The Art of Tracking
How to find Wildlife on a Safari
A fascinating and often overlooked aspect of going on safari is the art of tracking. Tracking is more complex than it seems, and involves reading the land, following subtle signs, and piecing together clues that wilf help you predict and locate wildlife.
What is Tracking?
Tracking is the art of interpreting animal signs to determine what animal was there, where it was going, how long ago it passed, and what it might be doing. Guides and trackers use their knowledge of prints, droppings, broken branches, scent, sound, and even bird calls to locate animals that might be miles away.
In places like Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia, local guides often come from communities that have lived alongside wildlife for generations. Their tracking knowledge is sometimes passed down orally, combining traditional techniques with modern safari tools.
How Do You Identify Animal Prints?
Animal prints are the staple of tracking. Different animals leave different footprints, and trained guides can tell species apart by size, shape, and pattern.
Here are a few basics:
- Lions have round, symmetrical prints with no claw marks (because they retract their claws).
- Leopards have smaller, tighter prints but otherwise similar to lions.
- Elephants leave huge, round, almost tire-like prints, often with a visible pattern from their skin.
- Hyenas have prints similar to dogs, with visible claws and a distinctively uneven gait.
- Giraffes leave two oblong prints from their cloven hooves.
Freshness matters too. A crisp, defined print means the animal passed recently. Older tracks get windblown or faded by sun, sand, and depending on the area, a lot of prints on top.
More Than Just Prints
Tracking doesn’t stop at footprints. Guides also look at:
Dung: The size, shape, and freshness of droppings tell a lot about which animal passed by and when.
Broken branches or trampled grass: Elephants often push over trees or break branches when feeding.
Bird alarms: Birds like the fork-tailed drongo or francolin will raise the alarm when predators are near.
Sounds and smells: The smell of a fresh kill or the deep grunt of a lion can give away a nearby presence.
Why It Matters on Game Drives
Tracking is crucial for a successful safari, especially in areas where animals roam freely and aren’t baited or enclosed. Rather than driving without directions and hoping for luck, guides use tracking to increase the chances of spotting animals.
It also makes the game drive more engaging. Your guide might stop the vehicle, hop out, and examine a paw print in the sand. They might explain how the animal was walking, how fast it was going, and how long ago it passed. In my case, I was trying to learn as much as I could!
Tracking takes patience and attention to detail. So next time you’re on a game drive, pay attention to more than just the big sights. Watch your guide at work. Ask questions. Look at the sand, the trees, the droppings, and the birds. There’s a whole world of information out there—you just have to know how to read it.
Are you ready to start discovering Botswana?
Here are the tours I did and personally recommend!
Are you ready to start discovering Botswana?
Here are the tours I did and personally recommend!
