The changing lion dynamics within the Gunn’s Private Concession continued to shape game drives throughout May. The Moremi Pride has now split into several smaller prides, with one spending much of its time around Hammerkop and another favouring the Mmadinare area. Both prides were accompanied by cubs estimated to be between seven and 12 months old, making for wonderful family sightings throughout the month.
The two dominant males, known as the Dinare Boys, continued patrolling the concession after being pushed out of the Seporota area, while two younger blond males appeared from time to time before disappearing back towards the Moremi Game Reserve.
Between Hammerkop and the airstrip
One male leopard became a familiar sight throughout May, moving regularly between Hammerkop and Gunn’s Airstrip.
Guests watched him feeding on a fresh kill before he disappeared back into the riverine woodland. Like all good leopards, he never stayed in one place for long, but he seemed very much at home in this part of the concession.
The famous female cheetah with her three cubs was also seen during the month. The family continued moving quietly through the concession, raising her cubs among a healthy lion population and reminding us how adaptable cheetahs can be.
Mma Leitho’s clan
Hyenas remained one of the most reliable predators around Moremi Crossing.
The resident clan, led by the old female Mma Leitho, was regularly seen around Gunn’s Airstrip before moving south through the concession. Their presence was impossible to miss, whether on early morning drives or as they travelled along familiar game paths after dark.
Life returns to the Boro
As cooler mornings settled over the Delta, more wildlife began returning to the permanent water of the Boro River.
Elephant breeding herds with young calves were seen regularly, while older bulls spent the cooler hours feeding in thicker woodland before making their way down to drink later in the day.
Bachelor buffalo bulls remained around the concession throughout the month, and towards the end of May increasing numbers of zebra, giraffe and tsessebe began returning to the river as seasonal waterholes slowly dried.
Steenbok continued to be the most common of the smaller antelope, while bat-eared foxes, black-backed jackals, springhares and porcupines added interest to evening drives. Around camp, the resident genet remained a familiar dinner guest and banded mongooses were often seen moving through camp during the day.
Winter mornings on the Boro
May brought clear skies, cold mornings and steadily rising floodwaters. Water had already reached the main camp area, attracting increasing numbers of birds around the river and floodplain.
Boat cruises regularly produced sightings of Nile crocodiles basking along the banks, while pythons, black mambas, puff adders and striped-bellied sand snakes were all recorded during the month.
One of the more unexpected bird sightings came from a flock of flamingos flying south-east towards the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Southern ground hornbills, hornbills and many of the Delta’s resident bird species were also seen regularly.
As the evenings grew cooler, clear skies once again made stargazing one of the quiet pleasures of a stay at Moremi Crossing
