January in the Dinare Concession brought productive guiding conditions as fresh grazing and water across the landscape supported good numbers of plains game and regular predator activity. The Gomoti River continued to influence wildlife movement through the concession, drawing animals towards its channels and surrounding floodplains while guides relied on tracking and alarm calls to locate predators moving between the camps.
Early in the month fresh lion tracks were picked up along the road heading towards Nxaraga Pan. Guides followed the spoor for some distance before locating a young male and a young female from the Gomoti pride moving through the area. The pair was followed for some time as they travelled through the pan system, apparently searching for the rest of the pride, but they eventually continued on without joining the others.
The following morning guides returned to the same area and located a lioness from the Gomoti pride calling repeatedly. Her movements were followed and she eventually led the vehicles to a zebra carcass where another lioness was already feeding. When the site was revisited later the remainder of the pride had arrived and several individuals were feeding on the carcass.
Lion activity continued to be recorded across the concession during the month. Movements of several males around the Gomoti River suggested ongoing territorial pressure in the area, with additional males occasionally being heard roaring in the distance. Night drives also produced further encounters where lions were located moving through the concession or investigating carcasses, sometimes attracting hyenas waiting nearby for an opportunity to scavenge.
Cheetah activity was also recorded during the month. The well-known coalition of four male cheetahs was encountered within the concession and provided several interesting tracking opportunities. Guides located them on multiple occasions feeding on kills after successful hunts across the open areas of the concession.
Leopard activity was confirmed through tracks and careful tracking during drives. A male leopard was located several kilometres from camp feeding on a kudu carcass that had been dragged into cover. The animal remained alert and moved cautiously through the surrounding vegetation while feeding.
African wild dogs were also encountered moving through the area between the camps. A pack of adults was tracked through the concession and observed actively hunting impala, demonstrating their typical coordinated hunting behaviour.
General game remained abundant across the concession with large herds of elephants, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, impala, red lechwe and zebra regularly encountered during daily drives. Smaller numbers of kudu, steenbok and waterbuck were also seen moving through the woodland and floodplain areas. Hippos were frequently observed along the Gomoti River and surrounding channels where animals were seen drinking and wallowing along the banks.
Smaller mammals were recorded during several drives. Black-backed jackals were seen resting near Roan Pan while bat-eared foxes were observed foraging across the open areas during afternoon drives. Both black-backed and side-striped jackals were present within the concession, with the black-backed jackal being the more frequently encountered species.
Reptile sightings included crocodiles basking along the riverbanks during drives along the riverine roads, while rock monitor lizards were encountered on several occasions moving through the concession.
Birdlife remained active throughout the month with both resident species and summer migrants present across the concession. Regular sightings included African fish eagles, bateleurs, tawny eagles and brown snake eagles together with herons, egrets, cormorants, owls, lapwings, ducks, geese and ibis. Highlights during the month included long-crested eagles, woodland kingfishers and grey-headed kingfishers.
Insect activity increased during the month and butterflies, dragonflies, spiders and wasps were commonly observed during drives and around camp. The evening soundscape was often accompanied by the calls of frogs and crickets.
Across the concession the landscape responded to the seasonal rains as grasses and vegetation grew across the floodplains and waterholes filled with fresh water. Channels that had previously been dry began to hold water again and the Gomoti River continued to support a wide variety of species along its banks.
Overall, January produced rewarding wildlife viewing across the Dinare Concession with good predator activity supported by strong numbers of plains game and productive guiding conditions between both Rra Dinare and Mma Dinare camps.
