By Kiley Haberman (University of Vermont)
At the eastern end of the Caprivi Strip, the Chobe River forms a border between Botswana and Namibia. While we were in Kasane in April, we got the chance to take a river boat cruise along the Chobe, where we were able to look out and see Botswana on one side and Namibia on the other.
The boat ride began with a herd of elephants walking around the water’s edge. They were wrapping their trunks around the leaves of the Jackal Berry Trees, digging their massive feet into the sand in search of roots and tubers, and soaking up water through their trunks, pouring it back into their mouths. There were elephants of all ages, even a little yearling trailing behind her mother. A crocodile was spotted nearby, only a few meters off the shore. It was peaking only a small bit of its head out of the water, looking just like a floating log. The guide said they hide this way to ambush their prey.
An African Fish Eagle soared through the bright blue sky. These birds look very similar to the American Bald Eagle, with big brown bodies and a pure white upper half. She made a loud call as she flew which was answered by another call that was much higher pitch. We learned that Fish Eagles mate for life and the females have a deeper tone while the males let out a much higher pitch call, so we were able to tell that the female was calling out and then flew into a tree meeting her partner who responded to her.
Along the shore were lots of small holes dug out against a wall of sand. All of a sudden a bird hobbled out, a Pied Kingfisher, followed by a Bee Eater from another hole. They use these holes in the sand for their homes. They know to wait until the sand is wet because it makes the holes easier to dig. They also use multiple different holes so that they can confuse or trick predators.
A herd of Kudu was near, a few of them hid behind large bushes, browsing at the leaves. A large male walked the shore with massive horns with two to three twists, indicating he was about four to six years of age, each twists represents roughly two years. A female walked around near him, both of them licking and gnawing at the soil, trying to get the salt from the sand.
A large tree stuck out over the water where an African Darter was perched, its head held high, its pointed beak sticking straight up in the air, spreading its wings open wide to dry. Swallows raced through the air, circling our boat throughout the entire ride. The guide spotted a pod of three hippos, sticking a third of their bodies out of the water. One opened its mouth as if it were yawning, showing their massive white teeth. Our guide explained it was a defense mechanism, warning us that they did not appreciate our presence. They are herbivores, their lips modified for specifically cutting grass. Their large teeth were used only for killing, simply for defensive purposes. Our guide told us that hippos are able to stay under the water for no more than six minutes, and they are able to do so by lowering their heartbeat while they are underwater. They also have a special gland produced from a subdermal mucus gland, like a sparkly, shiny sheen that acts almost as a sunscreen to protect their thin epidermis from the hot African sun.
A giraffe was spotted far out in the distance. Once you see one, you are almost certain you will see more. We stared a bit longer and several giraffes walked out from behind the trees. They kept their distance from the water’s edge, possibly because they know that is where they are most vulnerable. Giraffes can only lean over to drink for around 20 seconds because of their blood flow and height. They have a massive heart, weighing an average 12 kg to support their large body. When they go to drink, they must spread their two front legs out as wide as they can to lower themselves to the ground.
We passed by many pieces of floating vegetation. Birds of all sort walked around: African Jacana, Egyptian Geese, White-faced Whistling Ducks, and a large Grey Heron. The Jacanas lay their eggs on floating vegetation like these. The males incubate the nest while the females go around and mate with others. Anytime you see an adult with young, it’s always going to be the father. The Whistling ducks took off into the sky, letting out continuous whistles as they flew into the air. The Grey Heron stood tall and proud, spreading its wings open wide and flying off as we got closer.
Over on the shore, a Buffalo was submerged with half of his body under the water. A Cattle Egret was only two meters away, both just looking at each other. We looked over and saw fourteen hippos bobbing their heads in and out of the water. A few of them started making noises at each other and fighting, but it only lasted a few seconds. We came up to another large piece of floating vegetation with a massive bull elephant feeding on the grasses and drinking the water around him.
The sun began to set over Namibia, sending stunning shades of orange and pink across the sky. The trees became silhouettes and the clouds had hues of pink. The reflection of the sunset traced the ripples of the water as we ended our river cruise, heading back to the beautiful land of Botswana.
