Botswana Wildlife Behaviour

Today with all our gadgets we are able to cover great distances in a short space of time, allowing us to satisfy our need for instant gratification. People …
Read More

The Botswana Wildlife explains that most animals have territories or home ranges and the sizes are affected by availability of food and terrain.By Leigh KempThe term ‘territory’ is …
Read More

The dangers for animals in Africa begin from the day of their birth and because of this they have to adapt survival techniques from the very start, or …
Read More

The African wilderness is a dangerous place for those with limited survival skills, and as such the animals that live there have all developed their own survival techniques …
Read More

One of the most common survival techniques animals use is camouflage, a technique which shows excellent adaptation to their environment.By Leigh KempThe animals of Africa have adapted in …
Read More

Species differentiation follows on from the habitats section as habitat defines the traits of species, resulting in differences in habits and physiology from area to area.By Leigh KempThe …
Read More

The English dictionary describes the term scavenger as an animal or other organism that feeds on dead organic matter. It also describes the word as a person who …
Read More

The African Wilderness, with all its predators, is a place where adapting survival skills is important and many species have adapted unique ways to protect their vulnerable offspring.By …
Read More

One of the fascinating aspects of the wildlife of Africa is the distinctive colours and patterns on show, and behaviour associated with each animals that sometimes compliments the …
Read More

In most animals mating is the preserve of a dominant male thus allowing the strongest genes to survive. Males will wrestle for dominance in a number of ways …
Read More

The Matabele ants are aptly named after an African tribe that destroyed everything in their path as they swept through south and central Africa in the 1800’s on …
Read More

Botswana Wildlife Journal Entry, 1997 – By Leigh KempThe lioness got up from the elephant carcass and walked towards the waterhole. She was soon followed by two others …
Read More

Inter-species relationships may be beneficial (symbiotic) to both species or detrimental (parasitic) to one of the species involved. There are some relationships (passive symbiosis) that benefit one species …
Read More

This evolutionary pattern is seen a great deal today with the rise in the number of reserves and game lodges. In areas where there is hunting animals associate …
Read More

Play is an important part in the growth of any mammal species as it teaches survival skills. Antelope young running around and chasing each other are building up …
Read More

Inter-species dominance is more apt in predators where food has to be hunted. Lions are generally on top of the predator chain although in some areas hyenas have …
Read More

Botswana is known to have the highest elephant population in Africa, with the Chobe River supporting up to 50 000 in the dry season when the water in …
Read More

Many people like to attach a romantic element to animal behaviour. Elephants are said to mourn over a dead member of their species. It is true that they …
Read More

All species have methods of communicating with their own species either by vocal or non-vocal means but the debate sometimes occurs as to whether species can communicate with …
Read More

Botswana is a wildlife paradise and is home to some very interesting animals behaviour that has evolved through natural forces and through human intervention.By Leigh KempMost visitors to …
Read More

The Kingfishers of Africa are some of the most colourful creatures of the African wilderness and despite their name feed on a variety of prey besides fish.By Leigh …
Read More

Eighty percent of Botswana’s landmass is made up of Kalahari sand deposit and the topography averages around 950 meters above sea level. The highest point in Botswana is …
Read More

I studied a troop of baboons in the Okavango Delta for over a year. The troop roosted in the trees on an island across from the lodge and …
Read More

Are animals capable of thought or are their actions based on instinct? I know many subscribe to the latter but I have seen one incident that has me …
Read More

Baboons are fascinating to watch and on many occasions they have provided a highlight during game drives. I have often wondered at our fascination with their behaviour and …
Read More

Although once presumed to be only the preserve of a human, animals are now known to use assistance in the form of physical objects such as twigs and …
Read More

The sense of smell is widely used in animal behaviour to detect food, danger, sexual readiness and to determine the presence of a competitor.By Leigh KempBotswana Widlife Guide …
Read More

Botswana Widlife Guide to Animal SightAnimal senses are far more developed than humans and they are constantly alert to the environment around them as their survival depends on …
Read More

Mammals are the only animals with external ears or pinnae. To call them ears is a little misleading as the main part of the ear is internal and …
Read More

Historically animals moved to where conditions were favourable, unhindered by fences and human development. They moved according to the availability of food and water, competition from other species …
Read More

Animal communication is the area where some of the most dramatic findings have been made in the field of animal research. Communication patterns that were previously unknown have …
Read More

Many aspects of wildlife behavior do not fit the African safari beauty of glossy brochures, with animal infanticide being particularly gruesome.By Leigh KempWe are mostly presented with a …
Read More

The general view of African wildlife is one of healthy animals roaming the plains, with the sick and wounded not surviving, but there are many cases of animals …
Read More

Throughout evolutionary history animals have been affected by environmental factors, with some species dying out and others adapting to the changes and becoming stronger.By Leigh KempExtinction and Adaptation …
Read More

Animal Behaviour changes over time to adapt to changing climatic and situational changes and today the human impact is felt mostly when it comes to animal behaviour changes.By …
Read More

Snakes are a huge part of the psyche of humankind, striking irrational fear into the minds of most people. Growing up on a farm where snakes were a …
Read More

Botswana is considered one of Africa’s premier wildlife countries and is the first choice for many African wildlife safari connoisseurs. With a broad range of habitats Botswana offers …
Read More

Best places to see Pel’s Fishing Owl in BotswanaIn the dense riverine forests of the permanent water areas of the Okavango Delta and Linyanti Wildlife Reserve.ObservationsThe Pel’s Fishing Owl is probably …
Read More

Animals adapt various strategies to survive in the wild, and no place showcases the adaptations of wildlife better than in the spectacular wilderness areas of Africa. By Leigh …
Read More

Lions and Hyenas fight it out at the top of the predator chain in most areas where they occur together. In some areas the Lions have the upper …
Read More

Lions are the most sociable of the big cats, living in prides that vary in size from a few individuals to more than 30 and in Botswana this …
Read More

Stealth, stamina, power, patience, speed, sound, smell and sight – these are all techniques used by predators when hunting. BUT – it doesn’t always work!By Leigh KempInsight into the …
Read More

Botswana is renowned for having the greatest concentration of Elephants in Africa, but what is not mentioned is that other animals also occur in large numbers along the …
Read More