Botswana: Night in the African Bush

The sounds of night falling in the African bush. This album features some of the iconic species often heard at night in Africa’s savannas and woodlands, including lion, leopard, elephant, Spotted Hyena, Black-backed Jackal, Chacma Baboon as well as nocturnal birds such as Pearl-spotted Owlet & African Scops Owl.

Beginning just after sundown, the recording starts as the last of the diurnal birds call and settle to roost for the night. Chacma Baboons can be heard calling and squabbling from high in the large Mopane trees above, while the steady rhythms of Ring-necked Doves gradually fade as the night darkens. Small herds of elephant pass through the woodland throughout the night and can be heard vocalizing, rumbling and occasionally ripping branches as they browse on the bark and foliage of the smaller mopane trees.

The powerful roaring of lions is a classic nocturnal sound of the bush and these roar sequences are found thoughout the album, carrying for miles in the cool, still night air. Another big cat which haunts these forests is the African leopard, a few examples of its distinctive sawing roars are found at 8:50, 9:15, 12:06 and 19:35.

Spotted Hyena & Black-backed Jackal are two other very vocal species which call throughout much of the album. The whoops of hyenas are a distance communication call that help keep dispersed clans in touch as they search for food. Black-backed Jackals make loud, wailing, wavering high-pitched howls and these sounds are sometimes given in response to the roars of a lion or calls of a hyena.

Other sounds to listen out for on the album include the unique clicking sounds of huge male Common Eland walking (between 46:54 – 51:06) and the deep booming calls of a male Common Ostrich at 38:45.

Near to the woodland is the Motloutse River, a wide sandy riverbed at this time of year in the dry season. The rhythmic croaks of Garman’s Toad (Sclerophrys garmani) can be heard occasionally coming from the few remaining small pools left in some of the deeper channels.