January in the Kwara Concession provided productive guiding conditions with strong predator activity supported by good numbers of plains game across the floodplains and islands. Guides worked fresh tracks and listened for alarm calls throughout the month to locate wildlife moving between the islands and surrounding floodplains.
Early in the month fresh lion tracks were picked up near Cheetah Road where a lioness with a subadult cub was located searching for the rest of the pride. Not long afterwards the cubs of the Kwara pride, estimated at around six months old, were located near Setabana sa bo Juta where they were seen playing while the adults rested nearby. Tracks of two lionesses and the cubs were followed again in the same area before the pride settled beneath Kalahari apple-leaf trees. The dominant males of the Kwara pride were later heard roaring near New Bridge, advertising their presence across the concession, while four lionesses were located further south attempting to hunt zebra before settling for the heat of the day.
Lion activity continued throughout the month across both the Kwara and Splash areas. Six lions from the Mma Leitho Pride were located hunting near Mabala Matotse, while another pride was tracked east of Machaba where they were feeding on a giraffe carcass. When guides returned to the carcass the following morning a large male was feeding with the pride before the Kwara coalition males arrived. The encounter quickly turned into a confrontation as the three dominant males challenged and chased the intruding male away from the carcass in a prolonged fight lasting close to two hours.
Further lion activity was located after guides stopped to listen for alarm calls near Bat-eared Fox. A commotion of roaring lions was heard to the east and, on investigation, a pride of 13 lionesses with four cubs was located feeding on a zebra. The movement of lions during the month appeared influenced by the flooded sections of the concession, with prides concentrating their movements along the dry islands and higher ground where prey species were also gathering. Several sightings were made of lions feeding on zebra and giraffe calves, while the resident pride of five was repeatedly located across drier areas around Splash. The dominant male of this group was also seen patrolling and scent-marking close to the camp.
Towards the end of the month guides located a pride of 15 lions resting near Setabana sa bo Juta. After some time the dominant males suddenly lifted their heads and moved rapidly east. Following the tracks led to another pride feeding on a zebra foal, and the three coalition males moved in and displaced the smaller pride from the kill.
Leopard activity was confirmed regularly through fresh tracks and alarm calls across the concession. Tracks of a female leopard were followed west of Honeymoon Pan for some distance before vultures perched nearby indicated a zebra carcass. The carcass had been partially cached in a tree and further tracking led guides to the female resting nearby with a large male. The pair remained together for some time and mating behaviour was observed. On another evening drive the resident male Rra Tsebe was located near Old Kwara walking range resting in a mopane tree before descending to stalk impala below. Earlier in the month he had also been seen resting in a tree north-west of Splash with a full belly. At another location a leopard cub was located hidden in thick grass and guides later returned to attempt to locate the mother, working the surrounding tracks and alarm calls although the female remained concealed.
Cheetah activity was also recorded during the month. A single female was first tracked along Cheetah Road and was eventually located near Ostrich Junction after jackals began alarm calling. She attempted a hunt on a reedbuck but the prey had already been alerted and escaped. The same female was later located again hunting impala with a cub estimated at around eighteen months old. The cub watched as the female stalked before joining her to bring down an impala. Another afternoon sighting occurred after fresh tracks were found near Jackal Den where the female was seen resting on a termite mound before moving towards impala and successfully catching a young animal. Two male cheetahs were later located fighting over territory north of Lion Pan, with the resident male known as Hustler chasing the intruding male out of the area. Hustler was encountered again several times during the month patrolling and scent marking around Splash Hippos, Bat-eared Fox and Will’s Valley while hunting impala across his territory. In the Splash area a female cheetah with a subadult daughter was also located hunting near Bat-eared Fox and successfully brought down an impala.
African wild dog sightings varied during the month but several good encounters were recorded. Shortly after leaving camp one morning fresh tracks were picked up east of camp along the airstrip road. Alarm calls from kudu led guides directly to two African wild dogs feeding on a kudu calf before they moved to Boat Station Island to rest for the remainder of the day. Later in the month a pack of six was tracked from Mabala Matotse for roughly twenty-five minutes before they were located near Impala Pan. The pack was highly mobile and completed several hunts, catching two young impala near Splash Hippos before making another successful kill of an adult impala near Motswiri Mogobe as darkness approached. Two African wild dogs were also seen during a boat cruise near the Twin Sister baobabs attempting to hunt bushbuck within the marsh.
Spotted hyena were often encountered around carcasses. Two spotted hyenas were seen waiting nearby while lions fed on a zebra and another group of three was located finishing a zebra carcass where vultures had gathered above the trees. A solitary hyena was also observed west of Machaba waiting for lions to leave a giraffe carcass.
General game remained abundant across the concession with large numbers of zebra, wildebeest and giraffe frequently seen across the open areas and islands. Herds of elephants were observed drinking and swimming near New Bridge while buffalo were encountered in smaller numbers. Red lechwe were seen running through the water channels and two large males were observed fighting for dominance. Boat activities also produced sightings of sitatunga moving quietly along the channels.
Night drives produced several smaller mammals including serval near Lion Pan, African wild cat close to a giraffe carcass and a porcupine with a young animal close to camp. Additional sightings included genet, civet and other nocturnal species moving through the concession.
Birdlife was particularly active as water levels across the concession supported large concentrations of fish, frogs and aquatic species. Wattled cranes, saddle-billed storks, woolly-necked storks, African open-billed storks and slaty egrets were frequently encountered, together with numerous herons, pelicans, marsh harriers and fish eagles. African harrier-hawks were also seen extracting chicks from tree cavities near Honeymoon Pan.
Reptiles were well represented with crocodiles seen across several waterways and marsh areas. Water monitor lizards were regularly observed near channels while marsh terrapins, bush snakes, olive grass snakes and flap-necked chameleons were also recorded during drives.
The landscape across the concession changed noticeably as water spread through areas that had previously remained dry. Floodplains expanded and seasonal pans filled, encouraging hippos to occupy new waterholes while lilies and other aquatic plants spread across the wetlands. Flowering plants such as vlei ink flower and common sopobia added colour across the floodplains while tall grasses and flowering shrubs covered the islands.
Water activities during the month produced excellent sightings of aquatic birds and amphibians. Mokoro excursions allowed close views of jacanas, saddle-billed storks, slaty egrets and black herons demonstrating their canopy feeding behaviour. Boat cruises provided regular sightings of sitatunga moving quietly through the channels as well as heronries busy with breeding birds. Guided walks also allowed trackers to interpret tracks, plants and mushrooms while explaining the uses of different flora found across the concession.
