One morning, we came across African wild dog tracks leading us to a kill, where a pack of 12 adults was feeding on an impala.
Lions were frequently sighted throughout December, with the resident pride particularly active with multiple excellent interactions and sightings of them feeding on their kills.
One of the lionesses had two cubs about three months old and remained relatively close to camp, which made sightings easier! On the 5th and 6th, we tracked them to the wildlife waterhole, their bellies full, though we couldn’t confirm what they had killed. On the 10th and 11th, we located the pride northeast of the south camping ground, where two males were seen with full bellies, suggesting yet another successful hunt. On the 20th and 21st, during our morning game drives along the West Road, we observed two males, one of whom was mating with a female from the resident pride. On the 29th, we watched another pride of five lionesses and two cubs on a hunt.
Rains — and zebra — arrive at Nxai Pan during December
The arrival of the rainy season transformed the landscape in Nxai Pan National Park. The trees were lush and green, adorned with blooming flowers, including the striking trumpet thorn. Grasses sprouted in the pan, and the vast plains were covered in tall grass. This lush vegetation attracted herds of wildebeest, zebras, buffaloes, and impalas. Zebra sightings were abundant (especially around Baines’ Baobabs, where large groups grazed on the fresh grasses).
As the rains continued, we noticed the buffalo herds moving to the natural waterholes, and the giraffes were often seen in the area as trees regained their leaves. Springboks and their lambs fed on the nutritious new grass in the pan, sometimes joined by impalas.
Wildlife sightings on the Baines’ Baobabs day trip
Leopard tracks were found on the roads and even within Nxai Pan Camp. Then, on the 22nd, during a day trip to Baines’ Baobabs, we spotted a relaxed female leopard resting in the shade with a noticeably full belly.The iconic salt pans remained a memorable experience for guests when they ventured south towards Baines’ Baobabs, with a distant mirage creating the illusion of water on the horizon. These day trips were particularly rewarding during December. While on our way to the iconic tree, we spotted tracks of brown hyenas. On the 30th, during a drive to Baines’ Baobab, we also encountered a spotted hyena and an aardwolf. It felt like we had experienced the whole Botswana hyena family! The blue wildebeests, another familiar sight, were also seen regularly, plus solitary oryx bulls and breeding herds.
Insect life was buzzing, with cicadas and weevils active in the camp and the surrounding bushes. Cicadas were heard during the day, and their chorus intensified in the afternoon. Dragonflies, like the red-veined dropwing and red basker, were frequently glimpsed above the waterholes, feeding on smaller insects. Ground agamas were also spotted feeding on insects, while leopard tortoises were seen along the Middle Road. Aardwolves were also spotted several times near their den in this area around Middle Road. The pan also featured numerous bat-eared fox dens, with the foxes seen with their young during the denning season.
Butterflies such as the African monarch, scarlet tip, yellow pansy and painted lady added colour to the area. Birdwatching was fantastic, with sightings of grey herons, squacco herons, red-billed teals, western cattle egrets, African open-billed storks, and Egyptian geese. We also observed nesting lappet-faced vultures and white-backed vultures near the road. Summer migrants arrived, including blue-cheeked bee-eaters, lesser grey shrikes, yellow-billed kites, European bee-eaters, red-footed falcons and red-backed shrikes.
Scrub hares were frequently spotted around the camp, grazing on the grasses at night. Although we had limited sightings of spotted hyenas, we often heard their eerie calls while sitting around the campfire. Most nights, we enjoyed the breathtaking views of the stars, as Nxai Pan’s location, with its short trees, provided an excellent vantage point for spotting constellations and planets as they rose. Familiar constellations such as Gemini, Sirius, Procyon, Canopus, Sagittarius, Orion, and the Southern Cross were clearly visible.
(Please note: For the safety of the animals, we do not disclose the precise location of either rhino or pangolin sightings. Accompanying pictures are from our Kwando Photo Library which consists of all your great photo submissions over the years, it may not be the most up to date, but we felt it was worthy of a feature alongside this month’s Sightings Report!)
