On one notable evening, shortly after sundowners, a pride of 12 lions was encountered walking along the road. Ahead of them, a group of impalas approached. The lions initiated an ambush; one lion flanked the impalas and drove them toward the rest of the pride. They successfully caught one, and the pride fed together for over half an hour.
The resident pride was frequently seen near camp, while another pride was regularly encountered near the halfway area. Recently, three male lions that had previously spent more time around Lagoon have been observed more frequently with this pride.
A separate pride residing on the islands near the military camp was also observed. This group was seen with eight cubs, estimated between 5 and 7 months old. While they often remained on the islands, they occasionally ventured to the mainland to hunt, typically preying on zebra.
The two males that displaced the previous coalition remained in the area but were not often seen. The whereabouts of the displaced males remained unknown. Over the past year, the area has seen three different male coalitions in rotation.
One morning, a dead impala was located in a tree—clear evidence of a leopard kill. Fresh tracks nearby were followed, leading to signs that a male leopard had joined a female, and the two were moving together. However, they entered dense terrain, making tracking difficult. Later that evening, the area was revisited. A male leopard was observed feeding on the carcass, shortly after which the female appeared and joined him in the tree.
During an afternoon drive, African wild dog tracks were located near Nare Pan and all the way to Norman Pan. As darkness approached, a pack of 11 dogs appeared at the sundowner site. Although light conditions prevented us from following them, they remained active and mobile in the area.
An active Spotted Hyena den was located approximately five minutes northwest of the camp. A single cub was observed at the den with one adult female, who was frequently seen in the area.
A female cheetah was spotted and is believed to be the same individual previously observed with two now-independent cubs. She was seen using elevated spots, climbing trees to survey the surrounding area. Several attempts to hunt were witnessed, but none were successful.
General game viewing was excellent around the open waterholes. These areas supported a variety of species, including zebra, giraffe, impala, and wildebeest.
Elephants were regularly seen in large numbers, travelling to the river in search of fresh water, despite many waterholes still holding water. Hippos were also observed using these waterholes.
Night drives yielded sightings of aardwolves, which are becoming more prominent with the arrival of winter and the start of their breeding season. A serval was seen along the marsh, and one unusual encounter involved a civet chasing off jackals. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the jackals had killed the civet’s offspring, and the adult was attempting to defend it. The jackals eventually completed the kill and left the area.
Numerous water monitor lizards were recorded around the waterholes. Along the river channel southeast of camp, a large male hippo was found dead in the water, attracting over 20 large crocodiles, who fed on the carcass over multiple days.
Birdwatching was fantastic this month. Wattled cranes were seen occasionally, and white-fronted bee-eaters were nesting along the channel in front of the newly built Lebala Enclave side, catching a sneaky peek at the new development. Four different groups of ground hornbills were recorded in the area, along with sightings of secretary birds displaying unusually bold behaviour.
As winter approached, grasses began to dry, although most trees remained green. Waterholes continued to hold water following the rains, and flowering plants such as Vernonia and Devil’s Thorn were still evident on our guided nature walks.
Clear winter skies allowed for excellent stargazing. With minimal cloud cover, many constellations and stars were clearly visible despite the presence of a bright moon.
