2016 was a fairly unusual year for the magnificent black-maned lions of Tau Pan. Late rains in March provided grass for the herds of antelope and zebra through much of the dry season which meant that they were not forced to migrate to greener pastures. In turn, because their food source remained stable the lions did not need to move to other parts of their territory and importantly this allowed the pride to reproduce successfully. Towards mid-December a pair could be seen from the main deck of the camp for several days as they performed their mating rituals in full view. Other pairs were seen mating at San Pan. By this time next year this pride will be fairly large and our guides are already predicting that in the future the Tau Pan lions are likely to extend their territory or even split up to form new prides.
One of the most unusual sightings was of a young lion that was seen whilst our guests were on a day trip to Deception Valley. The lion stalked and caught a new born springbok, but instead of killing and eating his prey he started playing with it. This is not something that is seen very often although other sightings of this behavior have been recorded.
Usually one of the more elusive creatures in Tau Pan is the leopard, but December yielded some incredible sightings. One large male in particular was completely relaxed with the presence of the game drive vehicle. He approached the vehicle out of curiosity and then moved off as though the vehicle was part of his afternoon stroll. This male moved into the territory in 2015; he and a female produced their first litter and so hopefully we will see more leopards in the future.
The cheetahs in the area also seemed to have a very successful breeding season, a female and three young cubs were seen whilst we were on a day trip to Deception Valley. Another mother with cubs was seen at Phukwi Pan and yet another family with three cubs was seen at Passage Valley.
All in all the Tau Pan predators had a great year and we will enjoy following the progress of the new arrivals.
