Lion activity remained excellent throughout April, even as rising water levels concentrated movements onto islands and higher ground across the concession.
Early in the month, a female with four cubs was followed south from Lion’s Pan after guides picked up her tracks moving through the area. After some time, the pride led directly to a fresh zebra kill where a dominant male had already taken over feeding rights. Hyena tracks and resting spots around the carcass suggested the females had made the kill during the night before the males arrived.
Not long afterwards, mating lions were located along Willy’s Valley, where a male and female remained together for an extended period, allowing guests time to observe the interaction and territorial behaviour.
The Bat-eared Fox area continued to produce some of the strongest sightings of the month. Three lionesses with seven cubs were found feeding on zebra before a male arrived and displaced the females from the carcass. The following morning the same group was watched crossing a deep channel between islands, moving confidently through the flooded terrain.
A few days later, 14 lions (3 adult females and 11 subadults) were located north of Setlhabana sa bo Juta. The younger lions spent much of the sighting climbing over fallen trees, playing and interacting while the females kept the group moving steadily west.
Later in the month, part of the same pride was relocated on a full-grown giraffe kill south-west of Bat-eared Fox. Another smaller pride consisting of two females and a subadult male operated around Springhare City, while the Mma Leitho Pride was encountered north of Motswiri Pan moving through the woodlands.
Two solitary males also continued to move through the concession, including one regularly associating with the Mma Leitho Pride and another moving in and out from the Moremi side.
Leopards in the thickets and cheetahs on patrol
The resident leopard male was first seen mating with a shy female east of Setlhabana sa Masarwa before the pair was relocated again a few days later west of Airstrip Bridge. Another memorable sighting involved a subadult male and his mother feeding on a steenbok kill high in a tree along Willy’s Road.
A female with a cub was located east of Impala Pan after a patient tracking effort through thick cover. The resident male was also seen resting above Maporota Road watching impalas below, while another male moved west along Machaba Road during an evening drive before disappearing into the thickets.
The resident cheetah male around the Bat-eared Fox area was encountered repeatedly throughout the month, often resting with a full belly after successful hunts. Another male was tracked north from Wild Dog Pan before being found moving through open grassland, while a female near Mophane Road attempted a hunt on impala but missed after the herd detected her movement.
One of the more unusual aspects of this month’s sightings was how regularly the cheetahs used woodland edges and taller grass areas rather than open plains, adapting well to the seasonal conditions.
African wild dogs keeping the pace high
A pack of five African wild dog was first located resting along Mophane Road before being seen again near Setlhabana sa bo Juta moving south through the islands. Another pack of six was encountered near Beacon resting beneath cover, and the same dogs were relocated again the following day along Willy’s Road.
Towards the end of the month, nine dogs were found hunting near Motswiri Pan. Although the hunt was unsuccessful, the pace and coordination of the pack kept everyone focused throughout the sighting.
Spotted hyenas remained highly active across the concession and were frequently encountered during night drives. Several were seen feeding on the remains of a kudu kill west of Bat-eared Fox, while others followed lions and African wild dogs between active hunting areas. Calls were heard around camp almost every night.
Green floodplains and life around camp
General game remained widespread throughout the concession, particularly around Mabala a Matlotse, Mmoloki Mabala, Impala Pan and the Bat-eared Fox areas. Elephant numbers remained surprisingly strong for this time of year, with large groups moving between channels and floodplains.
Good numbers of zebra, wildebeest, tsessebe, giraffe, kudu and water antelope continued to support the predator activity across the system, while buffalo were seen less frequently and mostly in smaller bachelor groups.
Smaller mammals included African wild cat, dwarf mongoose, banded mongoose and yellow mongoose, although the taller grasses made sightings more challenging than during the dry season.
Reptiles and amphibians thrived in the wetter conditions. Water monitor lizards, crocodiles and large numbers of frogs were seen regularly during mokoro and boating activities, while sightings of black mamba, python and spotted bush snake added variety to game drives.
Birdlife remained exceptional, with breeding activity visible across the floodplains and channels. Carmine bee-eaters, cuckoos, rollers, Wahlberg’s eagles, saddle-billed storks, marabou storks and numerous raptors were all recorded throughout the month. Juvenile birds were increasingly visible around waterholes and flooded grasslands.
The landscape remained green and productive, with tall yellow thatching grass, flowering plants and dense thickets creating ideal cover for wildlife. Large jackalberry and waterberry trees continued to shape the islands and waterways, while sausage trees provided nesting and roosting sites for owls and other birdlife.
Nature walks focused on tracks, insects, herbs and smaller details of the ecosystem, while mokoro excursions produced excellent sightings of hippo, crocodile, frogs and waterbirds.
