Critter News

APRIL 23, 2012

As Spaniards grapple with severe austerity measures and 24 percent unemployment, their king is dealing with a different kind of pain — extreme embarrassment over public outrage upon his return from an elephant hunt in Africa that cost nearly $60,000, or more than twice the average salary in Spain.

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Elephants Hunting Botswana Spain 100

Critter News

APRIL 20, 2012

King Juan Carlos of Spain, Honorary President of WWF Spain, is recovering in hospital after breaking his hip in Botswana where he was on an elephant hunt. From the Wildlife Extra News. April 2012.

Spain 100

Spain Elephants Hunting Botswana 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

You may have read my recent piece on Birding the Okavango Delta in Botswana here on 10,000 Birds. Once the private hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Bharatpur, this fabulous wetland gave us a list of over ninety species in a very relaxed day on a recent trip! However, I have another ongoing love affair, with India.

India 259

India Wildlife Tigers Rhinoceros 259

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2015

I bring this up because birding the Chobe River in northern Botswana gave me the interesting opportunity to bird a country I technically wasn’t in. But I have visited Guatemala, Lesotho and Zimbabwe to actually visit them and count them, even though I spent less time in them than I did Zurich. It’s arbitrary, but there you go.

Botswana 162

Botswana Lesotho Elephants Bald Eagle 162

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Many countries have private reserves and concessions, run for tourism or hunting, that provide outstanding wildlife watching opportunities. The reserve, in the eastern corner of Botswana near Zimbabwe and South Africa, isn’t open to the public in general, so I figured I’d share a few images here by way of showing off.

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Zimbabwe Botswana South Africa Endangered Species 108

4 The Love Of Animals

DECEMBER 6, 2010

Big Cat Odyssey chronicles their meticulous work over three decades of filming, photographing and documenting the behavior of big cat species in Botswana. Leopards creep from the bushes to hunt and retreat into the trees before falling prey to larger killers. An entire lion pride battles a large buffalo to down the beast.

Cats 100

Cats Leopards Lions Botswana 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

She talked about what we might see after we remounted the safari truck, which we had just driven out of the campground at the southern end of Kgalgadi Transfrontier Park, where we were staying in the South African camp, just across from the Botswana camp. among the Mustilids, and Coyotes and to a lesser extent Foxes.

Feral Cats 257

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 257

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

In the northern winter, the bulk of the European and North African population migrate down into Africa, as far as South Africa, where large numbers frequent fields where they hunt for insects and rodents. It should sensibly occur in the vast Okavango Swamps of Botswana, but all records from this region have been discarded.

Africa 250

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 250

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

One study found that birds living in Botswana had elevated levels of lead in their bloodstreams during hunting season, presumably coming from lead bullets used on animals killed by hunters. For example, this study showed that Malachite Kingfishers spent more time hunting in locations with more fish. ” (HBW).

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Elephants Congo Birds Africa 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2012

Secretarybirds seem more crane than raptor as their four-foot frames stride across the open plains of places like the Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana. Watching them hunt is fascinating. This part of Botswana – the magnificent Makgadikgadi Pans – is a truly unforgettable birding location. Note the huge wings.

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Botswana Porcupines Eagles Hunting 250