A herd of four large male elephants visited the waterhole daily this month, although they sometimes drink at night.
During these winter evenings, we often paused to appreciate the incredible night sky experience of the Central Kalahari, with its bright luminosity and plethora of stars. The Milky Way was clearly visible, along with constellations like the Southern Cross, Scorpio, and parts of Leo. The planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter add to the enchantment, particularly in the early morning hours.
Brown hyena at the Tau Pan Camp waterhole
The elusive brown hyena also appeared at the waterhole on three occasions. While they remained shy and quick to flee when approached, guests highly appreciated these sightings.
Both the Tau Pan and Airstrip prides were active in the area, offering incredible sightings. The Tau Pan pride was frequently spotted near the camp, even feeding on an oryx near the airstrip. The Airstrip pride, consisting of two lionesses and two cubs, was seen lying under bushes with full bellies after successful kills and a young male cub showed signs of developing a mane. Male lions, however, were absent throughout the month.
Two young female leopards were spotted in various locations. One frequently occupied the airstrip area, actively marking territory and we once caught her with a springbok kill up on an umbrella thorn tree. Male leopards also left their tracks near the camp, and there was a brief sighting at San Pan, before the big cat disappeared into the bush.
Two male cheetahs were also seen regularly, except when lions were present, as they tried to avoid potential conflicts.
The leaping lynx
One day trip to Deception Valley, guests relished an encounter with a caracal before it swiftly disappeared into the bushes. Caracals, also known as African lynxes, are medium-sized wild cats. These elusive and solitary felines are known for their distinct tufted ears and sleek, reddish-brown fur. Caracals are highly skilled hunters with remarkable agility and incredible jumping abilities. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals, such as rodents and hares, but they are also known to prey on birds and occasionally larger animals. They can leap and catch birds in mid-air thanks to their strong hind legs.
Bat-eared foxes and black-backed jackals were spied at various open areas, while an African wildcat was logged stalking ground squirrels at Phukwi Pan. An aardwolf was located south of the pan in search of food and honey badgers were observed near San Pan.
General game sightings have been impressive, with giraffes frequently visiting the Tau Pan waterhole. Oryx and springboks retreated to the thicker bushes due to the dry grass. The oryx, also known as the gemsbok, is a striking antelope species found in arid regions like the Kalahari Desert. Oryx can survive without water for long periods and can withstand extreme temperatures. They are agile runners, reaching up to 60 mph (97 km/h). Steenboks and duikers were also seen in the area.
Birding has been remarkable
Cape vultures were nesting to the west of the airstrip with pale chanting goshawks, gabar goshawks, and great kestrels among the other species spotted. An African harrier hawk has been perching in the trees near the waterhole while bateleurs and tawny eagles made appearances. Kori bustards and korhaans have been spotted intermittently.
A black mamba was sighted crossing the road, disappearing into the trees. The dry vegetation has limited insect sightings, but antlion larvae with conical traps were observed. An intriguing ball biter ants, or balbyter in Afrikaans, around the camp provided an interesting sighting. As always, the bushmen walk allowed guests to tap into the ancient wisdom of a time-honoured Kalahari lifestyle with water collection and fire-making demonstrations.
(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!)
