Our afternoons were often filled with the thrill of tracking cheetahs, sometimes for as long as two hours. We diligently checked their regular marking posts for signs of activity, a task that always kept us on the edge of our seats.
The cheetahs were typically found resting after long travel distances, but it was always fascinating to watch them mark their territory or climb trees for this purpose. One afternoon, we located a female cheetah with two nearly year-old cubs — whom we hadn’t seen in over six months. We watched them hunting and chasing impalas. They successfully caught an impala lamb, which they briefly left behind before moving on. Later, we returned to the spot to find a tawny eagle feeding on the carcass.
During nature walks, we noticed the first flowers of the season, including fireball lilies and spider lilies. Dung beetles were also active, spinning their balls across the sandy tracks of the Kwando Private Concession.
The pride of female lions crossed the river channel into the islands of the Kwando Riverine system following the buffalo herds. While these females fed on buffaloes, and we often heard their roars responding to the males, three males remained mainly along the marsh areas near Lebala Camp.
These males from the South Coalition spent much of their time resting. They ventured into the woodlands a few times, but we tracked them as usual and found them feeding on buffalo kills of their own. In one particularly intriguing sighting, we saw one of the South Coalition males mating with a subadult female. This mating lasted for several days. In another instance, we observed four females from the South Coalition with eight cubs of varying sizes, feeding on a buffalo. They finished the kill within a day and a half.
Meanwhile, a new coalition of three subadult males was spotted on the northern side of the camp. Two of them remained pretty shy, often staying on the periphery of the South Coalition’s territory. The South Coalition males became curious when they heard the roars of these newcomers, causing them to approach briefly before the younger males retreated.
We tracked a subadult male leopard on several occasions. We found him perched high in a tree one morning, looking out intently. After some time, he descended, and we followed the leopard as he climbed another tree. His movements indicated he was focused on something, and eventually, we saw him eyeing a family of tsessebes. As we got closer, we noticed that the leopard specifically targeted the tsessebe calves. We observed his stalking behaviour, but just as he closed in, a flock of guineafowl appeared, alarmed by the predator. The tsessebes quickly fled with their calves, and the leopard retreated into the thick bush.
The water, the woodlands and shifting habitats in the Kwando Private Concession
The landscape began to turn green after two good rains, and several waterholes started to fill with water. The knobbly combretum trees were particularly beautiful this month, adding to the lush scenery. Migratory birds began to arrive, with woodland kingfishers and broad-billed rollers logged. A few Southern ground hornbills and secretarybirds were also spotted, along with some cuckoos.
One morning, we found a pack of 12 African wild dogs with bellies full from a large meal the previous evening. In the afternoon, we returned to see them engaging in their ritual greetings before setting off on a hunt. As we followed them, they encountered a spotted hyena, which they fought and bit before moving on. From there, the pack entered the thick woodlands alive with the loud, high-pitched sounds of cicadas.
The post-rain period brought about a remarkable change in the wildlife population. Plains zebras, once a common sight, became scarce, while giraffes started to return to the river after long periods in the deep woodland areas. We saw impalas and tsessebes giving birth, whilst buffalo bachelor herds were sighted in greater numbers than in previous years. Elephants, too, moved further into the mopane woodland after the rains, but when they returned, we encountered them in large herds, scattered across the area.
A single Nile crocodile was spotted regularly along the riverbank, leading us to believe it might be incubating eggs or tending to a nest. Upon hearing the sound of vehicles, most other crocodiles would retreat into the river, but this one remained in the same spot. Water monitor lizards were frequently seen foraging for food. Young pythons were spotted in the area, particularly during the night drives and sometimes in the early mornings, basking in the sun.
Spotted hyenas were frequently observed during morning and evening game drives, but they tended to be on the move and mostly solitary. However, their calls were often heard around the camp at night, adding to the nocturnal atmosphere. We saw African wild cats hunting during night drives, though without success. Civets were shy and elusive, while springhares were abundant in good numbers. Genets were spotted around the camp but remained relatively inactive. The aardwolf den, located not far from the camp, was active, with three young ones observed.
(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!)