The coalition of four cheetah brothers continued to dominate much of the open country around Roan Pan, Grass Road, Dibatana and Cat’s Pan during April, producing some of the concession’s most memorable sightings.
One morning our guides and trackers tracked the coalition from Grass Road before eventually locating them moving between their regular scent-marking points around Roan Pan. The brothers appeared hungry and focused, although the only potential prey nearby were giraffes moving through the area. By the following morning the coalition had clearly hunted successfully overnight and was found resting at the base of a termite mound with full bellies.
Another interesting sighting unfolded east of Dibatana where the brothers were followed on a hunt through open plains as they attempted to isolate zebra foals from a moving herd. The stalk came close to success before alarm calls from the zebra alerted the rest of the herd.
The coalition was encountered repeatedly throughout the month, often resting in long grass, scent-marking around Cat’s Pan or scanning herds of zebra moving across the floodplains at sunset. Black-backed jackals and circling bateleurs frequently gave away feeding activity before the cheetahs themselves were spotted.
A female cheetah with three nearly grown subadult cubs was also relocated during the month after several months without sightings. The female, recognisable by a scar on her thigh, was found moving calmly with all three cubs still healthy and together.
Lions along the flood edge
Lion activity remained excellent throughout the concession, particularly around the BDF area, Gomoti floodplains and the camp surroundings.
One morning fresh tracks of four lions were picked up near BDF and followed for a short distance before guides located three males together with a lioness mating beside the road. The mating pair remained in the area for several days and was repeatedly encountered around the same section of the concession.
The Gomoti Pride continued operating between Mma Dinare, Rra Dinare and Nxaraga. Several lionesses with cubs were located feeding on fresh impala kills, while another sighting involved part of the pride attempting to hunt impala along the Mma Dinare firebreak before the prey detected them too early.
The dominant males associated with the Blackpool Pride were also regularly encountered near Rra Dinare Camp, often resting with full bellies after feeding. Towards the end of the month, guides watched a lioness steal an impala carcass directly from a leopard, creating another tense predator interaction within the concession.
Guests waiting near the airstrip also enjoyed an unexpected sighting when three subadult lions crossed the runway while calling for the rest of the pride.
Leopards around camp and riverine woodland
Leopard sightings remained exceptionally productive during April, with several resident males and females regularly encountered around the camps, riverine woodland and floodplain edges.
One female leopard was first located after tree squirrels began alarming from a rain tree. Guides spent extended time with the leopard before she eventually descended from the tree and disappeared into nearby cover. Later in the month the same female was seen resting on a fallen tree before being joined by her seven-month-old cub, which immediately began playing with its mother’s tail.
Male leopards featured strongly throughout April. One relaxed male was found feeding on an impala kill on the ground before eventually retreating up a larger tree when a lioness approached the carcass after black-backed jackals began alarming nearby.
Another young male was located after guineafowl and impala alarm calls drew guides into the Dibatana area where the leopard was eventually found resting up in a tree.
The resident male and female near Rra Dinare Camp were repeatedly seen mating during the month, while another female leopard with a cub continued feeding on impala kills east of Nxaraga Pan. On one occasion guides followed drag marks from a relocated carcass before finding the cub still feeding nearby.
Several evening drives also produced excellent spotlight sightings of leopards walking openly along the roads close to camp.
African wild dog sightings remained productive despite the packs covering large areas of the concession.
A pack of 15 dogs was located resting near Roan Pan during the afternoon before becoming active as temperatures cooled. The pack attempted to hunt warthog before eventually disappearing into thicker cover.
Another pack of six dogs was later encountered resting around a waterhole during the morning, while a lone female wild dog moving through the area drew attention due to her unusual behaviour and signs that she may recently have been lactating.
Predator interactions around the packs remained strong throughout the month, particularly with spotted hyenas frequently shadowing hunts.
Hyenas at the carcasses
Spotted hyenas were regularly encountered throughout April, especially around carcasses and waterholes.
Five hyenas were found feeding on a dead elephant near Nxaraga Pan early in the month, while another remarkable sighting involved 17 hyenas finishing a buffalo carcass during an afternoon drive. Some individuals remained chewing skin and bones while others rested directly in the nearby waterhole.
Night drives also continued producing regular sightings of hyenas moving along the roads near camp.
Smaller mammal sightings remained productive and included aardwolf, black-backed jackals and bat-eared foxes, particularly after evening rain showers when activity increased noticeably.
Floodwaters return to the Dinare
April continued showcasing the transformation of the Dinare Concession following substantial rainfall and rising floodwaters. Seasonal pans filled rapidly and channels that had remained dry for many years once again carried water, including sections of the Mogogelo River system.
Large concentrations of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, hippo, kudu, impala, lechwe and waterbuck remained spread across the concession as animals adjusted to the changing water distribution.
Birdlife remained particularly active around the river systems and floodplains. Fish eagles, tawny eagles, bateleurs, brown snake eagles, woodland kingfishers, grey-headed kingfishers, herons, egrets, ibis, ducks and geese all featured strongly during daily drives, while several summer migrants remained in the area before beginning their seasonal departure.
Boat cruises and mokoro excursions became increasingly productive as water levels rose, allowing access to breeding colonies of waterbirds together with excellent sightings of hippos, crocodiles and aquatic vegetation spreading through the floodplains.
