It’s not so common to see hyenas – brown or spotted – in the Nxai Pan area, but one spotted was seen drinking at the waterhole in front of the camp. Then again, later in the month, out in the middle of the day at the main waterhole, an odd assortment of creatures drinking together: 1 brown hyena, 1 bat eared fox, and 21 elephants!
Another unusual sighting – FOUR honey badgers! Usually seen in ones or maybe twos, the lack of ground cover and lack of insects had forced them to forage close to each other. They were feeding on lizards and any scorpions they could dig out of the ground.
A coalition of three cheetah was seen at Nxai Pan open area, attempting to hunt. Unfortunately, they were not sufficiently in stealth mode, as there were lots of animals surrounding them, so everyone was alarm calling. They had to give up their hunt and move off.
Cheetahs were seen most days that we were out on drive – more often than not the relaxed female with three cubs, but also other individuals, and the female with two sub-adults. They appeared to be enjoying the less stressful time, as there were not as many lions about. The mystery of the disappearing lion pride was solved towards the end of the month, when lion researchers let us know that they had seen them hanging out close to Phuduhudu village, outside the park, looking fairly fat and happy, having feasted on a mixed selection of cow and goat. Staff from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks were heading in their direction in the hope of encouraging them back to their normal stomping ground, and out of the way of the disgruntled cattle farmers.
There was not a complete absence of lions in the park however: a lioness with two small cubs was seen at the main waterhole at the end of the month as well!
