Breakfast interrupted by lions – One of the more memorable moments of April unfolded directly in front of the lodge as the resident pride approached the waterhole during breakfast. Guests watched from the deck while wildebeest, zebra and buffalo already gathered at the water shifted nervously as the lions announced their arrival with low contact calls across the pan.
The local pride, consisting of two males, two females, two cubs and a subadult female, featured strongly throughout the month and was regularly encountered around Baobab Loop and the nearby dry waterholes. Earlier in the month the pride was found feeding on a zebra carcass, with the two dominant males taking control of the kill while the females and cubs rested nearby with full bellies.
Later that same evening, the lionesses attempted to hunt a giraffe along the edge of the pan. The stalk showed promise until the cubs moved too early and disrupted the approach, allowing the giraffe to escape into thicker cover. Towards the end of the month, roaring was again heard along the western road close to the remains of another zebra carcass.
Jackals give away the leopard
One memorable leopard sighting unfolded after persistent jackal alarm calls near the Kwando signboard drew guides into the Terminalia thickets. A shy male leopard was eventually seen crossing the main road at speed before disappearing back into cover.
The sighting once again highlighted how valuable alarm calls remained in locating predators through the thicker vegetation around the pan.
The plains fill with life
Nxai Pan remained exceptionally productive throughout April, with widespread grazing and natural waterholes continuing to support large concentrations of game across the open pans.
Hundreds of zebra moved across the grasslands daily, while thousands of springbok remained spread across the plains as the rutting season intensified. Dominant rams were regularly observed clashing with challengers throughout the concession.
Blue wildebeest herds with calves, breeding buffalo herds, elephant family groups, bachelor herds and solitary bulls were all recorded consistently during the month. Smaller numbers of eland, greater kudu, steenbok and oryx also featured regularly around Baobab Loop and the outer edges of the pan.
Giraffes remained particularly striking against the open landscape, often feeding calmly across the grasslands during the cooler hours of the day.
Small hunters of the pan
Smaller mammals remained highly active throughout the concession. Bat-eared foxes were regularly seen hunting across the open grasslands while black-backed jackals continued searching actively for rodents around the pan edges.
Scrub hares were frequently encountered during evening drives and the changing conditions around the waterholes also produced increased activity from marsh terrapins and smaller reptiles.
Leopard tortoises, barking geckos, praying mantises and golden silk orb-weaver spiders were all recorded during the month. Although cooler mornings reduced some insect and snake activity, the lingering surface water continued attracting smaller species into the open.
Rainbirds over the grasslands
Birding remained particularly rewarding throughout April as resident species mixed with several water-associated birds making use of the shallow seasonal pans.
Secretary birds, ostriches, crimson-breasted shrikes, African hoopoes, Marico flycatchers, chestnut-backed sparrow-larks and scaly-feathered weavers remained active throughout the concession. Red-billed queleas and violet-eared waxbills were also regularly encountered feeding around the grasslands.
The continued rains brought several wading species into Nxai Pan, including wattled cranes, Abdim’s storks, yellow-billed storks, grey herons and wetland species. The shallow pans created ideal feeding opportunities and provided excellent birding throughout the month.
April continued showcasing the changing beauty of Nxai Pan as late rains moved through the system. Open grasslands remained green and productive while the surrounding mopane woodland and sand dunes framed the pan with strong seasonal colour.
The iconic baobabs remained one of the defining features of the landscape, many still carrying large fruit while standing above the grasslands and shallow pans.
Thunderstorms and rainbows frequently developed across the horizon during the afternoons, creating dramatic photographic conditions over the open plains. Although cloud cover limited some of the star-gazing opportunities later in the month, the shifting skies and changing light continued making Nxai Pan particularly striking during both sunrise and sunset activities.
