One of the more memorable sightings of the month unfolded during a tea stop at the mokoro station. Guests had stepped out to watch zebra feeding across the floodplain when the resident female leopard suddenly emerged from the woodland and walked calmly along the road towards the group. After pausing briefly beside the vehicles, she slipped quietly back into cover near the station.
Leopard sightings remained particularly productive throughout April, especially around the western islands and camp surroundings where rising water concentrated movement onto higher ground. The resident female and her two cubs continued to provide excellent sightings and were regularly found either feeding or moving between woodland edges near camp.
The dominant male leopard was also seen several times during the month. One morning he was located southwest of Marula Pan with a warthog hoisted high into a sausage tree, while on another occasion alarm calls from monkeys led guides directly to him resting above a drainage line. A younger male was also recorded further west, although he remained noticeably shy around vehicles.
Pressure building in the west
Lion activity remained strong throughout the concession as prides adjusted their territories around the changing floodplains.
The Zebra Pride shifted further east towards the airstrip area following the disappearance of the lone lioness that had previously occupied the section. This opened space for the pride to extend deeper into productive hunting ground holding good concentrations of prey species.
Further west, the Sedudu Pride continued dominating large sections of territory and was regularly found feeding on sable, roan and tsessebe. The two dominant resident males remained highly active throughout April and were frequently heard roaring and scent-marking through the overlap zones between prides.
One particularly interesting sequence unfolded northeast of camp where three young nomadic males were located moving cautiously through the area. Shortly afterwards, the resident coalition was tracked moving rapidly through the same section, apparently pursuing the younger intruders away from the territory.
African Wild dogs on the runway
African wild dog activity shifted constantly during April as rising water altered movement patterns across the concession.
Early in the month, a pack of six males was regularly encountered around camp before eventually crossing towards the Kwara side as water levels increased. Later in the month, the resident pack numbering seven individuals was relocated near Matswere Pan after being absent for some time. Guides noted that the individual previously carrying a broken leg was no longer travelling with the group.
One morning the pack was found resting near the airstrip with fresh blood still visible around their faces after feeding overnight. Although the kill itself was never located, the dogs spent time greeting, playing and resting in the open before moving northwards into the mopane woodland. Tracks were picked up again several days later along Senyetse Road before disappearing into thicker woodland north of the airstrip.
A hyena keeps us company during sundowners
Hyena sightings were especially productive throughout the month, both during morning drives and after dark.
One of the most unusual encounters occurred during sundowners near the airstrip when a subadult hyena emerged quietly from the mopane woodland and approached the group before lying down roughly 15 metres away. Even once the vehicles started and guests prepared to leave, the hyena remained completely relaxed while elephants fed nearby along the floodplain edge.
Another productive night drive produced six separate hyena sightings in a single outing, while towards the end of the month guides located nine hyenas feeding on a buffalo carcass near Paradise Area. Judging by the surrounding spoor and remains, the carcass had likely originally belonged to lions before the hyenas eventually took over.
A brown hyena was also located shortly before sunset near an old leopard kill site, providing another unusual sighting for the month.
Floodplains alive with movement
General game remained exceptional throughout April. Large buffalo herds returned in significant numbers to both eastern and western sections of the concession, flattening sections of the taller grass and improving visibility across the floodplain systems.
Elephants were encountered daily throughout the operating areas, while sable with calves were regularly seen around Impala Area and Marula Pan. Roan antelope sightings became slightly less frequent, likely due to sustained predator pressure as well as increasing water across parts of their preferred grazing areas.
Excellent concentrations of red lechwe continued using the expanding floodplains, while zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, impala and tsessebe remained widespread throughout the concession.
Night drives continued producing excellent smaller mammal sightings including civets, genets, spring hares, bush babies, servals and aardwolves. On one evening drive, two aardwolves were located feeding together near the walking range. Large baboon troops were also regularly encountered around camp and along the Marula Pan and Beacon areas.
Reflections across the channels
The landscape remained particularly striking throughout April as seasonal floodplains steadily filled with water. Dry golden grass tops contrasted against fresh green growth while shallow floodwaters created long reflections during early mornings and sunset stops.
Birding remained highly productive across the concession. Rufous-bellied herons, squacco herons, striated herons, goliath herons and bitterns were all regularly encountered around the channels and pans. Pel’s fishing owls, giant eagle owls and several smaller owlet species also featured strongly during night drives.
Many summer migrants began departing during the middle of the month, including carmine bee-eaters, European bee-eaters and blue-cheeked bee-eaters, while resident species such as lilac-breasted rollers and purple rollers remained active throughout the area.
As skies cleared later in the month, evening star-gazing improved considerably. Orion’s Belt settled lower into the western sky while Scorpius rose in the east. The Milky Way, Magellanic Clouds, Venus, Jupiter and Canopus all featured prominently during evenings around camp.
Mokoro excursions remained particularly rewarding as floodwaters opened more Delta channels. Painted reed frogs, jacanas, malachite kingfishers, water lilies and countless smaller aquatic species continued making the waterways exceptionally productive to explore.
