One day, eleven hyenas, known for their opportunistic hunting, chased a herd of about thirty plains zebras. However, they abruptly shifted their focus to a breeding herd of elephants.
The chase continued for nearly an hour before the hyenas, thwarted by the rising heat, abandoned their pursuit and retreated to the shade of the Kalahari star apple bushes for the day.
Wild dogs denning? The search intensifies
The area around 4 Rivers Camp boasted a healthy population of spotted hyenas, often seen during early morning and late evening drives, and a pack of seven wild dogs offered regular sightings during June. Notably, the alpha female went missing, leading us to believe the pack might be denning nearby. Their recent movements were concentrated north of 4 Rivers Camp, and we eagerly anticipated the discovery of their den. The guides redoubled their tracking efforts, check in for the July edition for more details…
A resident female leopard was frequently seen stalking impalas and taking down prey, such as a common reedbuck lamb west of 4 Rivers Camp. On one occasion, she and her six-month-old cub were flushed from a kill by a group of eight lions! This forced them to seek refuge in a nearby tree. The tension in the air was palpable as our guests watched in awe from the game drive vehicle at this remarkable display of survival instincts.
Lion prides and coalitions around 4 Rivers Camp
Several different lion prides and coalitions were regularly spotted within and around the camp during morning and afternoon safaris. Highlights included the Sedudu Pride with three adult females and three subadult males, the ‘Two Boys’ coalition dominating the west. They were frequently seen around the marshy areas to the east and south of camp. Additionally, three adult females patrolled near the camp and into the Mopane woodlands, while a solitary female was observed on Maboa Island. Towards Paradise, we tracked three resident males with a large female and her two offspring.
Whilst the grass on the mainland dried out the trees remained lush and green, especially along the riverine areas where the daily influx of floods attracted more and more game. The safari camp area was rich with wildlife, with large herds of elephants and plains teeming with a variety of herbivores, including zebras, common reedbucks, red lechwes, impalas, giraffes, African buffalos, tsessebes, chacma baboons, vervet monkeys, greater kudus, common waterbucks, blue wildebeests, steenboks, sable and roan antelopes, and hippos.
The camp was busy with life despite the winter chill. A black mamba was discovered near the kitchen, with starlings mobbing the snake, alerting us to its presence. Additionally, a crocodile was often seen basking on the sandbank in front of the firepit, soaking up the sun. A resident African civet was frequently seen between tents 8 and 9 during late evening safaris. During these night drives, we also had great views of springhares, honey badgers, and genet cats.
The night skies were breathtaking, offering clear views of prominent constellations and stars. Guests marvelled at the Milky Way, Orion’s Belt and Scorpio while spotting Canopus in the constellation of Carina, Sirius in Canis Major, and the two pointer stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri. The frequent shooting stars added an extra touch of magic to our stargazing sessions!
(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!)