One afternoon, a lone lioness drank from the camp waterhole. As she rested beside the waterhole, three African wild dogs emerged from the bush, cautiously approaching to quench their thirst.
The lioness, however, had no intention of sharing! She chased them off, creating an intense standoff. The persistent and unrelenting wild dogs circled back multiple times, barking and trying to intimidate her. Finally, the lioness relinquished her spot, leaving the wild dogs to drink.
We also spotted three lionesses at the DWNP waterhole feasting on a wildebeest kill. Two lionesses, believed to be heavily pregnant, were suspected to have retreated deep into the thickets to give birth, making them somewhat elusive.
Later, in October, the pride of five lionesses returned to the camp waterhole in the late afternoon for a drink before heading south, their majestic forms silhouetted against the fading light.
Aardwolves, cheetahs and springboks
An aardwolf and her three cubs were seen near the middle road in one particularly heartwarming sighting.
We recorded three cheetah sightings, twice in the Letswaii area and once on Drifters Island.
A wide variety of species congregated near the waterholes and across the plains. Elephants, both breeding herds and bachelor bulls, were regular visitors, especially in the afternoons, where their mud and dust baths captivated photographers. Their playful interactions and trunk-spraying antics never fail to amaze. Dragonflies flitted above the waterhole, hunting tiny insects, while ground agamas basked in the sunlight. Leopard tortoises were spotted along the Baobab loop and west road. Butterflies, including the striking African monarch, yellow pansy, and scarlet tip, danced through the air, adding a delicate touch to the rugged landscape.
Nxai pan’s spring bird sightings
Egyptian geese, grey herons, and African open-billed storks were frequently seen alongside red-billed teals and white-faced ducks at the water. Overhead, raptors such as pale chanting goshawks, yellow-billed kites, bateleurs, and brown snake eagles patrolled the skies with crimson-breasted shrikes and Marico flycatchers fluttering in the thorn trees. The nesting white-backed and lappet-faced vultures near the road gave guests an incredible look at these fascinating scavengers.
Giraffe sightings were less frequent as they spent most of their time deep in the bush, venturing out to drink only occasionally. Buffalo numbers were similarly limited, with three bachelors spotted at the waterhole this month. However, with their elegant leaps, springboks could be seen feeding in the pans, often alongside impalas. Blue wildebeests made daily appearances, while solitary oryx bulls frequently sought shade during the hottest parts of the day, particularly near the route to Baines’ Baobabs.
Scrub hares grazed close to the camp at night, their large ears and wide eyes catching the light, while banded mongoose scurried near the waterhole in the early mornings.
(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!)
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