Frequent sightings of the resident African wild dogs and Cheetahs were appreciated and adored throughout August, but the most captivating hunt must go to the leopards of Lagoon.
As reported last month, a mother leopard and her two sub-adult offspring remained happy and healthy, and the mother continued to support her small family. One day, the leopardess left the youngsters and went off to hunt, and the juniors kept themselves occupied by honing their skills.
Their game of “hunt the tree squirrel” had us transfixed for almost an hour as they stalked, chased, and corralled three unfortunate tree squirrels in the top branches of a tree. Every time the squirrels tried to escape, the two cats sprang into action and attempted to ambush the squirrels. Ultimately, the sub-adults didn’t come very close to success, but this was invaluable training for their future when focus, stealth and speed can be the difference between a prosperous future or an empty belly.
Eventually, their mother reappeared and called. With a rueful look, they gave up the squirrel hunt and followed her. They walked almost two kilometres before reaching an Impala she had stashed in a tree. With the same boundless energy, the youngsters leapt into the tree for a feast. A fitting end to a hard day of squirrel hunting!
We also located another young female leopard feeding on a francolin.
Dramatic buffalo vs lion encounters
The lion prides were equally well-fed by the plentiful buffalo herds, which travelled through the Kwando Private Reserve in considerable numbers.
For many guests, the holy grail of sightings is the quintessential buffalo hunt seen in many documentaries and online. The dry season frequently serves up the most dramatic lion-buffalo interactions, which can be short and raw or long, drawn-out affairs.
On our way to sundowners, we came across a pride eyeing the dust as buffaloes moved across the floodplain. They seemed relaxed and content to watch the spectacle. Suddenly, one of the lionesses raised her head, scanned the horizon, and set off towards the buffalo, swiftly followed by her family. When we caught up, they had surrounded a buffalo and swamped it with sheer pride numbers. A well-placed bite to the throat brought the encounter to an end, and the lions ate well for the next two days.
Other guests encountered a battle royale between an older male buffalo and the Holy Pride on the old road south to Lebala. The older male buffalos who can’t keep up with the herd will often form small bachelor herds for protection. We found a solitary nomad surrounded, but he was not prepared to go down without a fight. As the lions tried to jump on his back or land bites on the spine, nose or throat, he whirled round, sending the lions flying through the air or scampering away from the gigantic horns. This continued for over an hour as the lions mounted wave after wave of attacks, with two of the lionesses retreating from the fray, having taken heavy knocks. However, weary from the fight, he eventually succumbed to his wounds. Although a gruesome affair, we had to admire the courage and stamina of the buffalo and acknowledge that, while Mother Nature may appear cruel, this provides hearty sustenance to the next generation of lion cubs.
One memorable morning, while sipping a cup of coffee around the fire, a male lion from the Northern pride strolled past room one. We jumped into the vehicles and followed as he sniffed around curiously. He then slowly stalked into the lofty grass, towards the sound of crunching bones. The Holy Pride was feeding on a Tsessebe, but the lion easily chased the Holy Pride off the meat. Just when we thought it was over, another male came rushing in with a roar and cleared out the Holy Pride sub-adult males once and for all.
Blossoming trees and birds returning
Many of the thorn trees, the Sausage tree and the Kalahari apple-leaf are flowering, just in time to plug the gap between the parched plains and the rains that are to come. The tiny shoots are favourites amongst elephants, and some antelopes and the blossoms are also a lifeline for bees and various species of dragonflies on the edge of the floodplains, such as the Banded groundling, Blue baker and Red-veined dropwing.
With the elephant and buffalo herds trampling much of the tall grasses, we enjoyed unobstructed views of the (often) less celebrated predators. White-tailed mongoose, African wild cat, Bat-eared foxes, Aardwolf, Civet and the Small-spotted genets were all logged during night drives.
Some migratory bird species began to arrive, including the Yellow-billed kite and the Carmine bee-eater, bringing its beautiful splash of colour to the Kwando River again. Boat cruises have been a delight! Little egrets, Whiskered terns, White-fronted bee-eaters, Giant herons, Malachite kingfishers, Pied kingfishers and Giant kingfishers were all spotted. Rufous bellied herons, Squacco herons, Black herons and Wire-tailed swallows were seen almost daily and one day, we enjoyed a fantastic congregation of 50 or more vultures preening.
(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!)
