Tswalu offers every photographer and film-maker a unique chance to capture their own observations of the Kalahari. But the desert and its eco-system are too complex to be defined in one image or film. The dunes and the grasslands hold too many secrets; the landscape can change in an instant with the first drops of rain.
This sequence is from a forthcoming documentary by award-winning film-maker Owen Prumm. It describes the drama and diversity of Tswalu’s wildlife at a particular time. Marco, our own Head Field Guide and a skilled cameraman himself, assisted with the making of this film.
Owen’s filming of one of the meerkat colonies here at Tswalu colourfully demonstrates the charm and intelligence of these highly social mammals. Scientific research into the meerkat is continuous on the reserve and guests can join researchers at a burrow in the early morning to witness such behaviour at close range.
The male Kalahari lion with its black mane is a huge and gorgeous animal, recently described by the UK’s Daily Telegraph as being “worth 10 of any other”. This magical footage shows one of Tswalu’s adult males together with another creature on whom this eco-system depends - the termite.
This clip captures another interaction between lion and insect. Despite the formidable power of Kalahari lionesses, tiny ants prove too persistent an irritation, even for them.
A meerkat’s existence seems to switch between constant play and constant vigilance. “The Meerkats” is a full-length documentary movie shot here at Tswalu Kalahari. Produced by the BBC’s celebrated Wildlife Unit and with a voice-over by Paul Newman, the film follows the progress of one particular pup in the colony and the hazards of early life in this extraordinarily challenging environment.
Page 1 of 1 pages
