A high prevalence of lions across the Kwara Reserve kept Mr Special (the resident cheetah) away from the immediate area around Splash Camp, but we never had to go far in search of him.
He hunted out on the open plains of the reserve, which contained plentiful lechwe, impalas and warthogs. The drying grasses didn’t give him the cover he previously enjoyed when stalking back in May and June, but he got a good view of all the prey species and remained well-fed through September. He also seemed content to share his vast area with a female and her sub-adult youngster who recently moved in.
The African wild dogs of Kwara
We have frequently located the Kwara pack of African wild dogs since they left the den, but unfortunately, the group seems to be missing two puppies, and we suspect that they met their fate at the hands of the Kwara lion pride.
The resident leopards have been successful hunters. Two mothers, both with two cubs, moved between Kwara and Splash Camp. They were sighted several times with Impala and Red lechwe dangling from branches and forks in trees and eating their fill. The leopards also plucked up the courage to visit the carcass of a dead giraffe and feed. While they are not generally scavengers, they definitely won’t turn down the offer of a free meal. The cubs, having eaten their fill, enjoyed using the remains as a climbing frame and entertained guests with their rough and tumble. Having died of natural causes, the giraffe has been a food source for multiple species, including black-backed and side-striped jackals.
The Godikwe heronry is alive with sounds and smells
From death, we move on to life. The Godikwe heronry is now beginning to flourish with our feathered friends. Yellow-billed storks, Marabou storks, Sacred ibises, Black-crowned night herons, African darters, Reed cormorants and egrets of all sizes began the frantic phase of nest-building. The sights, sounds and colours were remarkable. Water birds are a vital indicator of the health of a riverine ecosystem, and this heronry is a critical base for the laying, hatching and raising of thousands of birds over the next few months. The sounds, squawks and even the interesting smells were not to be missed.
Huge groups of elephants and buffalo were witnessed, especially in the afternoon, and zebra herds relished the new grasses that had shot up since the winter bushfire.
The Kwara and One-Eyed lion prides were seen almost daily feeding, mating, playing, hunting or sleeping. With such regular lion sightings, it’s hard to choose which tale to tell, so we restrict ourselves to two short stories. With the waters dropping and the herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra strewn across the floodplains, the lions were spoilt for choice. Late one afternoon, we watched the lions stalking zebras to the west of Splash Camp. One lioness took the lead and exploded into a sprint with a zebra firmly in her sights. It seemed a sure catch until two teen lions decided to help their aunt. The juveniles broke into a run but completely misjudged the distance, almost running into the pursuing lioness instead. The lioness was forced to break off her pursuit and, panting from such wasted exertion in the 35-degree heat, marched to the tree line and flopped down.
Finally, we were treated to a rare sight. We followed a mating pair of lions and found them at Impala Pan. Lion mating rituals can be very long affairs, but this one was disrupted by 30 elephants joining them at the waterhole to drink and bathe. As the lions continued their amorous business, the elephants drank their fill not even 40 metres away.
(Please note: For the safety of the animals, we do not disclose the location of either rhino or pangolin sightings. Accompanying pictures are from our Kwando Photo Library, which consists of all your great photo submissions over the years, it may not be the most up-to-date. Still, we felt it was worthy of a feature alongside this month’s Sightings Report!)
