Thursday, we crossed into the fourth country of our African journey: Botswana.

We’re staying at Xhabe Safari Lodge. The accommodations are crude—mahogany decks, swimming pool, and views over the Chobe River—but I suppose we’ll find a way to endure it.

Chobe National Park is famous for its hefty herds of elephants, striped zebras, lanky giraffes, and the always serious-looking Cape buffalo. The park didn’t disappoint—on our drive through Thursday evening en route to camp, we spotted a welcoming committee of a dozen elephants and three zebras casually hanging out by the paved road,

We saw so many zebras, it started to feel like we were stuck in an endless black-and-white movie. They were everywhere—grazing in open fields, trotting alongside the road, and gathering at the water’s edge to heading to drink.

Hundreds of giraffes dotted the horizon. Their long necks rose above the trees, some craning to nibble at leaves, others simply standing still, statuesque and serene. They moved in slow motion—graceful, silent, and strangely surreal.

And of course, elephants were everywhere.

Unlike our first two camps, this one was a few miles outside the park, surrounded by an electric fence—meant either to keep the animals out or to keep us in. I’m still not sure which.

Even outside the park, we were still surrounded by wildlife. In the darkness, we heard the cackling of hyenas, the grunts of hippos, and the low, unmistakable rumble of a lion. Even Cape buffalo lurked nearby. We spotted our first just a quarter mile from the gate—followed by hundreds more once we entered the park.

We spotted a couple of new species in Chobe—jackals and, more excitingly, wild dogs. Seeing the wild (or painted) dogs was especially memorable. Fewer than 7,000 of these rare and highly skilled predators remain in the wild. More on them in the postscript.

Next stop Okavango Delta.

Hakuna matata!

Just Pete

P.S. The following content is followed by graphic pictures.

Wild dogs hunt with endurance, chasing prey over long distances rather than relying on stealth or brute strength. They’re among Africa’s most efficient predators, with success rates as high as 80%—better than lions or hyenas. We first spotted them just after they’d brought down a female kudu.

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