time to Nxai pan and he was amazed at the interesting mix of vegetation in the flat lands of the Kalahari, as I pointed out some of the low lying sand dunes that were now over grown with desert scrub.

Our first stop was at Baines Baobab where we spent time photographing the stark landscape with a myriad of herds of Gemsbok antelope (Oryx) traversing the mirage of haunting white sands on the salt pans. The harsh midday sunlight made photography very challenging yet at the same time incredibly fascinating.

As we approached the main Nxai pan (waterhole), we were overwhelmed with hundreds if not thousands of Zebra’s, dotted across the plains all moving in various herds. Amongst the very big herds were Springbok by the hundreds and Wildebeest in tandem, it was a real spectacle and quite an amazing one at that

After a while, we noticed a lone Springbok which was showing signs of distress, whilst it glared into the Acacia scrub, we couldn’t determine what was causing such alarm and distress. How ever we decided later in the afternoon, that we would return to check if there was perhaps a predator lying in wait under cover in the thorny thicket.

When we returned we were delighted to discover a huge big male lion, 3 lionesses and some youngsters who had
been hiding to escape the heat of the day, and now with the sun setting on the horizon, they were all sprawled out in the open waiting to dominate the night, a truly amazing site.

The next morning we sat in the early hours watching the big male polish off a young Zebra foal, that had fallen victim during the course of the night. Later we were entertained by the young and inexperienced lions attempting to hunt Zebra at the water hole.

The following day we were joined by good friends Ken and Julie, friends who I had not been on safari with for several years. The next few days were spent watching the amazing Zebra move through the open plains and all that drama that came with them. It was a delight to be able to spend endless hours sitting and watching the interaction between the Zebra’s, often which was very violent as they competed for the best drinking spots that were not muddy and murky. The cheetah won the first prize of the safaris, when we eventually saw them in their usual elegance. Whether they are glaring into the distance eying out their next prey, or lapping up water from a small rain filled depression in the ground, they are with out a doubt truly majestic elegant creatures!

Nxai pan remains one of my favorite National Parks in the rainy season, often delivering an incredible Lion and Cheetah experience amidst the thousands of migrating Zebra.

Beks Ndlovu