African wild dogs bring the hunt into camp – A pack of 18 African wild dogs, comprising ten adults and eight puppies, remained one of the major stories at Lebala during July.
The pack changed den sites during the month, while the adults continued to hunt and return to feed the puppies. After one successful hunt, guests watched the adults taking turns to regurgitate food for the eight youngsters at the den.
The dogs also brought plenty of action directly to camp. The pack chased and killed an impala in front of the main area, but the commotion soon attracted lions. The African wild dogs moved away and the lions came in to finish what remained of the carcass.
With several lion prides occupying the surrounding area, encounters carried real risk for the puppies. Two puppies were lost to lions during the month.
Thirteen cubs with the Lebala lions
There was no shortage of young lions either.
Several prides occupied the southern sections of the area between Sable Road, Zebra Pan, Twin Pools and camp. One group included five lionesses raising cubs of several different ages, from youngsters of around two months to older cubs approaching six months.
Another large family group around Sable Road included five lionesses, two dominant males and 13 cubs of different ages.
On another morning, guides found tracks from 12 lions heading west of camp. They followed the spoor for around two and a half hours before locating two big males, four lionesses and six cubs feeding on a zebra.
Four lionesses produced another good hunt on the floodplains at BB Spot, where they chased a male red lechwe and successfully brought it down.
The male lion picture was equally busy. Four different coalitions used different sections of the area, including four younger males in the south, a coalition of two older males and two separate coalitions in the north. A male and female were also seen mating along Sable Road.
With so many lions around, their calls regularly carried through camp after dark.
Hyenas steal a leopard’s impala
Leopards were active across Lebala throughout July.
Near Nare Pan, a male stalked impalas feeding through the vegetation until spotted hyenas noticed him and began following, putting an end to his hunt. The same morning produced a female leopard resting on a termite mound around the walking area.
Another male had better luck west of Nare Pan, where impala alarm calls led guides to him with a male impala carcass on the ground.
Females with cubs were also seen. One was found with a cub along Baobab Road, while another female and her youngster fed together on an impala carcass. The scent eventually attracted spotted hyenas, which arrived later and stole the remains.
New cheetahs move into Lebala
Two subadult male cheetahs appeared around Skimmer Pan during July. They were new to the area and initially wary as they rested beneath a sausage tree.
Female cheetahs were also encountered at different locations, while the two older resident brothers continued to use the area.
The arrival of younger males added another interesting element to Lebala’s cheetah population and gave guides new individuals to follow as they began moving through the area.
Twenty hyenas challenge a newborn giraffe
One of July’s more dramatic encounters unfolded near Sunset Pan shortly after a giraffe gave birth.
A clan of around 20 spotted hyenas arrived and attempted to prey on the newborn calf, turning what had begun as a quiet sighting into a tense encounter.
Spotted hyenas were also encountered elsewhere during the month, including solitary animals moving along the roads after dark.
Night drives produced plenty of smaller characters too. African wild cats were particularly active, including one watched digging into rodent burrows and successfully catching several rats.
African civets fed on fallen jackalberry fruit, while a pair of porcupines took advantage of the same seasonal food source. Servals and springhares were also seen after dark.
Winter takes hold along the Kwando River
Large herds of elephants moved through Lebala alongside bachelor groups of bulls, while zebra, blue wildebeest, tsessebe, eland, sable, impala, red lechwe, greater kudu, giraffe, hippo, roan and steenbok were seen across the area.
Winter had now changed the appearance of much of the landscape. Many deciduous trees had shed their leaves and the woodland had taken on its dry brown tones, contrasting sharply with the greener vegetation bordering the channels and floodplains.
Crocodiles and water monitor lizards were regularly seen along the riverbanks and in shallow water.
The more open winter vegetation also suited nature walks. Zebra, impala, greater kudu, red lechwe and elephants were encountered on foot, while tracks and other signs offered another way of interpreting which animals had recently passed through an area.
The Kwando River itself had dropped during July, while clear winter nights brought the seasonal constellations into view above camp.
