We had abundant sightings of cheetahs, from witnessing four brothers on a hunt to encountering a coalition of two males and a female.
These majestic animals have been more conspicuous, and a solitary female on the park boundary made a guest appearance, too. The dry, clear terrain of this Okavango Delta region made it easier for trackers to anticipate their movements.
The African wild dogs of Dinare
Ever vigilant, the African wild dogs of the Dinare Private Reserve have been shuffling their pups around, strategically relocating them to avert threats. During one afternoon drive, a courageous female dog diverted a lion’s attention from the den, thwarting a potential risk. Breeding within wild dog packs is typically limited to the alpha pair, and we have watched the rest of the pack contribute to the rearing and care of the pups.
The Batshabi Pride of lions had thrilling confrontations with the notorious three River Boys, who had cunningly pilfered many of their hard-earned kills.
One unforgettable game drive involved a large male baboon attempting to intimidate the lions, leading to a dramatic scene where two lionesses seized the baboon, resulting in a cacophony of distress. Wandering lions from the Moremi Game Reserve also made their presence felt in the Dinare domain, sparking an intensified territorial struggle between the resident animals.
Black-backed jackals were incredibly active and daring, especially in the proximity of lion kills, displaying their cheek with attempts to snatch morsels of meat.
Rralebudu, the prominent male leopard, made resounding vocalizations throughout the territory. Females with cubs were spotted, and on one occasion, a female was sighted near the mokoro station, calmly dining on a kill. To preserve nature’s course, we chose not to conduct the mokoro activity.
A parade of nocturnal creatures graced our night drives – honey badgers, servals, genets, civets, aardwolves, and bat-eared foxes. Banded, slender, yellow, and dwarf mongooses going about their busy pastimes enlivened the diurnal drives, while porcupines were seen frequently, particularly from the campfire decks.
The great game of the Gomoti River
August weather proved unpredictable, fluctuating between freezing nights, scorching days, and gusty winds. Amidst these climatic oscillations, the game converged around the waters of the Gomoti River, creating spectacular scenes with species like zebras, impalas, giraffes, tssessbe, wildebeest, and hippos. Moreover, both Rra Dinare Camp and Mma Dinare Camp were frequently visited by impalas, kudus, buffalo and bushbucks, adding to the guests’ experience. Additionally, a notable presence of elephants was observed due to the increasing heat and dwindling water resources.
(Please note: For the safety of the animals, we do not disclose the precise 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!)