Life slowed down with the mercury topping 40 degrees, but the Tau Pan camp waterhole became a veritable tick list. Lions, cheetahs, brown hyenas, leopards and all manner of mammals and birds frequented one of the last water sources in the area.
We regularly saw the Tau Pan lion pride, although their hunting technique in the heat left much to be desired. They had some success in the cooler evening hours, and we often found them feeding on kudu and springbok. The pride was always alert to the possibility of a hunt. One day, we located them sprawled out at the airstrip with the small cubs suckling from their mother. The alarm call of a springbok sounded through the dry bush and the mother, thinking only of the prey, jumped up, sending the little cubs sprawling across the dirt, much to their dismay.
Watching lions and more from Tau Pan Camp
Many guests took it easy watching the lion and animal activity from the comfort of the bar almost every day.
Leopard, cheetah and brown hyena were all spotted at the waterhole this month but were acutely aware of the presence of the lions, so we often followed them further afield to where they relaxed. Further out in the bush, we watched cheetah hunt springbok, and the leopards posed obligingly in Camelthorn trees. Early one morning, we spied a brown hyena passing the waterhole, barely pausing for a drink. It’s always a joy to see these reclusive creatures.
The delights of desert bird life
The birdlife has been fantastic, especially the aerial battles around the waterhole. Yellow-billed kites and Temminck’s coursers have returned to the valleys and plains. Northern black korhaans, Goshawks, Tawny eagles, Steppe buzzards, Red-crested korhaans, Crimson-breasted shrikes, Yellow-billed hornbills, Pied crows, Kori bustards and Secretarybirds were just some of the other species we regularly identified.
In the middle of the month, we saw the first small clouds in the sky and within a few days, these built up to mountainous Cumulonimbus that dominated the sky. We could almost feel the sense of expectation from the wildlife. Late in October, rains finally arrived. And with the rain comes new life and a resurrection of reptiles. Two examples: a big puff adder crossed the road and a striped skink munched on a stick insect in camp. Insects have returned to the landscape too. Ground beetles, tok-tokkie beetles, hunting wasps and spiders, dragonflies, red ants, locusts, rose chafer beetles, and zebra white butterflies have joined the African monarchs.
We have also glimpsed the first springbok baby. As the landscape rapidly changes from a parched desert to a lush green oasis, we look forward to welcoming many new additions to the extended Tau Pan family!
The lionesses that took over the San Bushmen shelter last month have vanished into the bush. This hopefully means that in the next six weeks or so (the approximate time a lioness will keep her new cubs hidden), we will have some fantastic holiday additions to tell you about!
(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!)