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Month: September 2023

Tau Pan Camp, September 2023

September brought riveting lion sightings, with all three lion prides showcasing their vibrant health.

The eight-month-old cubs of the San Pan Pride were a particular sensation, their growth evident as they strength with each passing day.

In the sweltering summer, the Tau Pan Pride (the reigning rulers of the area) graced the camp frequently, taking respite by guest rooms after drinking from the waterhole. Tensions brewed between the Tau Pan and Airstrip Prides, marked by noisy nocturnal escapades around the edge of the camp.

A relaxed female leopard was located leisurely feasting on a steenbok carcass atop a tree, a scene repeated with another catch later. A brief post-dinner appearance by another male leopard added a thrill to the camp atmosphere.

Tau Pan Camp Aerial

A serene male cheetah graced the southern pan, offering a delicate balance of grace and power. Tracking this slinking creature proved challenging, especially in the presence of the formidable Tau Pan pride, known for chasing away competitors.

While brown hyenas remained elusive to the eyes, their tracks painted silent stories on roads and around the waterhole.

Springboks making a fuss and elephants at the camp waterhole

The landscape echoed the clashes of springbok horns as males engaged in spirited duels for the favour of the females. Two dominant gemsbok males engaged in a fifteen-minute photogenic battle, highlighting the intense dynamics of the animal kingdom. Other visitors to the waterhole included kudus and wildebeests, and siestas were often momentarily abandoned to witness the big male elephants drinking.

Wildebeest Central Kalahari

Small mammals sighted included yellow mongooses and slender mongooses scavenging for food, bat-eared foxes foraging for scorpion morsels, and ground squirrels leisurely basking in the shade. Black-backed jackals rested while honey badgers dug in energetic bouts, unearthing their feast of snakes, lizards, and skinks.

Pairs of vultures were spotted nesting on top of the camel thorn acacia trees. The Southern pale chanting goshawks also nested on top of the camel thorn acacia, and we were delighted to see their chicks tucked in safely.

(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!)

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Dinare Camps, September 2023

A day without encountering lions at the Dinare Private Concession is a rare day indeed!

While we cherish the existence of all predators, in this expanse of wilderness, lions reigned supreme. We located them enjoying the shade on most days and frequently on the trail of buffalo herds during the evenings once the landscape had cooled off.

The big cats of the Dinare Private Concession

Despite the heavy presence of these strong felines, cheetahs still found room to roam. A coalition of four male cheetahs has taken up residence in the plains, traversing between Moremi Game Reserve and Rra Dinare Camp. Did you know? Unlike many other big cats, cheetahs have a unique purring sound similar to domestic cats. While other big cats like lions, tigers, and leopards can’t purr, cheetahs possess a unique hyoid bone to produce this sound while inhaling and exhaling. This purring is often heard during social interactions, as we experienced during game drives, especially between a mother and her cubs, or during breeding encounters.

September gifted us some soaring temperatures, but the heat stirred up heightened activity across the floodplains as animals congregated to quench their thirst at the Gomoti River.

One particularly memorable sighting occurred close to Mma Dinare Camp. A stunning moment unfolded as a leopard secured an impala kill atop a Shepherd tree, delighting our guests. The leopards within this vicinity exhibit a relaxed disposition, barring the rightly wary females with cubs and the brazen territorial intruders.

The rich Dinare ecosystem showcases two diverse biomes, offering a wealth of avian wonders. With sightings of up to 200 bird species possible in a single day during the green season, Dinare is a sanctuary for bird enthusiasts, and we spotted both aquatic and semi-desert bird species, including kori bustards, secretarybirds, and plenty of vultures circling the skies.

Night drive sights of the Okavango Delta

Spotted hyenas preferred the cover of the night for their circling, and we often heard their calls resonating through the darkness when sitting around the camp fire. A fascinating fact about hyenas is their remarkable social structure. Hyenas exhibit a matriarchal society where the females are typically larger, more dominant, and socially rank higher than males. This structure leads to a unique dynamic within the group, with the female hyenas being particularly powerful, sometimes even sporting pseudo-penises (enlarged clitorises) that are almost indistinguishable from the male genitalia. This hierarchy among female hyenas often results in them being the primary decision-makers within the clan and holds significant weight in the group’s social order and behaviour.

Other scavengers of the wild, jackals were frequently sighted around carcasses, particularly the ubiquitous black-backed Jackals. While side-striped jackals were less common, they also made occasional appearances.

During night drives in September, animals such as small-spotted genets, honey badgers, civets and serval cats were spotted. Serval cats are well-known in Botswana for their exceptional hunting abilities. They are skilled at stalking rodents, birds, and even small antelopes with remarkable precision. Once clocked, they have the unique ability to leap vertically and strike their prey from a considerable height, sometimes jumping up to two meters (6.5 feet) in the air.

They use their excellent hearing to detect the slightest movements of their prey, allowing them to make precise leaps and pounce down on their victims with incredible accuracy.

(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!)

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Nxai Pan Camp, September 2023

During September, Nxai Pan was a popular spot. A pride of five lions, including three lionesses and two cubs, were often seen strutting around the camp in the evening, especially around 7:30 pm when guests gathered for drinks near the bar and dining area.

Persistent tracking led us to a leopard stealthily on the trail of steenboks along the boundary road between the park and the Phuduhudu village. We watched the leopard for a while before it disappeared, leaving the outcome to the whims of fate. We also located male cheetah tracks along the main road leading to Baines’ Baobabs.

The stunning onset of spring in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

Nxai Pan has a stunning landscape with open grounds and diverse acacia trees. As spring arrived, blackthorn and water acacia trees started to bloom, adding a charming and colourful tinge to the landscape.

As always, the Baines Baobabs’ region offered a breathtaking panorama of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. During hotter spells of the day, mirages appeared on the faraway horizon, creating the illusion of water in the distance.

Evenings were equally enchanting with spectacular displays of stars and familiar constellations visible, including Canopus, Scorpio, the Southern Cross, and the Two Pointers. Guests and guides also witnessed meteors and meteorites, adding an unforgettable awe to celestial observations from the deck at Nxai Pan Camp.

Nxai Pan Camp epic waterhole

As temperatures climbed through the day, elephants, buffalos, and warthogs found respite in the mud by wallowing at the waterhole to regulate their body temperatures. Other animals, such as wildebeests, zebras, springboks, and giraffes, were also seen. Steenboks, scrub hares, black-backed jackals, honey badgers, and yellow mongooses were also repeatedly encountered throughout the month.

Various raptors were logged onto our sightings report, including pale chanting goshawks, black-chested snake eagles, secretary birds, greater kestrels, and the impressive white-backed and lappet-faced vultures.

(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!)

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Lebala Camp, September 2023

The guides at Lebala Camp identified a new pack of eight African wild dogs. Their exciting pursuit of impalas towards the camp along Monyomba Road gave guests an unforgettable game drive.

Tracking them to Lion Road revealed their successful kill of a subadult male kudu, and we observed their animated feeding ritual. African wild dogs are skilled and efficient hunters. They mainly hunt medium-sized antelopes but can take down larger prey like wildebeests. They often chase their prey long distances, relying on stamina and teamwork to exhaust the animals.

Another highlight was observing a pair of lionesses with five subadults scavenging a zebra carcass in the tall grasslands between Crane Road and James’s Link Road. Later, three male lions and three lionesses, accompanied by nine subadults, were spotted roaring together before proceeding into hunting mode. This is always a heart-thumping moment to witness in the wild as the sun sets and darkness consumes the landscape.

Lions at lebala camp

The lions successfully killed a common reedbuck in the marsh, but the males dominated the spoils while the lionesses and subadults missed out. Additionally, we saw the Stricker pride comprising two lionesses and their five subadults devouring a male wildebeest, growling and playfully chasing each other.

The spotted residents of Lebala

Two female leopards made kills. One led her cubs to the feast, indicating their hidden whereabouts, and we enjoyed some incredible encounters with the trio. The other was found with one cub, gradually overcoming its shyness as they feasted.

On one morning game drive, we saw four spotted hyenas feasting on an impala carcass left behind by African wild dogs on the main road west of Twin Pools. Captivating flocks of white pelicans, yellow-billed and saddle-billed storks, and marabou storks also gathered at Twin Pools, attracted by the abundance of trapped fish.

Due to the increased activity of other predators in the area, the cheetahs wisely chose to stay away from the vicinity.

(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!)

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