Even though guests were unable to stay due to the Covid19 pandemic, the Tau Pan pride were constant visitors. Their daily routine included drinking at the waterhole in front of camp, roaring loudly throughout the night and occasionally turning up in unexpected places, such as the camp workshop or the staff village just to make sure that no one was napping. This pride comprised ten lions in total, five big males, four females and one male cub. In early July we saw that one of the males was limping and on the northern side of the waterhole found a blue wildebeest carcass that the lions had been feeding on. He seemed to recover well over the following weeks but didn’t re-join the rest of the pride.
Two male lions from San Pan were seen heading towards Phukwi Pan and looking in great condition.
A male cheetah appeared to have picked up the scent of the resident female who we suspected was in oestrus.
The Tau Pan area has a good general game including blue wildebeest, gemsbok, steenbok, kudu, springbok and giraffe, although numbers were reduced compared to the rainy season. Red Hartebeest were seen near to Phukwi Pan.
As the weather turned cooler and dryer during May, the tsamma melons started to ripen, providing nutrients and water for many species of mammal. During the winter in Botswana the silky bushmen grasses in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve turn a beautiful golden yellow. Most of the leaves on the trees and bushes lost their colour before falling.
The nights were incredibly cold during June and July, but those venturing to stand by the fire at night were rewarded with the most spectacular clear night sky with thousands and thousands of stars and four planets visible.
(Note: Accompanying picture is 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!)
