Tau Pan showed off a parade of wildlife with a surge in elephant numbers this month in a migration-like movement from east to south.
An extraordinary morning scene unfolded on 29 November. Guests enjoying breakfast were treated to a brown hyena at the waterhole.
Puppies and badgers at the pan
Adorable black-backed jackal puppies stole the show during game drives. Bat-eared fox puppies and two honey badgers were spotted at the pan, engaging in intriguing behaviours. The interactions between these mammals and a bird of prey further enriched the spectacle, when a pale chanting goshawk was spied sitting with a honey badger.
A stealthy cat, the caracal, was observed hunting a korhaan. Ground squirrels, ever-vigilant, sounded the alarm, prompting the korhaan to take flight and the cat to vanish into the thickets, a master of manoeuvres. Diederick cuckoos, yellow-billed kites, chestnut-vented warblers, and southern masked weavers preparing their nests heightened the sounds of nature.
We witnessed a female cheetah and her playful cubs engaging in a gripping hunt. However, their springbok target proved too fast, marking a day of missed opportunities. Later in the month, the trio attempted to separate a gemsbok calf from its mother. Faced with formidable opposition, the cheetahs strategically withdrew, demonstrating the challenges of the predator’s life as they did not want to get injured. Their frames are small, and injury could lead to them being chased down by bigger predators, such as lions.
The lions of Tau Pan
The Tau Pan pride, comprised of six subadult lions, showcased their territory by venturing close to the camp waterhole for a drink often throughout November. They continually found respite under the bushes, sometimes making photography a challenge as heat built during the day.
We tracked the airstrip pride, usually numbering four, but now three, tracing a meandering path, eventually resting by the runway. It was noted that the first daughter might have birthed cubs.
The allure of Tau Pan extended beyond sightings. Guests enjoyed walks with San legend trackers on an immersive journey into the bush, where the pulse of nature meets the rhythm of ancient culture. Each step into the Kalahari helped to cement the harmony between land and people.
As darkness fell, the Tau Pan sky was adorned with constellations like Canis Major and Canis Minor, Orions Belt, Taurus the Bull, and more. The view of Jupiter and Venus made for an awe-inspiring evening panorama. Nocturnal life in Tau Pan came alive with ground beetles, horn moths, ball byter ants, and the industrious Matabele ants. The presence of the African migrant and African monarch butterflies, and a cape cobra on the move all pointed to a thriving desert ecosystem.
The sand dunes continued to weave a breathtaking picture across the Kalahari Desert, now complemented by vast greenery. Blooming plants and flowers and nourishing grasses like the Kalahari sand quick contribute to the lushness. However, though green Tau Pan craves more rain, hopefully to come.
(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!)