One evening, sitting around the campfire after dinner, some of our guests were treated to an incredible sight: a male leopard hunting a female red lechwe by the Pom Pom Lagoon, dragging the carcass to a knob-thorn acacia tree to stash it.
The following morning, three hyenas were seen resting under the tree while the leopard moved on after breakfast time.
Large herds of elephants and buffalo, plus many other antelope species, gathered at the few remaining waterholes to drink. The open plains provided ideal grazing grounds for blue wildebeest, red lechwe, kudu, tsessebe, giraffes, zebras, and hippos. As the rains began, herbivores like impala and tsessebes started dropping their young, signalling the start of the rainy season. Some trees began flowering, like the baobab, rain trees, jackal berry, and fever berry. Termite activity increased after these first showers, with flying termites seen around the dining area during dinner, a fascinating spectacle for our guests. With the onset of the rainy season, reptile sightings were less frequent, but we spotted water monitor lizards and Nile crocodiles in the remaining waterholes.
Awesome African wild dog sightings
A pack of 20 African wild dogs roamed across the Pom Pom Private Concession, offering several great sightings. One morning in early November, we tracked the pack to the east side of the airstrip, where they were hunting impala. After following them southeast, they encountered a bachelor herd of impalas and successfully made a kill right in front of us!
Wild dogs are exceptional endurance hunters that easily cover distances of 50 km or more in a single day in pursuit of prey. They can maintain impressive speeds of approximately 50km/ph. Their peak activity occurs in the early morning and early evening when temperatures are cooler, enabling them to regulate their body temperature effectively while travelling these vast distances.
On 15 November, we tracked a different pack of 18 African wild dogs for 30 to 40 minutes before finding them feeding on a male red lechwe near the Matsebe Channel, southwest of the reserve. This pack moved towards the southwest, near the Mokolwane area, and provided more thrilling wild dog sightings throughout the month.
Spotted hyenas were frequently seen throughout the reserve, often around the camp, especially in the evenings. We often saw them walking near the fireplace on their way to the dining area during dinner. There is also an active hyena den on the west side of Shine Bridge, home to three pups aged 4 to 5 months.
The big cats of Pom Pom: leopards, lions and cheetahs
One morning, our game drive began with alarm calls from monkeys and impalas near Room 9. After a few minutes of searching, we tracked a large male leopard walking near Shine Bridge heading west. We followed him as he climbed a sausage tree branch to rest. Another morning, we located a female leopard and her cub feeding on an impala under the shade of a jackal berry tree at Zippa Island. As we continued tracking, we found a male leopard resting by the base of a termite mound, then followed him as he came across a fresh buffalo carcass — likely killed by lions. We watched as he fed on it before returning in the afternoon to find two lionesses and a subadult male lion resting nearby.
One night, a particularly thrilling sighting occurred when we heard a commotion of lions and hyenas east of Marula Island, just a kilometre from the camp. The following morning, we returned to find two male lions feeding on a wildebeest, with 10 hyenas resting at a distance, watching the lions. It was a fantastic month for lion sightings, and we enjoyed a variety of exciting encounters.
We followed the tracks of a lion pride heading northeast of the concession. After about an hour and 20 minutes of tracking near Kessey’s field, we were delighted to find a pride of 10 lions feeding on a buffalo carcass, with white-backed and hooded vultures perched in nearby trees. Later in the month, we tracked a lioness along Fishermen’s Route. She fed on a male red lechwe while side-striped jackals patiently waited to scavenge once she had finished.
We saw a female cheetah and her subadult male cub hunting impala. Unfortunately, the hunt was unsuccessful as the impalas spotted them from afar. Later in the month, we tracked a male cheetah, but the hunt had already ended, as the cheetah appeared to be resting after a successful chase earlier in the day.
A Pel’s fishing owl at Pom Pom
Birdlife around the concession was abundant, especially around the waterholes. At Pom Pom Lagoon, large flocks of pelicans, storks, egrets, and wattled cranes were observed in front of the lodge. Eagles, including martial, brown snake, and bateleur eagles, soared overhead. Other bird sightings included hamerkops, African darters, cormorants, slaty egrets, common ostriches, and pel’s fishing owls. Various species of pipits, rollers, larks, and woodland kingfishers were also recorded, offering an exciting range of birdwatching opportunities.
Experienced guides and trackers led several fascinating nature walks, where guests could learn about tracking, the uses of plants, and other species in the field.
We saw African civets, honey badgers, side-striped jackals, African wild cats, banded mongooses, and scrub hares during our evening drives. Springhares were frequently spotted too, particularly on our way back to camp after sundowners. Springhares aren’t actually hares — they’re more like oversized rodents! They can leap up to 2 meters in a single bound, using their powerful hind legs like a kangaroo.
The skies were mostly clear, providing excellent stargazing opportunities. We spotted planets and stars like Orion’s Belt, Jupiter, Mars, and the Southern Cross.
(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!)