Month: July 2021

Dinare Camps, June/July 2021

Dinare Camps, June/July 2021

Published July 31, 2021 by Kwando Safaris

“On a safari, you find that nature has a rhythm, an organised pattern of activity”, writes Kwando Safaris, guide Ntshupegetsang (or NT as we know him) from the Santawani area. “There is a peak in the morning, as nocturnal animals hurry through the last of their business and the diurnal wake up to kick their morning chaos, stretch and start sniffing around for their breakfast – and danger.”

June was filled with guests, local and international, plus plenty of game sightings in and around Mma Dinare Camp. The general game was excellent, especially in the aptly-named Paradise section and lions were sighted almost daily. One particular viewing was rather memorable for guests!

“After a very long, hectic period of Covid-19 without picking up any international clients, it was totally miserable to me”, NT continues. “I fetched my first American clients and asked, “Folks, what’re your special interests? What animals you are hoping to see?”. Lions, leopard, giraffes and elephants came the reply. Within five minutes of our chat, my tracker and I saw movement under an Acacia tree covered by very long grass. We went to check and boom! Two male lions”.The following morning the team set off to find a leopard for the list but returned to camp, unsuccessful in finding the feline. “However, on their third day, we combined a drive and mokoro”, NT reported. “Shortly after we got to the boat station, as we were busy organising the team, we heard impalas making an alarm. Calling and snorting, we knew it might be a predator of any form, so we jumped back into the vehicle! Driving, we saw impalas running to one direction and just around the next bushes, a leopard dragging an impala”.

This month’s photo was taken by NT.

Comments closed

Moremi Crossing, June/July 2021

Moremi. Corssing Okavango Delta Boating Safari

Moremi Crossing, June/July 2021

Published July 31, 2021 by Kwando Safaris

At Moremi Crossing, our safaris are taking place by boat due to high water levels from abundant rains earlier this year. “This allowed visitors to experience the Okavango’s otherwise hidden secrets”, Kwando Safaris guide Amos shares.

There were elephants swimming and mud bathing along the river edges. They entered deeper water crossings and often used their trunks rather comically as a submarine-like snorkel!

This area is pockmarked by isolated islands and reed beds teeming with waterbirds. African fish eagles displayed and called in territorial advertisement, the African jacana showed off its unique mating behaviour (out here on the waterlilies, females rule the roost). We could also catch sight of the Black heron although shadow fishing. This clever bird uses its wings to create a reflection-free fishing environment, all the better to land a meal!

One eventful afternoon in June, we landed with a buffalo carcass in the camp overnight. Alongside the nightly melody of crickets and frogs calling during dinner (these creatures call at night because they feel safe once their major enemy, the bird, has retired). We also had hyena whooping, Black-backed jackal yelling, and lions roaring in a full audio encounter.

Comments closed

Tau Pan Camp, June-July 2021

Tau Pan Camp, June-July 2021

Published July 31, 2021 by Kwando Safaris

As usual, the Tau Pan pride was active in the area! These well-known lions currently make up a pride of 16, but it is unusual to find them all together in one spot. Perhaps because there’s some competition?

There are also two adult females in the area and six siblings. Three of these six are young and hidden very well because they don’t want to be encountered by rivals (which might get them killed!).

One day, cheetahs were seen hungry and hunting in the morning, and in the afternoon were found feasting successfully on a springbok. This trio consists of a mother and two cubs, visiting us from San Pan. Guides are keeping a keen eye on them because lions are a threat to the little ones.

While the bigger predators often steal the spotlight, winter is a wonderful time to admire the more unusual Kalahari creatures. Thanks to colder mornings, handsome caracal and Africa’s littlest hyena, the harmless ant-eating aardwolf, were both seen active during the day. Our other sand-loving and burrowing residents, the Bat-eared fox, Ground squirrel, Yellow and Slender mongoose, also provided plentiful sightings.

As for the bigger game, no elephants were seen, but “they might be on the southern part of Central Kalahari”, Vasco says. “We do see their tracks heading towards another waterhole on the northern part of Passarge Valley”. While there are no migratory birds present at the moment, there is still plenty of bird watching to do. Vasco recorded plenty of raptors such as the Pale chanting goshawk, Tawny eagle and vultures, plus our little brown jobs, the Sabota lark, Fawn coloured lark, as well as the bigger brown jobs Kori bustard and Northern black korhaan.

Vasco says a highlight is the night sky. “It’s awesome to watch constellations in the evening. Scorpio is prominent, then there’s Corvus the crow-flying bird (but upside down) the Southern Cross and the confusing False cross, plus Musca, the bee”. Each constellation with its own African interpretation.

(Note: Accompanying picture is from our Kwando Photo Library which consists of all your great photo submissions over the years, it may not be the most up to date, but we felt it was worthy of a feature alongside this month’s Sightings Report!)

Comments closed

Nxai Pan Camp, June-July 2021

Nxai Pan Camp, June-July 2021

Published July 31, 2021 by Kwando Safaris

As if they aren’t cute enough as adults, aardwolf cubs were a particularly special sighting this winter. On the West Road, Kwando Safaris guides located an aardwolf den just metres from the dirt track and one day four of the adults laid basking in the sunshine just at the entrance.

Thanks to good rains this year, there is still a bit of surface water lying around for the game. Plenty of Black-backed jackals were seen scoping these pans, some trying desperately to catch Helmeted guineafowl for dinner.

One day on the way to Baines’ Baobabs (plenty of Oryx and Steenbok logged during the drive) guides reported tracks of both lion and wild dog. The team did a few day trips and often arrived at the historical site to a welcoming committee of Lesser flamingoes flocked across the waterlogged salt pans. However, these seem to be drying fast, leaving us with a caked salt pan crust.

The camp waterhole is always flush with life during this dry season and it’s been a joy to simply watch the animals parade past from the deck. Spotted hyenas were seen drinking water on several occasions and on one particularly hot day, over 100 elephants. These pachyderms were joined by plenty of other plains game species: buffalo, blue wildebeest, plains zebra, the greater kudu and a generous herd of springbok. Under the cover of darkness, the camp also had visits from the Small-spotted genet and lions were vocal in the vicinity.

The birdlife has been great too with plenty of raptor activity, prides of ostrich foraging in the golden grasslands and several sightings of Botswana’s national bird, the scholarly-looking Kori Bustard. Two tall secretary birds were also seen (rather conspicuously) sitting on top of the Umbrella thorn acacia trees, which is their preferred nesting site.

Did you know? This bird has the longest tail in Southern Africa. It measures about 75cm.

Comments closed

Pom Pom Camp, June-July 2021

Pom Pom Camp, June-July 2021

Published July 31, 2021 by Kwando Safaris

It’s sure been a season of lion sightings over at Pom Pom Camp this winter! Several different lion prides have been using the area. Six females and two of their six-month-old cubs were spotted feasting on a fully grown wildebeest. A further five lions were spotted near the airstrip lying in the abundant shade of a Sycamore fig tree.

On yet another occasion they proved to be more lively, much to the delight of our guides and guests alike. Four lions from the Pom Pom pride were seen stalking the speedy Tsessebe antelope, which true to its reputation as the fastest antelope outran the predators. These lions were also noted hunting Red lechwe more successfully. However, we were reminded that lions are not always the prolific hunter.

Mike noted that lions also chose to scavenge instead by taking over a leopard kill. The leopard had to watch woefully from its treetop perch as three of them feasted upon its well-earned dinner. Speaking of dinner, an African civet was seen feeding on Jackalberry fruits during a night drive. Civets are stocky animals, omnivores that eat everything from grass to poisonous millipedes to fish and even puff adders.

On another evening, while guests ate their three-course meal of far more delicious fare, three lionesses passed close by the camp in a rather blatant fashion. Their contact calls rang through the bush as they attempted to find others from the pride.

After hunting through the night, they were found feasting on a kudu the next morning. A day later, a different set of lionesses were seen beside thick riverine bush with their two cubs after landing an impala kill. It seems those contact calls eventually proved successful because the mothers with cubs joined the lions seen feeding on the kudu. However, we don’t know if they are getting along. Our last report for the month recorded the sighting of an injured lioness on her own, bleeding from her thigh and sporting a swollen head.

One morning during an early game drive, one of our guides intuitively followed alarm calls coming from the airstrip just as dawn broke. Closer investigation revealed an adult leopard on the hunt. A few days later a pair of wild dogs exploited this open area again while looking for food on the move. Later, a pack of ten dogs made for far easier photography as they lay resting. Our guides have also uncovered the location of a wild dog den, which is very exciting!

A female leopard was seen at a site known as Fishermans Crossing, making her way towards camp and seemingly on the hunt and using the wind to her advantage, but she was unsuccessful. Over on Marula island, another leopard has been seen fairly regularly. Guides noted that it likes to use the tall grass (there’s still a decent height remaining from the rainy season) to discreetly follow impala. A smaller spotted special, the beautiful serval cat was also seen on the hunt on two separate occasions.

Water levels in July were still high from the incoming floodwaters that wind down from Angola, so both boating and mokoro activities were enjoyed by guests. Little bee-eaters, fish eagles swooping in for barbel fish and malachite kingfishers proved very obliging and made for great pictures, but the most unusual sighting had to be a bright green chameleon spotted by one particularly eagle-eyed poler.

Comments closed

Lebala Camp, June-July 2021

Lebala Camp, June-July 2021

Published July 31, 2021 by Kwando Safaris

During June, a female wild dog was located very late one afternoon. Guides noted she was alone, pregnant and it looked like she was cleaning burrows, creating a suitable den to bring up her puppies.

These predators will identify and secure an area to birth the litter and remain underground until the pups are able to follow their mother. However, den sites might change often if the mother feels threatened. Keeping an eye on the area, Wago noted that a wild dog den has since been active, “and their puppies were out on 31 July, an amazing moment!”.

Over on Zebra road, a huge herd of eland was seen sharing a waterhole with baboons. “Seeing these beautiful antelope is always interesting”, Wago wrote, “but it was a highlight to see them drinking with a calf”. The general game has been very good and most animals, especially giraffe, zebra and wildebeest, were seen in large herds. Imagine a tower of twenty giraffes!

A lioness was hanging around one such plentiful area for over two days trying to hunt. Wago noted interestingly how she targeted a wildebeest and it uncharacteristically escaped into the water. Another pride had more luck, however. Lions were found feeding on a wildebeest with their cubs in tow and stayed in the neighbourhood for a few days providing great encounters. Cubs were also noted with another group of lions – this time there were seven of them!

Lions were also located hunting on Mophane Road, but didn’t make a kill during the afternoon game drive. On the return to camp, guests braved the cold night drive and were justly rewarded, however, with an aardwolf sighting, plus a serval! On hearing the francolin make a hubbub, Wago stopped to listen. Guests recalled will glee how they then saw a serval leap out of the long grass into a bush. “This has been a brilliant moment”, Wago noted. Plus, the lions were spotted the next day, successfully feasting on an impala.

The night drives have been rather productive in fact. Springhares – our Kalahari kangaroos – featured often hopping across the spotlit scenery and many African wild cats were identified on the hunt. The tiny little Barred owlet was logged too.

Comments closed

Lagoon Camp, June-July 2021

Lagoon Camp, June-July 2021

Published July 31, 2021 by Kwando Safaris

We are so pleased to share that a pack of African wild dogs successfully denned with a busy litter of 9 puppies! Kwando Safaris guides have been following the action closely.

Spencer reports that there are actually two dens. “Just 60 metres apart! The main den, where the Alpha female is often visible at the entrance is more active than the Beta female as she spends a lot of time indoors due to being dominated. She also tends to be fed less. At some point, she decided to join the hunt in the afternoon because she wasn’t being fed by the pack. They successfully killed a male kudu some 150 meters west of the den and stashed the kill in thick vegetation, devoured the meal over several days with the vultures hanging close by. The White-backed vultures constitute the largest percentage of the vulture species seen, but Hooded vultures help to give away carcasses and kills. The Lappet-faced vultures and the White-headed on rare occasions also grace our sightings”.

Meanwhile, the resident lion pride at Lagoon (the Holy pride) has been located several times this winter. The Holy pride has 10 cubs grown up to about almost a year. Then there are also two lionesses with seven more cubs of about two months old. They have been moving a lot to keep the little ones safe and the lionesses have been hunting during the day, mostly along the shores in Muddy Waters. There has been plenty of plains game. We saw lots of Red lechwes as our seasonal flood plains had been rejuvenated with the floodwaters, as well as waterbuck and reedbucks. The other pride (Mmamosetha pride) had been very active in and around the camp periphery almost every day with yet another coalition of three males occupying the territory north and west of Lagoon camp providing great sightings along with their pals, the hyena.

Hyena have been spotted on many occasions, either at the remains of the kills (zebra, in particular, the guides have noted) or on patrol. Spencer says, “We counted about 12 (if not more) having responded to one lion kill, but they were unsuccessful at intimidating the pride. The Mmamosetha pride has about six sub-adult males, which is why they so successfully defend their kills”.

In contrast, the cheetahs are reportedly feeding at midday. We have had good sightings of the three young cheetahs, aged 18 months (two males and their sister) hunting. On all occasions, they successfully killed an impala. They have slowly been moving north and are now close to camp (or literally in camp sometimes!)

Speaking of camp. There has also been a gorgeous leopardess with a cub of about six months visiting the area. One exciting evening, she made a kill just 200 meters from the camp and they dined on the steenbok for days, regularly moving to and from the lagoon to drink.

Comments closed

Splash/Kwara, June-July 2021

Splash/Kwara, June-July 2021

Published July 31, 2021 by Kwando Safaris

The lagoon in front of Kwara Camp is brimming with water making for fantastic mokoro outings. Guests have been treated to resident herds of Red lechwe, warthogs and impala grazing along the shores – and wonderful views of the camp!

The Hyena den is still active and the four curious pups have been a delight to watch! They all look healthy and strong. There have been regular hyena calls at night throughout the month around the Kwara area. The Jackalberry trees have started dropping ripe fruits. This attracts elephants, monkeys, and baboons. They are frequently seen feeding on the fruits – even in camp. The guides have witnessed an increasing number of elephants in almost all Kwara game drive tracks and around the Kwara lagoon in front of the camp.

Dwarf mongoose and slender mongoose were common sightings in June. This is the time of year when several bigger birds start to rear their young; Secretary birds, Ground hornbills, Saddle-billed stork and African hamerkops all welcomed hungry little mouths!

The resident cheetah known as Mr Special sported a limp recently which seemed to hinder his hunting, but he was still seen with several warthog kills. He was active a lot, visiting his marking posts to affirm territory boundaries. One morning he was very actively calling as if he smelled a female in the area, so the Kwando Safaris guides knew to wait and watch. After a while, a female came into view and they started mating.

Interestingly, a young female leopard was seen one afternoon climbing a tree because she was running from a male cheetah. A fascinating interaction! Two new subadult cheetahs were logged, they looked well-fed and another new female cheetah with three cubs in tow was located on the hunt.

She was not the only one teaching her young. Guides tracked two female lions with cubs and found them hunting baboons. Luckily they managed to kill one and we watched the cubs feeding. Their meal was rudely interrupted by a male lion that took over the kill from them.

The Kwara pack of African wild dogs is currently sitting at 14 members and we are waiting with bated breath for any puppy news.

Comments closed