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Month: May 2014

Kwara May 2014

Published May 31, 2014 by Kwando Safaris

The lioness mother started the month well, by catching a baby giraffe. Her three young cubs spent time feeding on the giraffe, together with mother and aunt. The next day the mum was not so lucky in her hunting techniques – possibly hindered by the tag-along youngsters – and spent some time stalking impala, without success. Still full from the giraffe meat, the cubs didn’t seem too bothered.

The end of the month, and the male lions were trying to assert their territorial dominance: two male ‘Wanderers” now spend much of their time on the westerly part of their huge territory, with two young males establishing themselves more to the north. These two young males are successful hunters of zebra, and event the two big Wanderers have been known to scavenge from them.

The large pack of 15 dogs had much better luck though, and were found having just hunted an impala. For dogs, the choice meal, and the one that they successfully catch more than any other. We saw them hunting a few times this month, as well as a small pack of 4 dogs close to home, running around the airstrip. At the end of the month, the alpha male and female were missing, leading us all to believe that they may have been establishing a den, but we are struggling to locate this.

The two male cheetahs were seen regularly this month as well as the female with three sub-adult cubs. They favour the Splash area for its open plains, where game congregates to feed, and the cheetahs benefit from the surrounding bush to allow stalking. For cheetahs, it’s all about the stalk and the sprint, so you have to be exceptionally lucky to catch them hunting. Most of the sightings this month were of the cheetahs relaxing in the shade, sleeping off the hard work of the hunts. We did, however, have one run of good luck, with the mother cheetah trying again for an impala, chasing and killing it right in front of the game drive cars.

In the middle of the month, game sightings of cats were getting quite ridiculous, with game drives regularly seeing a few lions (with cubs) then moving on to a cheetah (with cubs) and then on to another couple of male cheetahs, and then possibly a hyena to finish off with. Hard to imagine sometimes, that we do not live in a zoo.

Leopard sightings, though a little more sporadic, were also very good. When sighted, they were generally found feeding on a recent kill, which provides excellent viewing for hours – if not days!

Sitatunga were also spotting this month again from the boat. Most unusual sighting however, was of something that is only spotted maybe once a year or so, if you are very lucky: bush pig. Kind of like an overgrown warthog, with more hair, these are very shy animals. How they manage to meet up and mate to produce more bush pigs, is beyond me.

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Tau Pan, May 2014

Published May 31, 2014 by Kwando Safaris

Tau pan

Lots of lions seen this month – and not just the Tau Pan pride. Further afield, in Deception Valley, two males that are resident in the area were found moving along the Valley. They also frequent Piper Pan, so have quite a distance to cover regularly, to ensure that their territory remains safe from intruders.

The Tau Pride, naturally, were seen around Tau Pan, and the camp waterhole. Resting a lot to save their strength for the hunts that mostly occur at night. They do take small prey, even birds, whenever the opportunity arises, but a large oryx or giraffe would be the best use of their energy when they are hunting.

The Eastern firebreak road was a productive area this month, with several sightings of leopards, and more lions. A lovely male leopard was relaxing up in a tree, scanning the area for suitable prey. The wind was strong, and changing direction rapidly, so the animals were confused, being able to smell something dangerous, but not being able to ascertain exactly where the scent was emanating from.

Next to the northern firebreak, and yet another leopard, this time a young female. Looking carefully around, she squatted and then pounced, catching a bundle of feathers. It proved to be kurrichane button quail – a little bird that took the edge off the little leopardess’s hunger.

Cheetahs also were seen this month, including the female with young sub-adult, hunting around Tau Pan. When we arrived on the edge of the pan, all the different species of game were staring off into one particular area, alerting us to the presence of a threat. On closer inspection, we found the two cheetahs, gamely trying to hunt, even though most of the prey had spotted them!

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Nxai Pan, May 2014

Published May 31, 2014 by Kwando Safaris

Nxai Pan

A little quieter this month in terms of guests but still plenty of sightings for those that do visit us in Nxai Pan!

The large zebra herds have moved off, and the shorter grass allows good visibility for us to see the smaller animals that move across the pans. Jackals abound everywhere, with the beige and silver coats blending in well as the grass dries. Bat eared foxes flatten their ears and camouflage into the dusky surrounds. A slight movement and their ears spring up like radar antennas, searching for the rustling sounds of potential prey.

Great sightings of general game, with oryx, small zebra herds, spring bok, impalas, and plenty of giraffes. Kori bustards stalk the ground, and hundreds of guinea fowl chirp along towards the waterhole. The cooler days and nights meant that the summer migratory birds have left, but we still have the resident raptors and larks. The queleas are building up in numbers, and in a few months it will be time to put the net on the pool again to stop them dive-bombing and drowing.

The predators still around the area, with one male lion found along Baobab loop, walking along and calling for the rest of the pride that he had become temporarily separated from. A wonderful arrival of a female cheetah with three young cubs spotted at the main waterhole. They were seen several times in the following days, with the cubs bounding along and following their mother, interrupting occasionally to play-fight amongst themselves. They even interrupted our early breakfast at camp one morning as they strolled over the plain in front of camp to the waterhole, so that mother could drink. Luckily it was still too early in the day for the elephants to be hogging the waterhole, and they were able to drink in peace.

The best news this month though, was the discovery on the 18th May at the main waterhole, the lioness with cubs. Last month we had not seen the female with cubs, and feared the worst, but it seems all is well, and the male lions looked after the cubs well enough, just waiting for the female to return!

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Lagoon, May 2014

Published May 31, 2014 by Kwando Safaris

Lagoon

The lions are firmly established, with four adults (two males and the two females) and three young of around 4months at Grass Pan, feeding on a zebra. The two males fought with two nomadic younger males, and these have been pushed out of the territory, not to be seen again. The young cubs are slowly growing up, enjoying each day as it brings new adventure and the every present curiosity of cats. The cubs have been introduced to the rest of the pride, with no animosity from the males. The mother still has to be careful of intruder males, as if they find the cubs, they will be killed. There is another female in the area with two five month old cubs that are doing well. The pride males, on the last day of May, killed a calf buffalo near Zebra Pan and consumed it in its entirety in one morning. They were rather full and sloth-like afterward!

The pack of eight dogs were seen along Pan road in early May – reading emails (as one of the guides termed it) from the rarely seen pack of twenty from the North. Essentially, picking up on the scent marks that larger pack had left behind. 500m away from this investigation, a female leopard was spotted hunting. We could see from her shape that she is a nursing cubs hidden somewhere.

Later in the month, it became obvious that three females of the pack of 8 dogs were pregnant. This is highly unusual, and has been caused due to there being no female being clearly dominant, so the alpha male has been mating with all females possible. We hope that we are able to get one healthy litter out of the three dogs, for there is little chance of all there sets of pups surviving – even with the best intentions, the remaining five adults would not be able to hunt enough to provide for three mothers.

The two shy young male cheetahs we saw for the first time last year arrived back this month, having grown and matured. No longer shy, they are totally relaxed around the cars, and seem confident in their manner.

Regular sighting of several leopards – including an unusual one of a female feeding on a side-striped jackal. Killed as competition for food, predators rarely feed on other predators. As it was, she eats only a small portion of the jackal, and then abandoned the kill. Closer to camp, a male leopard killed a reedbuck, but the leopard was forced to give up his kill to a group of hyenas. Other hyenas were also ‘spotted’ – with the best sighting being of ten individuals clamouring over the remains of a baby elephant carcass.

The breeding herds of elephants are back in full force, with all and sundry crossing the river in front of camp. Little ellies are dipping their feet in the chilly water, and then forcefully plunging in after their mothers, trunks raised for breath. Aunty pushes them along from behind, helping them up the bank as they tire. For the big males, a water crossing is often a good excuse for a tussle in the water, diving and plunging and knocking about with friends, to see who is the big boy at the pool.

Buffalo herds are in the area as well, but we have yet to see the large amalgamation of herds that we saw last year, which reached over 2000 individuals. This will hopefully occur in the next few months, and will be a sight to behold.

Lots of wonderful general game continues through this month, with zebras, giraffe, sable, kudu, assorted mongoose species and the night active animals such as civet, large spotted genets and servals.

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