African wild dogs were seen regularly, with three separate packs recorded—comprising two, 19, and 21 individuals. The smallest group was observed mostly in the northern part of the concession. The resident pack of nineteen was seen resting in Rebecca’s Field after being tracked following a rain shower. The dogs later performed greeting rituals before setting off again. The largest pack, generally found in neighbouring areas, was seen entering the concession occasionally. On one occasion, the pack of two was observed bringing down a red lechwe on Drifters Island after a five-minute chase.
Leopard sightings werefrequent in the area. A resident female near the airstrip and her male cub were observed occasionally, though they were seen less together towards the end of the month. The female appeared to be pregnant, which potentially explained the reduced interactions with her cub. Additionally, another female leopard in the eastern sector of the concession was spotted on several drives, and a notable number of male leopards were seen in various locations.
On multiple occasions, the female and cub pair from the northern area provided excellent viewing opportunities. One female was observed feeding on an ostrich kill high in a tree on Ditwene Island. Another highlight included a female and her cub found on Kessy’s Island with two separate kills—an impala and its lamb—both hoisted into adjacent trees. Later in the month, three leopards were found feeding on an impala kill in the same area, with the female in the tree and the male and cub feeding below.
Lion activity remained high throughout the concession area. The Pom Pom pride appeared to be fragmented, operating in three subgroups. This behavior was likely a response to the presence of two dominant males in the southern region, who continued to challenge younger males. A group of three lionesses, believed to have cubs, was observed near the boundary and was seen crossing in and out of the concession. These lionesses were pregnant the previous month and were now lactating, indicating that the cubs were likely hidden just across the river.
Two males were seen near Drifters and Mokoro islands. A northern pride spent time around Nxaraga and was later seen feeding on a buffalo carcass located after following jackal alarm calls. On another morning, fresh lion tracks were followed from camp for approximately 45 minutes, leading to a pride of four individuals feeding on a wildebeest carcass. Ten minutes later, they located a herd of impala and successfully brought down a lamb in full view of the guests.
Cheetah sightings were limited this month, but the ones we had were remarkable. We located a female cheetah and her two subadult cubs on four separate occasions across different areas. One sighting followed about 35 minutes of tracking, ending with the cats spotted atop a termite mound as they scanned their surroundings. Additionally, a male cheetah was seen in two different locations throughout the month.
Smaller mammals were observed less frequently this month. Steenboks, jackals, and mongooses were seen during game drives, while genets and African civets were recorded on night drives.
Birding was productive, with sightings of both migratory and resident species. Summer migrants such as the woodland kingfisher, red-backed shrike, and ruff were noted. Resident species included wattled cranes, saddle-billed storks, goliath and grey herons, egrets, plovers, thick-knees, geese, and ducks. Notably, Pel’s fishing owl and giant eagle-owls were seen.
Following consistent rainfall, the landscape became lush and green. Tall grasses dominated much of the concession, providing ample forage for herbivores and suitable cover for predators. Standing water across the area allowed for increased mokoro activity and offered grazing opportunities for general game.
Game viewing was excellent throughout the month. Regular sightings included wildebeest, zebras, tsessebe, kudu, red lechwe, and impala. Baboons, vervet monkeys, giraffes, warthogs, buffalo, elephants, and pods of hippos were also encountered regularly across the floodplains and woodland edges.
