We do not get regular sightings of African wild dogs at Tau Pan, but sometimes they will route through Central Kalahari. This month we shared a magnificent evening with a pack near camp.
African wild dogs in the Central Kalahari
The following morning we caught them again as they trotted down the road. The dogs suddenly stopped, fanning out into hunting formation, and we suddenly realised they had seen a steenbok. They cut off the avenues of escape and, after a short chase, speedily took the steenbok down. A frenzy of feeding ensued, and in a few short minutes, there was little to show that the steenbok had ever existed.
The secretive Brown hyena made several appearances at the Tau Pan Camp waterhole throughout the month. Brown hyenas, often a solitary species, are a fantastic sighting to tick off and were most often seen drinking water after sunset.
The barking geckos have become more active, and we enjoyed their chattering. On many evenings we also heard calls of the hunt from camp as the Tau Pan pride regathered its members following the chaos of the night-time chase. The Tau Pan lion pride has been very active.
The lions of Tau Pan
During the day, lions stalked Giraffes and Blue wildebeests, and we watched with bated breath from the deck of the central area in camp. Their persistence paid off. On one early morning game drive, we discovered numerous Black-backed jackals scampering about, excited by something just out of our sight.
We rounded the corner and saw one of the large pride males standing triumphantly with a paw on a felled wildebeest. He must have brought it down alone during the night as the open plain offered little cover besides some low scrub bush.
As we quietly watched, a long, low rumbling call across the pan punctuated the morning. Another pride male was seeking out his companion. He was still some miles away, but by the following morning, three males were attending the carcass. The fascinating hierarchy of scavengers was lined up nearby as the carcass (baking in 30-degree Celsius heat) began to emit smells that were clearly more appealing to the Lappet-faced, White-backed and Hooded vultures. So, with crunching and chewing ringing in our ears, we headed back to camp for our own fresher brunch feast.
A leopard investigation
Early one morning in late August, a jackal called out in Tau Pan, and we followed the call to a grove of Trumpet thorn shrubs. The alarm call was undoubtedly justified! Soon, the Kwando guides spotted a female leopard lying almost hidden in the dry grass. At first, she paid us little attention. However, she languidly got to her feet after five minutes and sidled over to inspect us curiously.
She looked up at the guests and, deciding that they didn’t merit any special attention, began her vehicle inspection. This started with the tyres, the seating frame, the bumpers and finally, a close examination of the guide. After thoroughly scrutinising the car, she strolled back to her hiding spot and lay down.
A few days earlier, we had watched the leopardess hunting a Steenbok. Over a period of ten minutes, she slowly and methodically positioned herself. At the last moment, a small gust of wind in the still, hot air alerted the steenbok to her presence, and the small antelope bolted for the trees.
For an antelope that stands just 30cm tall, they have a blistering turn of pace and, in a flash, it was threading through the bush.
While our leopards appear well-fed, their hunting techniques can sometimes be found wanting. While returning from a sundowner, we spent an entertaining 20 minutes watching two leopards stalking Helmeted guineafowl together in the last light. The leopards attacked as the birds slowly ambled towards their roosting spots. The leopards tried to catch their supper futilely in a flurry of feathers, squawking, and fowls. The birds scattered in all directions to settle on a convenient tree nearby, all the while chattering what must have been fowl (
Life revolves around the camp waterhole
The waterhole fast became one of the few remaining water sources in the area and attracted a wide variety of wildlife. Ring-necked doves and Burchell’s sandgrouse attracted plenty of Pale chanting goshawks and the Gabbar goshawks, which hunt these smaller birds.
A big mixed herd of Kudus and Blue wildebeest drank there throughout the month, sometimes in the company of old bull Giraffes, their dark colours suggestive of a long life out in the expansive Central Kalahari wilderness. (The argument that male giraffes grow darker as they age is still very much a source of scientific debate.)
Away from the water hole, Red hartebeest and stately Oryx antelope were commonly seen. Some of the acacia species began flowering and livening the brown landscapes. Antelopes and birds feed on the yellow flowers from the Riverthorn, the white flowers from the Bladethorn and the green buds on the Shepherd trees.
Interestingly, we experienced a drop of Springboks, Red hartebeest and Oryx on our drives along the valleys and pans, where they usually hang out. The grass is dry, and they have ventured deeper into the park to utilise the unique plant species of the sand dunes, which have stored precious nutrients in their roots and succulent leaves. We can expect them to return soon once Botswana receives its first rains.
(Please note: For the safety of the animals, we do not disclose the location of either rhino or pangolin sightings. Accompanying pictures are 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!)
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