The Tau Pan Pride was located on the eastern side of camp, where they enjoyed a meal from an African wild dog kill.
Just as the Tau Pan Pride was feasting on a subadult kudu, a male lion, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared and seized the entire meal for himself, leaving the pride and us in shock.
A caracal came for a drink at the camp waterhole, too. Caracals in the Kalahari have adapted to the arid environment by being highly opportunistic hunters, capable of taking down prey much larger than themselves — including springboks! Their powerful hind legs also allow them to leap over 3 meters into the air to snatch birds in mid-flight.
We tracked a female leopard along Aardvark Road, heading towards the first sand dune near the airstrip. She appeared to be hunting, and the guides carefully observed her movements. As we followed, we noticed a steenbok in her path. The prey spotted the predator and fled, causing the leopard to abandon the hunt.
Two shy male cheetahs rested in the shade at the Leitahau waterhole. They appeared to be trying to stay cool in the afternoon heat, avoiding hunting due to the warm temperatures. Later that same day, we spotted a female cheetah by the Passarge Waterhole. She was also resting and staying close to the water to cool off.
What is the Little Five?
Around camp, we noticed a new beetle species, the Dynastine scarab beetle, also known as the rhino beetle and a member of the Little Five.
The Little Five plays on the Big Five (rhino, elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard) and showcases the continent’s smaller but equally remarkable creatures.
This group includes the rhino beetle, an impressively strong insect with horn-like features; the antlion, a masterful sand-trap hunter in its larval stage; the elephant shrew, a tiny, quick-footed insectivore; the buffalo weaver, a social bird known for its messy nests and our next sighting, the leopard tortoise, named for its patterned shell. We saw a few leopard tortoises, which sought shade under trees to stay cool.
Other insect sightings included ground beetles, whirligigs, and water scorpions.
Ground squirrels, giraffes and amazing lion encounters
Ground squirrels were a regular presence, and their warning calls alerted us to the presence of a raptor. Suddenly, the squirrels scurried into their burrows to avoid becoming prey. A pale chanting goshawk caught a dove. However, a thorn hooked the dove, and another raptor of the same species swooped in to take it.
Although the rainfall was low this year, some greenish shoots started to appear, signalling the beginning of the rainy season. The grass remained short, but camelthorn trees, various albizia and the brandy bush remain green.
With the recent rains, many animals dispersed to areas with greener vegetation, leaving fewer animals in our immediate area. However, we still observed solitary gemsbok, springboks, wildebeests, steenboks, common duikers, and smaller animals like yellow mongooses, slender mongooses, bat-eared foxes, and jackals. Giraffes, in particular, moved further out of the area, making sightings of these majestic creatures even more special.
Lions also shifted their movements, as there was less activity around the waterhole. However, at the end of the month, we observed two female lions from the pride during a bush walk. When they spotted us, we calmly walked away, and they took cover, leaving us with a brief but memorable encounter. During this walk, guests learned about traditional survival skills, such as where to find food, how to make fire with matchsticks, and other essential life skills in the bush. For example, identifying moisture-rich desert plants like kambro, Kalahari water tuber and morning glory. These plants provide sustenance for animals during the drier months, and with more rain, Tau Pan could see an abundance of tsama melon, which has been scarce since 2015.
On clear nights, we viewed brilliant constellations like Canis Major, Orion’s Belt, Canis Minor, Taurus the Bull, and the Seven Sisters. The star Sirius, visible in Canis Major, and the planets Venus and Jupiter were particularly stunning.
(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!)