December unfolded as a month of movement and shifting territories across the Kwara Concession, driven by early rains and rising flood levels. As water spread through Paradise and the Bat-eared Fox areas, large herbivore herds gradually drifted east, and the predators followed. Tracking during the beginning of the month showed the dominant Kwara males moving more frequently along the eastern drainage lines and towards the Splash sector, roaring and scent-marking as they patrolled. Their presence displaced the two resident Splash males, who were recorded moving farther east toward the Ngorongoro area. At the same time, the Mmaleitho Pride was encountered several times close to Splash, where concentrations of zebra had gathered, and on more than one occasion the pride was found feeding on fresh zebra kills after being followed from early-morning spoor.
Further west, the Kwara Pride remained highly visible throughout the month. Early tracking in the Bat-eared Fox and Willy’s Valley areas repeatedly led to females with young cubs, their movements revealed by fresh pad marks and alarm calls from impala and jackal. On several mornings, lionesses were located resting with cubs of varying ages, while the dominant males were found nearby, often lying in the open or moving slowly through the mopane woodland after night patrols. The month also brought signs of territorial pressure, with the tracks of intruding males appearing along the western roads. One such male, followed from fresh spoor, was later found with wounds consistent with recent fighting, and shortly afterwards another male carcass was located, the evidence on the ground indicating a takeover attempt by the resident coalition. As the weeks progressed, the pride was frequently found well fed, with several lionesses and large groups of subadults resting together, suggesting repeated successful hunts in the surrounding floodplain and woodland mosaic.
Leopard activity was steady across both sectors of the concession. The resident female around Impala Pan was eventually located after a careful follow of drag marks and alarm calls, revealing her with a cub at a hidden impala kill. The cub, still unaccustomed to vehicles, remained close to its mother in dense cover, and the pair was observed briefly before being left undisturbed. The resident male, known from the Tsessebe area, was tracked on multiple occasions through his core range, found resting in shade, feeding, and scent-marking along well-used paths. Another shy male was recorded in the eastern part of the concession, identified mainly through spoor and fleeting sightings as he moved between drainage lines.
African wild dog activity reflected a period of reorganisation following the denning season. Tracking showed that what had previously been a single large pack had split. The alpha pair was most often found around Kwara Island, while a group of nine ranged widely between Paradise, Bat-eared Fox and the western boundary. A smaller group of four was recorded repeatedly near Splash Camp, their movements traced along sandy roads and through shallow floodplains. Several successful hunts were observed during the month, with packs locating and running impala in open areas before feeding quickly and moving on.
Cheetah movements were also well documented. Two adult males were identified using different parts of the concession, their territories overlapping from Paradise and Pelican Pan in the west to Mmoloki and the Khwai boundary in the east. By following fresh tracks and using vantage points over the open floodplains, both individuals were located on several occasions, resting after hunts or scanning from low rises, confirming that at least two territorial males were utilising the concession at the same time.
Spotted hyena activity was widespread and conspicuous. A pair was found mating in open floodplain habitat after their tracks were followed from early morning, and several clans were located at kills or waterholes. One night drive led to a large group feeding on a giraffe carcass along a road marked by a fallen baobab, while on another morning, hyenas were watched drinking at the waterhole in front of camp. Later in the month, tracks and calls led guides into marshy ground south of camp, where a large clan was found feeding on an adult waterbuck, the lions that had made the kill already having moved off.
General game was abundant throughout the concession. Heavy rains and rising flood levels attracted large numbers of zebra, wildebeest, impala, tsessebe, giraffe and waterbuck into the eastern plains around Splash, while buffalo herds shifted northwards. Elephant breeding herds with young calves, as well as bachelor groups and solitary bulls, were recorded regularly, their movements clearly visible along the newly greened floodplains and riverine corridors.
Smaller mammals were less frequently seen due to the tall grass, but troops of banded and dwarf mongoose were encountered, and spoor of other nocturnal species was commonly found along the roads. Reptile sightings included crocodiles and water monitors along the channels, and insect life increased markedly after the rains, drawing in large numbers of birds.
Birdlife was particularly rich, with ground hornbills, wattled cranes, European rollers and carmine bee-eaters recorded across the concession. Heronries remained active, and storks, ibis and egrets were frequently seen along the flooded pans and channels. The landscape itself had fully shifted into its green-season character, with standing water across much of the floodplain, flowering plants, and tall grass reshaping both animal movements and the daily rhythm of tracking and game viewing throughout the Kwara Concession.
