The African wild dogs had a successful month, and we followed them on various hunts, including successfully taking down impalas and tsessebe.
We had three packs roaming between Kwara and Splash, numbering 31, 12, and 8 individuals, including their puppies. A wild dog can eat up to 4kg of meat a day (some of which might go to puppies) – more or less the equivalent of the pack of 12 eating an impala – although this doesn’t mean they will pass up the opportunity to take an easy snack.
Kudus and drawn claws at Kwara
We found the largest pack resting with big round stomachs at Python Pan when a small herd of kudus unknowingly walked out of a bush nearby. The pack twittered and chased one female kudu into a nearby watercourse, where they subdued it before dragging it to dry land and consuming it. The action, however, didn’t stop there. As they feasted, two hyenas emerged, looking for the delicious smell that had drawn them there. In their considerable pack number, the wild dogs didn’t hesitate, and the hyenas were swiftly seen off.
Early one afternoon, as a glorious afternoon siesta set in, we were pulled from our downtime by a cacophony of growls, yelps, and whining in the Kwara staff village. Jumping in a vehicle, we arrived in time to find the wild dog packs of 12 and 8 in the middle of a fight. The packs squared off and fought before splitting apart, one group heading east and the other heading west. We can only guess what was resolved. It just goes to show that while October can produce some of the most stunning sightings of the year, the heat can fray tempers!
What’s happening at the heronries?
The Godikwe and Xhobega heronries were pumping with life as the nest building gave way to the cacophony of hungry chicks. Many of the birds were relaxed in the presence of boats and camera clicking, making it possible to quietly float nearby and get some fantastic snaps of the chicks and feeding time, plus the aerial predators who awaited their chance to pounce on an unguarded newborn.

As the floodwaters receded, the sheer number of birds was almost matched by the huge herds of elephants and buffalos moving through the Kwara Private Reserve.
Leopard vs wild dogs
There was more than a fair share of leopard sightings this month, and we located them hunting, sleeping, mating and encountered the occasional leopard just out for a stroll. One day, we were watching a sleeping leopard when a pack of 12 African wild dogs wandered by. The leopard noticed them first and jumped up to confront them. The wild dogs went on the offensive and, using their well-honed communication skills, chased the leopard backwards and forwards across the pan. Risking severe injury, the male leopard finally charged straight through three of the pack and sought sanctuary in the nearest tree, hissing and spitting insults from the safety of a branch a few metres off the ground.
We saw hordes of plains game and significant zebra numbers. Another constant almost every day was seeing lions.
We found them on some of these zebra, lechwe and reedbuck carcasses, and they seemed in good health. Although, we did notice one male suffered a serious cut beneath his eye, while another limped heavily with a large cut to his leg. Weakness is not a luxury a lion can afford to show if he wishes to climb the hierarchy to independence to take charge of his own pride.
The elephant carcass not far from Kwara that gave us so many great sightings as reported back in September, October saw yet another clash between the lions and spotted hyenas. The lions, quietly enjoying an evening meal, were rudely interrupted by a clan and attacked the hyenas without realising just how many they were taking on. By the time the lions noticed their inferior numbers, they were in deep trouble from the whooping and cackling clan of competitors. Finally, there was only one thing to do: retreat. However, this was easier said than done, and they eventually had to settle with perching in the branches of a nearby Marula tree.
(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!)