Lions kill a Giraffe, dead Cape Cobra, & Cheetahs

Trip Start Jun 07, 2008
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Trip End Jun 28, 2009


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Where I stayed
Bagatelle Game Lodge
(Mariental hotels)

Flag of Namibia  ,
Thursday, January 15, 2009

This morning we decided to leave early, but we saw Eva and Arne at the Mata Mata gate and they said the lions had killed a giraffe, so we rushed back to find it. There were no other cars and about 20km back we saw a huge giraffe lying dead on the field, and four lions sleeping nearby. We were able to drive right next to the kill, and the lions were so full their bellies were huge! They were just rolling around and sleeping. There was still a lot left of the giraffe (they only ate a huge hole in the stomach), so they won't be leaving for a while. It was four male cubs and an adult male - they all had blood and mud all over their faces and paws. It was so cool to sit and watch them.

We finally left the park and entered Namibia - the first new country for us in a while!!! On the road out, we saw a huge yellow snake. We stopped to look at it and identified it as a Cape Cobra. It was huge, but very dead. It was a long drive to Bagatelle, where we are staying tonight, and we only saw a few cars. When we got to the next place, we found out that it is a game lodge that protects cheetahs. Paul, our ranger, took us out to meet the three male cheetahs (Rolf, the alpha male, Etosha, and Tswana) and feed them, and to meet and feed Pepper, the female cheetah. The cheetahs are being killed all over Africa because they sometimes eat farmer's livestock, so places like this are protecting them. These cheetahs seemed very fat and very happy! We are staying here tonight before we go to the big sand dunes of Namibia.
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