12 DECEMBER 2009
Sightings
NOVEMBER
2009 SIGHTING REPORT
Other
sightings
Kwara
& Little Kwara
Floodwaters in the Okavango have receded and are waiting to be topped up by the incoming rains. The result has been to localise the wildlife around the permanent waters of the Maunichura River and floodplains adjacent to Kwara.
There was a wonderful sighting of a Leopard accompanied by a three month old cub pulling an Impala into a Sausage Tree. Consequently, there were some excellent opportunities for photos over the next few days of feeding. Other Leopards have also been spotted close to the camp on return from night driving in the area.
The female Cheetah and four cubs that have become such a favourite in Kwara are active in the western areas towards the Tsum Tsum flood plains. The cubs are now at juvenile size and learning fast from their skilled mother in the arts of hunting and discretion. They can normally be seen stalking Impalas or young antelope or, in the heat of the day, lying in rest under a Kalahari Star Apple.
‘The Seven Boys’ of Kwara are once again making their presence felt in the concession and often split into threes and fours to cover more of their vast territory. No other Lions stand a chance with these males dominating confrontations. We see them hunting Buffalos on the northern fringes of the area close to the Mopane forest and yet they will venture southwards to look for other game such as Lechwe. On one occasion the leftovers of a Giraffe were found as a result of ‘The Seven Boys’.
We have also had some great sightings of less well known species such as Martial’s Eagle, Long Crested Eagle, African Civet, a four metre long African Rock Python, Giant Eagle Owls and of course Crocs and Hippos in the lagoon.
Lagoon
The famous Wild Dogs of Lagoon have been running riot amidst all the newborn antelopes in Lagoon in recent weeks. The Impala calves in particular have been singled out for predation. They are particularly weak in the early days and the Dogs are masters of finding the most vulnerable individuals.
There was a unique sighting of Hyenas pulling down a young Giraffe that had strayed away from its mother recently. A total of seven Hyenas surrounded the youngster and brought it down in front of a safari car. Hyenas are often incorrectly thought of as exclusively scavenging creatures but they supplied ample evidence to the contrary here.
Elsewhere there have been plenty of Lion and Cheetah sightings as well. Small bands of nomadic Males have been spotted in the upper Kwando and three females are often sighted around Half Way Pan area.
General game is excellent once again and very enjoyable game driving at this time of the year with all the new greenery, young antelope and migratory birds in the area.
Lebala
Lebala has been teeming with wildlife all month providing predator interactions rarely seen on such a consistent basis. The sight of Hyenas challenging Wild Dogs on a kill is a frequent occurrence. The clans of Hyenas consistently follow the packs of Wild Dogs in hope of scavenging some of the dog’s hard work.
On another occasion a party of guests and guides came across a stranded Leopard in a tree set upon by three Lionesses who were intent on stealing the freshly predated Impala hanging from an overhead branch. The Lionesses were not particularly enthusiastic on ascending the vertical tree trunk and so eventually lost interest and wandered off. After several minutes the Leopard gingerly climbed down and sped off in the other direction!
Once again we have been spoilt by consistent sightings of the three brother Cheetahs at Lebala and have seen them make two successful kills on an Impala and newly born wildebeest. A large number of Elephants and Buffalos can still be seen in the floodplains although increasing numbers are heading west to the fresh vegetation of the Mopane forests. Plains game is also abundant in all areas explaining the large number of predators in the area. Zebra, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Tsesebe, Impala, Red Lechwe, Waterbuck to name but a few!
An interesting sighting took place earlier this month when a game drive game across a 3 metre long Egyptian (Snouted) Cobra that was eating a giant Bull Frog.
Tau Pan
The first big rains have arrived at Tau bringing with them large densities of plains game to graze the fresh grasses that have sprung into life in the area. Water is more readily available and predators are appearing in greater numbers.
Guests at Tau Camp were treated to an array of cat species during the last month. The two resident male Lions were active in the area as well as four Lionesses with a three months old cub at San Pan. Lions will not usually predate porcupines but while tracking this month we discovered signs that they are doing so in the Central Kalahari.
Fresh leftovers and surrounding spoor suggest that the Lions are flipping the Porcupines over onto their backs to get to the soft underbelly and avoid the sharp quills protecting the upper body.
On Tau Pan a female Cheetah has taken up residence and is often seen scanning the pan for vulnerable Springboks. The elusive Leopard was seen on more than one occasion in the acacia thickets towards the airstrip.
Nxai Pan
The rain has seen the first Elephant herd back at Nxai Pan in addition to the bachelors that reside in the area. They were seen passing towards the Nxai Camp water hole. During the dry season they leave the area in search of permanent waters for their young.
Additionally, the first returning Zebras of the migration are appearing in the south towards Baines Baobabs and are expected back on the Pan itself within a few weeks.
We are pleased to see that there is a new young Cheetah and mother in the area. They are very mobile and have been seen at different points throughout the area. This indicates that they are very skittish as a reaction to Lion activity in the area and so are reluctant to settle in one place.
A new female Leopard has been sited west of the camp towards the airstrip. She is a small specimen and also very skittish, normally scurrying off into the bush within seconds of being photographed.
Elsewhere, the rare sighting of an African Rock Python was well received by Guide and guest. These giant constrictors are normally associated with the floodplains of the Okavango but lie in semi-hibernation for months after a large meal.
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