Lion activity was strong throughout the month. The resident Bonga Pride had split into two groups — three lionesses and a coalition of four young males. Similarly, the Mompati Pride, originally numbering eleven, also divided, largely due to the presence of the four brothers who had taken control of the area. These males displaced older pride males and were seen mating with females from the Bonga Pride.
The coalition specialised in hunting buffalo and killed at least five during the month in different parts of the concession. On one occasion, two of the males attempted to steal a leopard’s kill that had been hoisted into a tree. The leopard managed to escape unharmed. During the same sighting, a spotted hyena tried to scavenge from the scene but was killed by the two lions.
Leopard sightings were exceptional. At least four individuals were regularly seen east and southeast of camp, including the Marula Island, Airstrip, Hide, Fisherman’s, and Manonthoto Island areas. The familiar resident female Amantle, with her 20-month-old son, was often found hunting in these zones. Her daughter Bonolo, from an earlier litter, and the old territorial male Rraditsebe were also frequently encountered.
To the north and northwest — around Zippa, Mokoro Station, Rebecca’s, Xhenga, and Matswiri Crossing — guests viewed another female known as Mosadimogolo and her 18-month-old daughter, along with Rradikolobe, a large dominant male.
On one particular morning game drive, the younger female successfully stalked and killed an impala. With hyenas nearby, she quickly hoisted the carcass into a tree. While feeding, she spotted a water monitor lizard below, descended, killed it, and carried it up the same tree to feed alongside her antelope kill.
The Pom Pom Pack returns
African wild dogs were very active throughout the month. The Pom Pom Pack returned late in the month from the Xudum area, consisting of 18 adults and 4 pups. They were seen on several occasions hunting and feeding within the concession. One morning, the pack brought down an impala before two male lions arrived and displaced them from the carcass. Another dramatic encounter saw the dogs successfully defend their kill against a group of hyenas, maintaining possession after an extended standoff.
Later in the month, guests on a boat cruise witnessed a remarkable scene as wild dogs chased an impala across a channel, only for the prey to be taken by a crocodile — an extraordinary and rare moment to observe.
A new spotted hyena den was located west of camp near the Mowana wa Mosarwa area, home to five cubs approximately four months old. Hyenas were seen regularly at night and during morning drives, often trailing lions and leopards to scavenge. Several individuals were observed attempting, unsuccessfully, to hunt red lechwe in shallow water.
Five hundred buffalo and a sky full of dust
Large herds of zebra and wildebeest moved into the area and a substantial herd of around 500 buffalo was also recorded moving between floodplains. Elephant numbers remained high, and the open plains supported large groups of red lechwe. Other species frequently seen included giraffe, kudu, waterbuck, reedbuck, and impala.
Night drives produced excellent sightings of African wild cat, civet, aardwolf, serval, porcupine, spring hare, and honey badger — all active in the cooler evenings.
Crocodiles were observed regularly during boating excursions and along water channels. Water monitor lizards were also common, often seen basking on exposed banks during the day.
Returning migrants
Birding remained excellent. As water levels dropped, trapped fish and amphibians attracted large numbers of storks, herons, egrets, and kingfishers. Raptors such as martial, tawny, and fish eagles were prominent. Migrants like southern carmine bee-eaters, Levaillant’s cuckoos, and yellow-billed kites returned, along with summer migrants such as barn swallows, collared pratincoles, and yellow-billed storks.
The winter constellations began to fade, giving way to the summer skies featuring Taurus, Orion, Canis Major, and Canis Minor. On the 8th, guests witnessed a spectacular blood moon, clearly visible in the open Delta sky. As water levels continued to drop, the receding floodplains revealed fresh feeding grounds for antelope and waterbirds alike.
