At Kwara, our resident male leopard, Rra Tsebe, was a familiar sight on his extended patrols, often along the bridge. His relaxed nature and predictable routes made him a frequent and dependable sighting.
We observed him walking confidently on several occasions as we learned his common routes.
Additionally, we had the pleasure of observing several females, including one with a cub, who was frequently seen hunting or feeding. At Splash Camp, a female leopard with her cubs remained active and was tracked several times. We followed her tracks to find her feeding or hunting. A male leopard was also seen in the east, though he was more elusive.
The two packs of African wild dogs clashed at one point, resulting in a dramatic confrontation. The larger pack, with their superior numbers, forced the smaller one to cross the channel into Moremi Game Reserve, an intense moment for our guests to witness.
We tracked a coalition of two young male cheetahs at Kwara. These two brothers have a large home range stretching from Last Mabala to Ngorongoro and beyond and were often seen hunting. Though they have a wide range, these brothers were regularly spotted in the northern part of the reserve. They caught two impalas on two occasions and we tracked them as they secured a kill!
At Kwara, the spotted hyena den on the western side of the camp was active, with three cubs seen near the den. Hyena calls were often heard at night. Elephant carcasses in the area kept hyenas busy, with several sightings of them feeding on the remains.
New birds, fresh rain and teeming with game
November brought an influx of migratory birds to the area. Large flocks of southern carmine bee-eaters were observed, both on land and while cruising in boats. Other migratory birds included broad-billed rollers and yellow-billed kites.
At Splash Camp, the general game was just as abundant. Large herds of buffalo and elephants were regularly seen, and the area saw an influx of young from various antelope species.
Springhares were commonly spotted during night drives, darting through the grass as we walked along the trails. Bat-eared foxes, jackals (both black-backed and side-striped), genets, and honey badgers were also regularly seen, adding a touch of excitement to the night safari experiences.
The Kwara Pride, the largest in the reserve, was seen frequently. This pride consists of three dominant males and several lionesses, along with subadult males and females, and three generations of cubs ranging from two to seven months old. One of the lionesses recently introduced her four cubs, estimated to be about two months old. This pride was often seen in the western and northern parts of the reserve, rarely venturing to the east despite the abundance of prey there. On a few occasions, they were spotted scavenging on an elephant carcass, with the cubs feeding alongside them.
(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!)