Sel at sea: Botswana gallery

Puku, a type of antelope, is on the list of endangered animals. There are less than 450 in Botswana, while 1,000 are found in Zambia

Impala are plentiful in Chobe Park and stick together so they can warn each other of pending danger. They are not as quick as lions but have great stamina

Giraffes, roaming in groups, are not threatened by other animals

Bull elephants prefer to be by themselves. They walk 18 kilometers every day to the Linyanti River. We watched this bull elephant drink gallons and gallons of water by filling his truck, which is forked, unlike his Asian cousin. He squirted out nearly as much water as he drank. He also squirted water over his back and under his belly before walking away

I took the photo on the left from the passenger side of our jeep. The specially modified off-road vehicles have no side windows and just a tarp for a roof. The windshield folds down for a better view. The steering wheels are on the right, a British legacy. Toyotas are preferred over Land Rovers because they are easier to maintain. There were six other passengers in ours, so I was lucky to have the front seat next to our driver/guide. He took the photo on the right.

Female and baby elephants stuck together as they crossed in front us, heading for a mud bath. The elephants appear to feel comfortable around humans, perhaps since the Botswana government passed a shoot-to-kill law against poachers 29 years ago. Rangers roam the parks to enforce the law

This lioness was resting beneath a tree when our Jeep approached. She looked at us, got up slowly (giving us a chance to photograph her), then walked away looking for prey. We followed her for a while before she ducked behind some bushes