The captivating nature walk with the Kalahari’s indigenous trackers, such as Majwagana “Scuppa” Tshururu, is often the highlight of a stay at Tau Pan Camp.
However, we had to make slight modifications to the activity this month. We found a novel sight in mid-September while checking the walking route to ensure it was safe. The walk includes a recreation of a San (also known as bushmen in Botswana) homestead, and one morning we found that the shelter was occupied. Two pregnant lionesses commandeered the shady, cool house in the October heat. Perhaps a new maternity wing to be?
What is the Central Kalahari like in October?
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve got very dry. Grasses gave way to hardened dust, and wildlife turned their focus to the daily trial of getting from the last water sources to the remaining grasses, shrubs, leaves and fruit that comprise their desert diet.
The Tau Pan Camp waterhole was the focal point for multiple wildlife species. Kudus, blue wildebeests, giraffes and even an elephant (who are not common visitors) graced the reservoir throughout the day. The resident cheetah also bravely spent time at the waterhole. We say brave as the Tau Pan lion pride also spent considerable durations at the waterhole and around camp. They were well-fed, and guests enjoyed watching the cubs play and interacting with the adults for many days. The lions were most tolerant of the youngsters, although they didn’t hesitate to put them in their place with a swipe or two when antics became irritating.
We also noticed an unknown young male lion in the area playing a risky game. He seemed to know this and was constantly on guard, ready to bolt whenever the bush rustled or a bird called.
The Brown hyenas were also wary. We found plenty of tracks, but they darted to and from the waterhole in the quiet dark of dawn to avoid the presence of the lions. The same could not be said of the resident leopards.
The lively leopards of Tau Pan Camp
Leopards were spotted throughout the month, and our curious friend from August again inspected the game drive vehicle. This time, she decided the vehicle could serve as an excellent sunshade in the late afternoon sunshine. The car could not move with her underneath, and the only thing we could do was quietly enjoy early sundowners aboard. It’s a tough life in Tau Pan! Another delight was watching two subadult females playing about and chasing ground squirrels without successfully swatting any. We also located a Cape cobra attempting to hunt these squirrels.
With the grasses low, it proved a wonderful time of year to spot the fantastic array of smaller creatures the Kalahari offers. Yellow and slender mongooses, bat-eared foxes, honey badgers, and black-backed jackals were regularly seen in the pans foraging for food on both game drives and when walking close to camp.
Some of the trees are green, especially Camelthorn, Confetti and Shepherds trees. We also noticed some blossoms have attracted insects as spring settles in.
(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!)