The Selinda Reserve is a remote destination linking two prime game viewing destinations in Botswana. In the east you have the famous Linyanti Swamps, home to the ferocious lions, and in the west you have the world-renowned Okavango Delta, a pristine water paradise. The major drawcard of the Selinda is the sheer abundance and variety of game. The reserve is a conservation area and in the heart of the reserve is the Selinda Spillway which is home to RAW Botswana, Motswiri Camp.
Over the past couple of weeks Motswiri has really delivered in terms of game viewing, with the most recent sighting being that of two hefty male lions devouring a juvenile roan antelope kill. Photographer Rogan Kerr was on the scene to photograph these big boys in action. Game drives in the Selinda are always successful in terms of big game sightings, but not much will surpass seeing these supreme Selinda warriors guarding their turf and recent kill.
The Selinda Spillway is a pocket of game viewing paradise. Game viewing most certainly isn’t sparse, and when you aren’t seeing lions, elephants or even cheetah, there are plenty of smaller creatures that fill the gaps in between big predator sightings. This is birding, predator and herbivore paradise!
You probably already know that RAW Botswana, Motswiri camp is an activity based camp offering a sense of simple luxury in wild surrounds. There are plenty of opportunities to explore the wilderness on foot, horseback, game viewer and mokoro; but there are times when you don’t even need to leave the camp to witness wildlife in their finest moments.
Guests have seen wild dog kills outside of their tented suites, cheetah gracefully meandering through spears of grass; and huge herds of elephant lumbering down to feed off foliage in the lush surrounds. While Rogan was out on game drive with the RAW Botswana guides, they managed to successfully track two burly male lions that they heard contact calling in the night.
When photographer Rogan Kerr arrived at Motswiri, he was taken aback at the high concentration of game, and even remarked “This place is insane!”. One of the most recent highlights was observing a coalition of 2 massive male lions shredding a recent kill and devouring every morsel. The two golden-haired male lions had just recently killed a juvenile roan antelope, dragged it under a bush and decided to hang around on the periphery of the kill site while Rogan observed their antics.
After a heavy session of feasting on a juvenile roan antelope, the fat bellied lions decided to find a spot in the shade to recover from their dining extravaganza. Lions will gorge on their meal until they cannot move, and often their breathing might become laboured because of their expansive bellies pressing against their diaphragm. Lions do not know when they will get another opportunity to eat, which is why they will devour their meal in one dining session.
RAW Botswana, Motswiri Camp forms part of our Trails of Botswana Route.
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