The pack of 17 wild dogs have been seen on most days out hunting, whilst the alpha female stays safely at the den, to care for the pups that we suspect have been born. The pack have been hunting impala, and have had good luck. After feeding themselves, they go back to the den site, and regurgitate food for the alpha. A few days into the month, eight pups popped up their cute heads, (with tails only a few centimetres behind them!) and tumbled out of the den.
Naturally, the den has been a major draw card for the guests, and although sightings are limited to two cars at a time, guests are spending as much time as possible with the den. Lions, leopards and other interesting animal have fallen by the way-side somewhat, as the pups and parents are too special a sighting to pass up.
That’s not to say that other game has not been around! The lions have also been around, with pride of five being seen regularly, and the big males also following females that are on heat through the area. Four other lions had a more usual species interaction with a group of hyenas, and the two enemies clashed. There was no clear winner, but perhaps it was enough to expend a little bit of the aggression.
The alternate den site to the wild dogs has been the hyena den – with cubs of different ages, they are more robust – and rambunctious – than the pups. Unfortunately, two of the cubs were killed by lions close to the den area, when they ventured a bit too far from safety. There are still nine cubs remaining, of assorted sizes and ages, with the hyena clan bringing them up together.
A very unusual sighting of a pangolin – a scaly ant-eater. So unusual, in fact, that three lions were chasing after it! The pangolin escaped down into his burrow, but the lions persevered and dug it out. However, once out of the burrow, the lions appeared not to know what to do with it, as it really doesn’t resemble any kind of food they are likely to have eaten before. They left the pangolin alone, and both species moved off….
