Lions clash as territories shift – June brought plenty of lion activity across the Kwara Private Concession, with the Mmaleitho and Kwara prides, resident males and several other coalitions all moving through the area.
One of the more dramatic encounters involved six lions coming face-to-face with another pride of three. The confrontation developed into a fight before the smaller group retreated south. Elsewhere, three male lions moved east of Middle East Mogobe, roaring as they travelled, while the three Mbukushu males were seen around Motopi Tree and Bat Eared.
The movements of the Mbukushu males extended right through to camp. One passed close to unit nine while chasing a solitary male towards Mothusi’s Crossing and into the neighbouring Shinde Concession.
The Mmaleitho Pride was seen around Splash Hippos and close to the staff village, where they fed on two wildebeest. One of the adult females was limping on her right hind leg, although the pride otherwise appeared in good condition. Another family group of two lionesses and two cubs hunted around Mmoloki Mabala, while six lions were found along Tom’s Road with a zebra carcass.
Guests also spent time watching five lions attempt to bring down an adult buffalo. The lions worked around the buffalo looking for an opportunity, but eventually abandoned the hunt. Other successful kills during the month included zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, kudu and red lechwe, while three subadult females and a subadult male were found finishing an impala along Maporota Road.
Rra Tsebe patrols the concession
Rra Tsebe, the resident Leopard, was frequently encountered during June, patrolling and scent-marking as other male leopards moved through the area.
He was seen in the company of a female, whose scent-marking and calling indicated that she was in oestrus. On another occasion, Rra Tsebe moved east of Maporota Road searching the tall grass for common reedbuck and impala before climbing into a dead sausage tree to rest. He was also found in trees with kills, including impala and baboon.
The presence of other males made his territorial patrols particularly important. A male south of New Bridge was found resting in the shade with a full belly, while two more wary males were encountered around Bat Eared and south of Wild Dog Pan.
Cheetahs hunt from the open plains
Cheetahs used several of the more open areas of the concession during June. At Bat Eared, a male was hunting when zebras detected him and chased him away. Once clear of the herd, he resumed moving between termite mounds used as scent-marking posts.
A female was active between Bat Eared, New Bridge and east of Giraffe Pan. Her noticeably rounded abdomen suggested that she could be pregnant, although this could not be confirmed from observation alone.
A coalition of two brothers was also seen further east. The pair patrolled the open country east of Tsum Tsum Channel and were found with full bellies around Ngorongoro. Guests later watched the brothers successfully bring down a waterbuck.
African wild dogs on the hunt
A pack of eight African wild dogs was found hunting around Tsessebe Pan, where they chased impalas and successfully brought one down. The pack also hunted close to camp.
Another pack hunted north of Pelican Pan, pursuing both impala and red lechwe before catching a young impala. Spotted hyenas were often close behind and quickly arrived to scramble for what remained of the carcasses.
The alpha pair was seen mating around Marapo a Kubu after the pack had fed on an impala. As June progressed, sightings of the pack became less frequent while fresh spoor continued east of Splash. With breeding season underway and the alpha pair having mated, their movements suggested they could be searching for a suitable den site in the mopane or Kalahari apple-leaf woodland.
A solitary African wild dog was also found east of Bat Eared moving towards Willie’s Valley.
Hyenas follow the hunters
Spotted hyenas regularly shadowed the African wild dogs around Bat Eared, ready to take advantage of their hunting success. Four hyenas were seen scrambling over the remains of an impala shortly after a kill.
A clan also moved through camp at night, their calls carrying between the units. Elsewhere, three hyenas scavenged from a hippo carcass on Lechwe Plains while more than 100 white-backed vultures gathered around them waiting for an opportunity to feed.
One hyena seen around Honeymoon Pan appeared unusually thin and moved slowly behind the African wild dogs. Although spotted hyenas are physiologically robust animals, the cause of its condition could not be determined from observation.
Four honey badgers and a swimming surprise
Smaller mammals produced some excellent encounters. Four honey badgers were seen travelling together north-east of Mabala-A-Matotse, an unusual number to encounter at once. Another honey badger took a more unconventional route south of Wild Dog Pan, swimming towards an island before disappearing into thick vegetation.
A serval near the boat bridge moved confidently towards the crossing before slipping into the long grass. Slender, dwarf and white-tailed mongooses, African wild cats, servals, large-spotted and small-spotted genets and springhares were also recorded.
Pel’s fishing owls along the waterways
The flood brought a substantial increase in wading birds, but one boat excursion produced a particularly special sighting.
Two Pel’s fishing owls were found tucked into the dense branches of a waterberry tree, and guests were able to watch an immature bird fly out and land in a more open position. Godikwe Lagoon was also busy with egrets and reed cormorants.
Elsewhere, the flooded areas attracted marabou storks, slaty egrets, black herons, little bitterns and night herons, while martial and Wahlberg’s eagles were among the raptors recorded. As winter grasses dried and produced seed, large numbers of red-billed queleas moved in to feed.
The waterways held plenty beyond birdlife. Large crocodiles were seen around Willie’s Lediba and along the Moanachira Channel, with smaller individuals in the same areas. African rock pythons were occasionally found basking in trees, while water monitor lizards were seen both on game drives and from the boat. Mozambique spitting cobras, puff adders, black mambas, terrapins and striped skinks were among the other reptiles recorded.
Following the flood by mokoro and on foot
Floodwater continued to spread across the Kwara Private Concession as water arriving from the Angolan Highlands moved through the Okavango system. Areas that had begun to dry filled again, while water reached places that had remained dry for some time.
The floodplains stayed green beneath water lilies and knotweed, while deciduous mopane, croton and fever berry trees began losing their leaves. Despite the extent of the flood, the mixture of islands, woodland and open plains continued to hold large herds of buffalo and zebra, along with giraffe, common reedbuck, waterbuck, tsessebe, wildebeest, greater kudu, impala, sable antelope and elephants. Bachelor groups of buffalo were particularly noticeable around Kwara Island.
Mokoro excursions were possible where seasonal water levels allowed and brought guests down to the level of the flood. Painted reed frogs, fish and water monitor lizards were among the sightings from the mokoros.
Nature walks told a different part of the story. Away from the vehicle, local guides could slow everything down and interpret lion, leopard, hippo and elephant tracks imprinted in the ground. Mole-rat activity and fresh aardvark excavations were also examined along the way – the sort of smaller signs that revealed just how much wildlife had passed through an area, even when the animals themselves were no longer there.
After dark, the Southern Cross, Musca, Canis Major and Canis Minor were visible in the winter sky, with Jupiter and Venus among the planets observed during June.
