There’s an on-going debate about whether crocodiles or hippos kill more people in Africa. I don’t think it really matters; you don’t want to have a bad encounter with either. Hippos may seem sedentary and clumsy, but they can move very swiftly in and out of the water, and can be very aggressive.
Most of the time you’ll see little of a hippo apart from its ears, eyes, and nose sticking out above the water. They emerge from the water at night to graze. The sound of a pod of hippos grunting is one of those characteristic and memorable Botswana noises -- along with the haunting cry of the African fish eagle. If you want to get a good photo of a fish eagle, you’ll need a long lens and patience. They’re territorial, so do return to the same spots.
Katie always has her camera on her (a digital Canon) to take reference photos for her collection. You’ll find yourself doing the same and taking considerably more photos than you thought. So bring loads of film, extra memory cards, or a portable hard drive to download your photos. High-res digital photos have the advantage that you can zoom in to look at a small detail on a computer.
Photos supplement your on-site observation and sketches. But don’t spend your time trying to get a postcard-perfect shot. Think of it as information gathering for when you’re back home and you want to check a detail, e.g. whether a giraffe’s ears are above or below its horns (they’re below).
