One of the month’s more unusual sightings came from the resident pack of African wild dogs. While moving across the floodplains, the pack encountered a bat-eared fox and quickly brought it down before feeding on the carcass. Although brief, it was an unusual interaction between two of the concession’s carnivores.
Wild dogs continued to feature regularly throughout May. The resident pack was encountered hunting impala and red lechwe across the floodplains, while another pack of 13 was found west of Roan Pan before later returning to an old den, where the dogs spent time digging and investigating the site. A smaller pack of six was also seen near the airstrip finishing an impala kill.
Lions along the Gomoti
Lion activity remained excellent throughout the concession as cooler temperatures encouraged longer periods of daytime activity.
The resident pride was first found resting near Nxaraga Pan before being relocated a few days later near Sam’s Pan feeding on a buffalo. The following day, two lionesses with three subadult males joined another pride already feeding on the carcass, with the lions remaining there into the afternoon.
Soon afterwards the full resident pride, all nine members, was found together near the backflow between the two camps attempting to hunt red lechwe.
The three dominant males continued patrolling the concession, with roaring and scent marking becoming a familiar feature of the colder evenings. Two of the males from the Moremi side were found feeding on a buffalo near Jackal Pan, while later in the month the same intruding males were tracked from the Mma Dinare firebreak to the cutline after guests had listened to them roaring throughout the night.
Elsewhere, the Santawani males continued moving between the woodland and floodplains, making several hunting attempts on buffalo and wildebeest as the larger herds concentrated closer to permanent water.
The four brothers remain busy
The famous coalition of four male cheetahs once again became one of the concession’s highlights.
Early in the month they were found behind Rhino Pan moving east while hunting. A few days later the brothers temporarily separated around the Roan area, repeatedly calling for one another after a female cheetah entered the area. Guides later found the coalition reunited near Dibatana feeding on a young zebra, one of several successful hunts witnessed during May.
Across the open floodplains, the four brothers continued making full use of the shorter winter grasses, regularly being located through fresh tracks before guests watched them hunting impala and young wildebeest.
Following the leopards
The resident male was first encountered moving east along the Maun Road before another male was found resting near Dibatana Pan with a full belly. A resident female was later located resting in a tree near BDF Forest, while another female around Dibatana appeared to be lactating, suggesting cubs were hidden nearby.
Towards the middle of the month, patient tracking led to one of the month’s most rewarding sightings when guests watched a female leopard successfully stalk and kill an adult male impala before dragging it into cover.
As winter took hold, wildlife became increasingly concentrated around the Gomoti River and the remaining permanent water.
Large breeding herds of elephants returned to the river as seasonal pans continued drying, while buffalo numbers steadily increased across the concession. Tsessebe, zebra, giraffe, kudu, impala, wildebeest and red lechwe all remained abundant, with the larger buffalo herds attracting plenty of predator attention.
Around Rra Dinare Camp, spotted hyenas were frequently seen finishing buffalo carcasses during the early mornings, while black-backed jackals, bat-eared foxes, civets, genets and porcupines continued adding interest to both morning and evening drives.
The return of the Mogogelo
One of the season’s defining moments continued to be the return of flowing water through the Mogogelo River after many years of remaining dry.
Floodwaters continued rising throughout May, transforming the concession and opening up beautiful mokoro and boat excursions. Reed cormorants, African darters, spoonbills, sacred ibis, little egrets and yellow-billed egrets gathered around the nesting colonies along the channels, while African fish eagles, saddle-billed storks, Goliath herons, malachite kingfishers and a variety of owls remained regular sightings.
Along the riverbanks, crocodiles basked in the winter sunshine while rock monitors climbed into the branches to warm themselves. The first signs of winter were becoming more noticeable across the concession as grasses turned from green to gold and some trees began shedding their leaves, yet the combination of permanent water, clear skies and cool mornings continued to make May one of the most rewarding months to explore the Mma Dinare Concession.
