Baby Crocodiles in Botswana

My last trip to Africa was to Botswana, Namibia and Zambia, in January and February. As things here get stressful with school starting (I'm going to try for a second degree, in biology), Esmae not being well, and work getting really busy, I think about Africa because it is the most peaceful place I know. Whenever things get harried, I think about what's waiting on the other side of the world, when I can get there again. The gorillas will be there, at least for a few more years. Somewhere out there lion prides are lazing in the sun, or hunting. Zebras are making their funny braying noises, and ungulates of all kinds are grazing away. Dramas are playing out and life is going on as it always has - I'm just not there to see it right now, but I will be again, eventually.

I have several photos and experiences from the last trip I didn't blog about yet so I thought this would be a good time, since Africa is on my mind and I'm longing to go there again already.

On a cruise on the Chobe river I saw a mother crocodile and her babies. It took me forever to see the babies, they were so well camoflauged. Look at the top of the branch sticking out of the water and under it and you'll find the babies. There's a close up of one of the babies - hard to imagine how that little one can grow so big. You can see mom in the water, just her eye and the tip of her head showing. I never cease to be amazed at how well crocs can hide - even when you know they are there it can take forever to see them, not unlike leopards though not quite as bad. Although they are creepy in some sense, for some reason I also like them. They are relics of an ancient age, dinosaurs that made it, and there is nothing evil about them, they are just water predators that have been successful. Though they aren't as cool as land predators, I enjoy watching them when I can find them and I was excited to see babies in the wild for the first time. Mom kept guard.