Lions were in abundance, with only one day of the whole month with none being found. Often, it was not just one sighting a day, but different prides and individuals being found. Cubs were also in abundance with one pride (the Solo pride) with seven of assorted ages, and a female being found with 4 cubs aged only three or four weeks. So many different lion sightings, it’s a hard to pick out just one or two to highlight, but perhaps there was an interesting contrast on the 17th, when the Tsum Tsum pride were intent on a fresh meal and spent some time chasing zebra. Two spotted hyenas were less fussy, and feasted on a rotting impala carcass. Its important to point out though that, contrary to popular belief, hyenas are very good hunters in their own right, and lions are quite happy to scavenge and feed on a piece of meat well past it’s ‘sell by’ date.
With the lions out in force, the other cats proved a little more challenging to find, with leopards only being found 5 or 6 times this month. We did have better luck with the coalition of two cheetah brothers, that were found several times in the Splash area. One morning we saw the cheetahs attempting to hunt impalas, but they were unsuccessful while we watched. A few days later they were found relaxed and well fed, so had had better luck!
Wild dogs were seen regularly in the first half of the month – predominantly the pack of 18, but also visits by the pack of six. On one occasion, the pack of 18 wild dogs, including the seven puppies, were found at Buffalo Pan drinking, after having just killed a female kudu. A hyena approached and tried to grab some of the kill, but the dogs quickly turned on him and chased him into the centre of the Pan, where he waited in comparative safety. Another day, the pack coordinated well, and managed to kill two impalas out of the same herd. Hyenas circled around, waiting for a chance to grab a scrap of skin or bone.
The Kwara concession is home to not only to semi-aquatic antelope such as lechwe and sitatunga, but to wildlife that is more suited to drier environments. It was still quite unusual to see 2 adult ostriches – a male and female – with a grand total of 15 offspring following their parents along. The young ostriches were around 3 months old, and are likely to be the offspring of more than one female.
Christmas eve there was a great sighting of the Solo pride of lions, with six adults, and 7 cubs of assorted ages . The adults killed a zebra, and everyone was feeding on it. The five older cubs had full tummies from gorging on a bit of meat, and the two smallest cubs were running around and playing, not bothered about the meat, as they are still suckling from their mother.
On the 28th December, we came across an elephant that appeared to have died several days before. A single lioness was feeding on the carcass, and vultures were hovering in the area, waiting for the lioness to move off so that they can also begin feeding.
A big herd of nearly 40 zebra were enjoying the fresh green grass of the floodplains when the stallions began chasing each other around, biting and kicking each other. This continued for some minutes, before settling back down to feeding, and we are not sure whether it was simply a bit of play fighting, or an attempt to show dominance over each other.
Unusual sightings this month of a very relaxed serval cat, with a frog in its mouth after a successful hunt! A water mongoose flushed from the edge of the marsh, and several sightings of sable. And a very lucky boat ride, that came upon a group of three of the rarest and shyest antelope: stitatunga!
December is also a wonderful time for birding, with summer visitors and breeding plumage. Lovely sightings this month of Brown hooded kingfisher, red breasted swallow, fan tailed widow bird, and Paradise flycatchers. All complete exhibitionists when it comes to their colour-co-ordination!
