January at Pom Pom Camp was filled with incredible wildlife sightings, stunning landscapes, and unforgettable experiences for our guests.
January provided excellent lion sightings. A pride was located on the southern side of the airstrip, where lionesses with 2-3-week-old cubs were seen relocating their cubs. It was a fascinating sight to witness the lioness carefully moving her cubs to a safer area.
Two lionesses were spotted on the eastern side of Marula Island, and a pride of 10 known as Bonga was located on Mochimbamo Island. This pride, including sub-adult males and females, provided captivating behaviour around a termite mound, where the lions interacted and engaged in playful behaviour.
We tracked a pride of seven lions consisting of one male, three lionesses, and three cubs, located on the northern side of Drifters Island. Nearby, four lionesses with five cubs, approximately three months old, were resting near Makolwane Island. Another pride of eight lions was found near Xhenega, where they exhibited behaviours such as yawning, defecating, and roaring to reinforce their social bonds.
Two male lions, known as the Knotty Boys, were observed moving towards the second hippo pool near Marula Island. Mopatis’ pride, which includes one dominant male, two sub-adult males, and four lionesses with cubs, was seen resting under a Jackal berry tree on Drifters Island.
We also observed other lions hunting around the Drifters floodplains, where four lionesses stalked a buffalo. A pride of 13 lions, comprising six lionesses and seven males, was found around Wildebeest Plains, recuperating after a hunt.
Leopard sightings were also exciting in January. We tracked one female leopard hunting along the Mosadimogolo wa Phiri area, where she caught a squirrel. Another female leopard with a 3-month-old cub was located at Rams termite mound. We tracked them for a while, watching the mother mark her territory by urine spraying.
A very exciting sighting was when a male leopard was observed at Drifters Island’s floodplains. He was very active, marking his territory as he moved around. Another male leopard was spotted on the western side of Makolwane Island, where he had made a kill of a warthog. The leopards were relaxed, calm and focused on their meals.
Cheetahs in Paradise
We also had good cheetah sightings. A male cheetah, dominating the Paradise area, was seen resting on the base of a termite mound. He appeared hungry, and just as we were about to leave, a sounder of warthogs approached. The cheetah sprinted and successfully caught a piglet in the tall grass, despite the difficulty of spotting its prey.
We also tracked four cheetahs, including a female with three 18-month-old cubs in the Wildebeest Plains, where they rested and interacted with one another. The same group was later observed in the Baobab area, climbing trees and termite mounds.
January was great for African wild dog sightings, with both packs observed hunting and socializing. We tracked a pack of 28, now reduced to 26 due to natural separations, to the east of Pom Pom. They were actively hunting and made several kills, including impala lambs. We observed the puppies holding the heads of the impalas as the pack continued its hunt. We later saw the pack in the west, resting in the shade before heading out to chase and kill an impala lamb. Their ability to hunt and catch prey in such a short time was impressive.
During the month we also saw a smaller pack of 12 wild dogs hunting along the Mapolanka road. After resting in the shade, they moved on to hunt steenbok but lost their prey in the tall grass. However, they soon targeted red lechwe in the shallow waters of Sedudu Island, successfully bringing one down.
We had plenty of Hyena sightings, especially feeding on carcasses – spotted hyenas were found feeding on an elephant carcass near Ditune Island and we watched a male hyena during a night drive near the Giraffe area, searching for food.
Green Season at its best
General game was abundant this month, with a variety of species visible across the concession. Elephants, buffalo, giraffes, kudu, impalas, tsessebes, lechwes, steenboks, hippopotamuses, chacma baboons, vervet monkeys, and various species of antelope and their young were seen regularly. The conditions were favorable, with green bush and abundant food for lactating mothers and young animals to thrive. Guests also observed some animals engaging in mud and dust bathing for thermoregulation, including elephants, warthogs, wildebeests, and buffaloes. Tsessebes and wildebeests were also seen marking their territories by rubbing their faces on the ground and scratching their feet.
While spotting small mammals was challenging due to the thick vegetation, night drives provided opportunities to observe spring hares, bush babies, genets, wildcats, civets, and porcupines. We spotted a serval with a mouse kill and two aardwolves were seen along JD spillway, though they were shy and quickly ran off.
Birdwatching was exceptional this month, with a diverse range of both resident and migratory species present. Notable sightings included carmine bee-eaters, European bee-eaters, lilac-breasted rollers, African hornbills, and saddle-billed storks. Birds of prey, such as tawny eagles, bateleur eagles, African hawk eagles, and martial eagles, were frequently seen. Additionally, various cuckoos—including black, striped, and Jacobin cuckoos—along with different herons, ibises, and vultures, were spotted throughout the month.
Mokoro excursions were especially enjoyable this month, with plenty of water and blooming flowers to admire. Frogs like painted reed frogs and long reed frogs were spotted, as well as jacanas, kingfishers, and beautiful water lilies. Nature walks also provided a chance to observe flowering plants and various insects up close.
The night skies were incredible during January, showcasing visible planets such as Venus, Jupiter, and Mars throughout the evening until late at night. Constellations like Orion, Scorpio, and the Southern Cross were easily identifiable, along with bright stars such as Rigel, Betelgeuse, and Sirius. The Milky Way and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds also stood out, creating a breathtaking display of celestial beauty.
(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)
