Category: Nxai Pan

With lots of zebra now here with their young, and lots of baby impala and springbok, a jackal must have thought life was truly unfair as he continually got chased around the open plain by two cheetah cubs, who were learning to hunt, and had chosen the jackal as a suitable moving target. Luckily for him, he managed to get away safely!

Nxai has had a bit more rain than other areas, so at the start of the month the grass currently had a lush green appearance. And plenty of animals to feed on it! All the zebra, wildebeest, oryx and springbok are enjoying the tasty vegetation. And the lions are enjoying the tasty wildlife…. The lions were seen regularly during the month, including when they came through to the camp waterhole for a drink after ingesting a rather large meal of zebra!

Plenty of cheetah too – with up to six being seen in one drive, and at least one being seen every day or two. Day trips to Baines Baobabs provided a beautiful scene with flocks of lesser flamingos congregating in the pans with water. These birds are on a migration through to the salt pans around Nata, and Baines provides a short rest stop for them.

A fabulous morning drive started with six wild dogs resting in the shade, who suddenly started up when they saw three male cheetahs strolling along Middle Road. Not far off from them, the lions were preoccupied feeding on a zebra closer to the pan. And coming back round on the loop drive from Baobab Road, the female cheetah was found with her cubs!

Thirteen lions came down to drink at the main water hole. A little like a rugby scrum, the lions crowded on one side of the waterhole, whilst the zebras crowded nervously on the other. The lions were ignoring the zebras. The zebras drank occasionally, but with an eye on what the lions were doing on the other side of the water hole. None of them were watching the small bird that was wandering up and down the inner lip of the water hole, stopping drink and then pacing to and fro. At one point, it decided it had had enough to drink and took off – zebras turned and scattered – as did 13 lions who couldn’t get away fast enough, tripping over each other. Once the dust settled, both teams of animals returned sheepishly to the matter at hand – drinking.

Also, a surprise sighting of a small group of buffalos! Not often found in the Nxai area, these big grazers are not likely to stay long, as they need lush grass, and a good supply of fresh water to thrive.

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The six wild dogs seen last month were back again at the beginning of the month for a couple of days, moving over the open pans looking for prey. Whilst we watched them in the area of West Road, they began hunting, and we were lucky enough to see them catching a springbok, and devouring it between them all.

A day later, and the pride of lions had managed to pull down a giraffe during the night in Baobab loop, as we found them feeding on it in the morning. They took about two days to finish off the meat – divide one giraffe by 17 hungry lions and you can see why it only lasted two days! After finishing their meal, they moved off to the nearby waterhole to drink.

On the same day the lions were found with the giraffe, the cheetah family were seen near to West Road, resting up under the shade of an umbrella thorn tree.

28th December and the predators were still in the area – seeing lions, wild dog and cheetah all in one day, is pretty good going at Nxai Pan! However, the last three days of the month, the prey species were able t relax, as no predators were seen. The zebra migration was growing in number, and there is probably plenty for the predators to eat elsewhere, so the ones near camp remain unmolested!

Although there are no elephant herds around, the bulls still remain in the area, swaggering up to the water holes to drink their fill, and then moving off to the tree-line to feed on the vegetation. This is a pleasant time for them, as the rains have made sure there is enough water in pans for them to drink regularly, and the cooler temperatures make life a little easier.

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The very beginnings of the zebra migration was seen at the end of the month, close to Baines Baobabs. It’s only a few herds to begin with, but the numbers will start growing, as they move slowly into the area. It will take them some time for the bulk of them to move into the park, with January and February normally the prime months for sightings in and around the Pan. Still, day trips out to Baines have been productive as the herds begin to appear.

Early in the month the camp was visited by 15 lions – 5 lionesses and 10 cubs walked through the area, passing by the camp and the waterhole. It was a wonderful sighting for all to see of so many lions!

Mid month and the small pack of wild dogs again came to the waterhole in front of the camp to drink. Towards the end of the month the six dogs re-appeared and after drinking, proceeded to chase springbok around in circles. An unsuccessful hunt as far as we could see, but we are sure they had better luck a little later.

Regular sightings of cheetah and lion during the month out at the main waterhole. On one day we saw the mother cheetah playing with her two cubs near the waterhole, and a little later, a lioness calling for her four cubs to join her. The lion cubs came rushing out of the wild sage where they were hiding to meet up with mum.

A drive to Baines Baobabs late in the month located the big pride of lions who we hadn’t seen for a week or so. They had just made a kill, and the male was dragging the dead wildebeest to the shade of a tree, with the vultures already waiting in nearby trees.

Most unusual sighting this month: buffalo! They were see having a quick drink at the camp waterhole, before moving off at a very quick pace!

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When lions start mating, it’s a good bet that you are going to have guaranteed lion sightings for three days, as they are totally preoccupied, and don’t hunt or move very far during this time. Sure enough on the 17th October, a mating pair were spotted, and they were seen in the same area, loving it up, until the 20th October! With all the lions in the area, it is not uncommon to see up to 16 on one drive.

We had other great cat sightings – the cheetah mother with her two cubs were seen on some days relaxing, and at other times, off on a hunt. This little family are totally relaxed with game drive vehicles watching them, and if the cubs survive to adulthood we will continue to have good sightings of them.

As with last month, we had another lucky visit of the pack of wild dogs. This time they came to the waterhole in front of camp early one morning, drank quickly, and then quickly left, off on a springbok or impala hunt no doubt.

Three of the largest vultures – Lappett faced vultures – were spotted drinking at the main park waterhole. This bird is designated as a Vulnerable species, by the IUCN, and there are thought to be around 8000 individuals left in the Africa and the Middle East. The Botswana population is not known, but they have been seen to nest in the area, with one nest being active last year very close to the camp.

The drier it gets, the more regularly elephants come and drink at the waterhole in front of camp. The bulls meander in, and stay for a while, often to socialise (or bully) with any other elephants that come to drink. The small breeding herds almost tip toe quickly in, drink, then leave as fast as they can, before some as yet unperceived threat arrives.

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The mother cheetah and her two cubs were seen regularly this month – the mother attempted to hunt on several occasions, and show her offspring exactly how it is done. It will take the young cheetah up to two years to learn to hunt well without their mother’s assistance – and there will be some lean times ahead for them until they do…In the mean time, they try perfecting their skills on hunting for rodents, whilst their mother does the hard work of pulling down larger game.

A rare group of visitors to the park: wild dogs! The small pack was seen drinking at the main water hole in the middle of the month, and a few lions followed up at the same place with a drink. The dogs cover huge areas in their territory, and with plenty of impala and springbok in the outer lying reaches of the park, we don’t get to see them very often.

Seen more often, but still a beauty to behold – bat eared foxes… These attractive little predators are a little smaller than the jackals that roam the area. With their huge ears you would imagine you could see them from far away, but they camouflage themselves very well, often in the shade of a small bush. Their big ears are sensitive enough to allow them to hear insects and small animals moving just below the surface of the ground, which they then quickly dig out.

Another unusual visitor – three buffalo! These large herbivores need good quality grazing and a good quantity of water to survive. They very occasionally make trips through the park, but tend not to stay for long, being reliant on the few watering holes that are in the park. Last year, five of them visited, but the lions were quick to catch a couple of them, and with such a big pride in the area now, the buffalos may not make it out of the park all together.

A huge martial eagle – the biggest raptor in Southern Africa – was seen resting on top of an Umbrella Thorn tree. It was being continually harassed by another predatory bird – the much smaller pale chanting goshawk.

The breeding herds of elephants are still around – each herd up to around 40 in size. One small calf looked as though it had had a run in with a lion at some point, as it’s tail was missing.

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Predator sightings have been great – although it’s a quiet time of year for guests to visit Nxai Pan, the guests that do visit get the park pretty much to themselves – and the animals as well..

Two intrude male lions came through the artificial water hole, and managed to chase off the resident males that were resting up there! Quite a spectacle. They then lay down to relax, after their efforts! As for lions, its sometimes not just the one or two that we see – on the 5th of August, there were a total of 16 lions at the Main water hole – seven adults and nine youngsters. The adults rested up, while the youngsters played around, and annoyed the adults a little.

A large male leopard was seen along the elephant pathway to the east of the camp. He was a little skittish, so didn’t stay around for long. Later in the month another big male was seen on West Road, relaxing. He was completely undisturbed by the car, and its very excited occupants!

A cheetah and her two cubs were seen sleeping off KgamaKgama road. No sign of the two adult males, so we suspect these have been chased off by lions. Later in the month we saw them feeding on a springbok they killed, then they all stretched, and strolled across the road in front of the vehicle for a great photo opportunity. These cheetahs are regular sightings for us this month, and were seen every two to three days.

Lots of bull elephants in the area, and a few small breeding herds.

A martial eagle caught a guinea fowl, and spent the rest of the morning on top of a tree, clutching the bird and feeding on it.

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With a new waterhole, everyone is queuing up to make use of it. A regular visitor is a solitary spotted hyena, who has the unfortunate timing of arriving when elephants are on the way as well. Elephants, not known for their love of anything other than elephants, make the hyena’s life a little more exciting, and chase him at any opportunity possible.

Other drinkers at the lodge waterhole included the lion pride – three adults and seven youngsters. A few days later, they were seen out towards Kgamakgama road. There are intruder males passing through the Nxai area as well, so this may be why they have moved off a little, till the dust settles somewhat.

The mother cheetah with two young cubs (now around five months old) still frequent the open plains of the central Nxai Pan. All look in good condition, though it must be harder to hunt a little now, as stalking cover is vastly reduced as the grass dies away. The mother had managed to kill a springbok using the cover along Baobab road, and she and her cubs were found there for a couple of days, feeding on the carcass, before moving along to the lodge waterhole for a drink.

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There’s a kids joke about how do you know if an elephant has been in your fridge? – footprints in the butter – that brings to mind what is happening at Nxai Pan this month. We have actually closed the camp for routine maintenance, but the majority of that routine maintenance has to do with elephants, their rather large feet, and their water consumption.

Take 1 x elephant. Place in smallish puddle of water. Check resulting effect. Now multiply by a few thousand and multiply by five years. Resulting effect = one large Olympic-size mud bath.

When you build a camp, there are always things you can learn. One of them is how to better design a waterhole so that all animals can drink, and not just the big grey water bullies who are only second to humans in their talent at adapting their environment on a grand scale. Five years down the track, and its time for a re-design: a shallower, concrete bowl that will allow all access, and no major mud baths or excavations. Naturally, we can’t shut off the water supply in the driest time of the year, so a temporary waterhole was constructed whilst work continued to rehabilitate the original one. The first few days required a lot of looking over the shoulder until word got around about the temporary drinking spot…. But by the end of the month, there was a lovely, large, flattish pan, allowing access to all, and christened with its first elephant dropping…

With not much wildlife news from Nxai, perhaps Kwando’s Maun office can feature in this month’s sightings report? Not wanting to feel left out, but paling by comparison with their bush counterparts, wildlife sightings from the windows of Maun office this month have included: donkeys, cows, one horse, a large black rooster that parades up and down the foot path looking for love, and a herd of goats. Predators include the local pack of dogs, and the latest addition to the Kwando Safaris payrolled employees: Hunter the Cat. Actually an abandoned three week old kitten that was found in the neighbourhood, he has been tasked – once he grows a bit – with pest control of any mice that may desire to inhabit the warehouse.

Word of the Basarwa tracker’s prowess at bird-trap design on the walks at Tau and Nxai Pan has obviously got back to the Maun staff. A dove was discovered in the warehouse one morning, and no amount of opening of doors and flapping of arms by the operations manager was going to get it out. A couple of hours later, and the ops assistant walks in to the main office, proudly displaying a very comfortable looking dove in his hands – he’d constructed a humane bird-trap, and was able to release it back into the blue sky!

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A little quieter this month in terms of guests but still plenty of sightings for those that do visit us in Nxai Pan!

The large zebra herds have moved off, and the shorter grass allows good visibility for us to see the smaller animals that move across the pans. Jackals abound everywhere, with the beige and silver coats blending in well as the grass dries. Bat eared foxes flatten their ears and camouflage into the dusky surrounds. A slight movement and their ears spring up like radar antennas, searching for the rustling sounds of potential prey.

Great sightings of general game, with oryx, small zebra herds, spring bok, impalas, and plenty of giraffes. Kori bustards stalk the ground, and hundreds of guinea fowl chirp along towards the waterhole. The cooler days and nights meant that the summer migratory birds have left, but we still have the resident raptors and larks. The queleas are building up in numbers, and in a few months it will be time to put the net on the pool again to stop them dive-bombing and drowing.

The predators still around the area, with one male lion found along Baobab loop, walking along and calling for the rest of the pride that he had become temporarily separated from. A wonderful arrival of a female cheetah with three young cubs spotted at the main waterhole. They were seen several times in the following days, with the cubs bounding along and following their mother, interrupting occasionally to play-fight amongst themselves. They even interrupted our early breakfast at camp one morning as they strolled over the plain in front of camp to the waterhole, so that mother could drink. Luckily it was still too early in the day for the elephants to be hogging the waterhole, and they were able to drink in peace.

The best news this month though, was the discovery on the 18th May at the main waterhole, the lioness with cubs. Last month we had not seen the female with cubs, and feared the worst, but it seems all is well, and the male lions looked after the cubs well enough, just waiting for the female to return!

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The lion pride was seen around Middle Road on the first day of the month, with the female moving her cubs to a new den site and the rest of the pride relaxing at the waterhole. A few days later the lioness was seen again moving the three cubs in the direction of Baines

The next day, two lionesses were seen at the camp waterhole, and then spent the whole day in the shade of bush near the waterhole. Another time, lying up at the main waterhole, two lionesses seemed to be snoozing whilst a large male giraffe approached the waterhole to drink. Suddenly alert to this new arrival, the lionesses crouched down, and went into hunting mode. Luckily, the giraffe spotted them just in time, before he dipped down to drink, but the lioness still made an attempt and chased the giraffe off, as he ran ungainly away.

A morning drive out and we found two male lions. Stopping the car to watch them, the lions continued on their way, and suddenly we found ourselves with one big male in front of the car, and one behind! Completely unconcerned by our presence, they moved on in their own time. A great sighting! We continued on a little further and found another male at the waterhole ‘baby sitting’ three cubs, whilst the rest of the pride were presumably out on a hunt.

Lion cubs were not the only cub we saw this month – a lovely leopard was found feeding on a zebra she had killed, and feeding with her was her little cub!

The main waterhole can get a little sticky at times, as one honey badger found out when he went to drink. The mud in the surrounding area was a little thick for his short fat legs, and it took him quite a time to get out of his sticky predicament. A better day for another honey badger, when we watched one hunting and catching a small feast. Although we couldn’t make out exactly what he had caught, it appeared to be quite an enjoyable meal!

Now the majority of the zebras have left – with the normal herds that reside here all year round remaining, another migration appears to have moved in. Wherever you look, there are giraffe. In amongst the trees, standing in the middle of the flat open plains, approaching the waterholes. Game drives are seeing 80-100 individuals on a morning drive – an unusual number, and where they have appeared from is anyone’s guess!

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