Part 5 - Etosha National Park - Northwestern Namibia

Etosha Park is one of the most important reserves and game sanctuaries in Africa with thousands of wild animals such as blue wildebeest, springbok, zebra, kudu, giraffe, cheetah, leopard, lion and elephant making this area their home.  The park takes in approximately 20,000 square km surrounding its namesake, the vast white and greenish-coloured Etosha Pan and protects 114 mammal species as well as 340 bird species, 16 reptiles and amphibians, one fish species and countless insects.  Only the eastern 2/3 of Etosha is open to the general public; the western third is reserved exclusively for tour operators.

Priority goes to the tall ones

Kudu

I think warthogs are cute!  How about you?

I know he was looking at me

7 different breeds of zebra inhabit Africa

Exciting to see these huge beasts

Entrance to our accommodation

A herd of wildebeest on the move

Can  you see anything?  We knew something
was there...until suddenly....

Not one but two kings stand up...magnificent!!

Gulp!  We must look appetizing 

We had hopes for a roar (which we hear
fills the air and shakes a person to their
very core), but a yawn will do

Suppose we aren't that appetizing after-all

Oh, that's what he's after

Another look at us and all he really wanted
was a drink of water at the hole

Beautiful visitors to the waterhole beside
our camp

...and they came...very busy at dusk

A loving couple

Unlike the previous lions, these were feeding
on a fresh kill and their manes were wild and covered
in blood from sticking their heads into the stomach of
the antelope

This beautiful leopard was actually injured or ill

We watched her falter, then struggle to crawl
into a protected area

At another waterhole, we watched an
agitated Oryx, wanting to drink but
watching something to the left

Then we noticed the wildebeest and zebra doing
the same thing

Impala

Impala are easy to spot.  They have the
golden arches "M" on their bums 

One of my favourite photo's.  Shoulder
to shoulder, standing united and watching

And this is why.  Three female lion were
under a tree close to the waterhole

Our next waterhole delighted us with elephants
of every size

...and running about among all the animals were
the comical and beautiful guinea fowl

So tall and regal!  Did you know that giraffe's only sleep 4 minutes
at a time?  They have only one valve in that long neck and if
they sleep longer, the valve prevents blood from going to the head and they
die

Eyes wide shut

White Rhino

The pan....thousands of acres of what seems
to be nothing.  When it fills with water, everything
comes alive although the deepest water is only a few inches

The gang on Etosha Pan

Beautiful profile against the backdrop
of the pan

Returning to the camp, only three swimmers
took advantage of the luxury of cool water
after the very hot day

.....and you knew that Bob had to be one of them

Gorgeous and a little shy

Etosha was an overwhelming experience