Here it is - the latest sightings from Kwando Safaris. These sightings are for the month of September. In this first blog post, we'll be discussing Tau Pan Camp and Kwando Lebala Camp. The next blog post covers Kwando Kwara Camp, Nxai Pan Camp and Kwando Lagoon Camp. Enjoy the update and if you have any questions about Kwando Safaris - please don't hesitate to ask.

Tau Pan Camp

The Tau Pan Lion Pride has continued to be seen, frequently passing by the water hole to drink in the mornings. On one such occasion, they left the pan and after a short walk, found the appropriate resting spot, where the adults lay down whilst the cubs entertained themselves by playing boisterously amongst themselves as the day progressed, to the delight of the guests! The cheetahs also used the pan as their watering hole, however, soon moved off to disappear, expertly camouflaged, in to the bush.

The Oryx Gazella, or Gemsbok, with its long, gleaming black horns, was also seen at the various water holes to then disappear silently in to the surrounding landscape. The springbok, with its exquisite white belly, was spotted on the plains, along with steenbok, wildebeest and kudu. And the cheeky little ground squirrel was seen scurrying along, stopping and rapidly scratching in search of food, to be shielded from the sun with its large, fluffy tail. The slender mongoose also popped its head out of a hole a couple of times to check on the activity taking place around it. And a spotted genet – a rare sighting indeed! – catapulted itself out of its hiding place, and disappeared just as quickly in to shelter of the long grass. This constant activity as guests travel through the area is what makes Tau Pan such an exciting place to visit!

Birds are also seen in abundance in this area - the lilac breasted roller, red crested khorran and the pale chanting goshawk were just a few of the variety of birdlife that has been seen and continues to be seen throughout the days.

Honey Badgers are frequent nightly visitors to the camps; even seen stealthily creeping under the deck of one room to the delight of the occupant! One amazing incident also occurred, where a family of four were spotted as they searched for their breakfast. This interruption in their early morning ritual sent them bounding across the open plain at incredible speed as they sought a hiding place!

Kwando Lebala Camp

Massive herds of elephant, typical for this time of year, have been spotted roaming the Lebala plains this month, feeding on the rich abundance of foliage which starts to appear around this time of year. In fact, the guests do not need to venture far from camp to enjoy the sight of these peaceful pachyderms as they enjoyed a refreshing dip whilst crossing the channel that runs through Lebala camp. These intelligent creatures are frequent visitors to the camps and they are heard most evenings as they wade through the water and lumber softly by the tents. Visitors are gently lulled in to a restful nights sleep with this nightly Lebala lullaby!

A massive herd of buffalo – numbering nearly one thousand – also wondered through camp as they headed South to Twinpools, the old daggaboys bringing up the rear in the protective fashion of the wisened sentry as the calves mewed from within the herd, seeking their mothers.

Twinpools offered some incredible game viewing as usual – with elephant herds numbering up to two thousand at a time! Even the lions which proved elusive in other parts of the concession chose Twinpools as their resting place for a few days. The pride of seventeen lions consists of three lionesses, four sub-adults and eight cubs and is often seen throughout the concession engaging in a variety of activities for the guests to see.

Leopards, luckily, are a regular site in the concessions, but one particular female decided to remain in the nearby vicinity of the camp for a few days, checking out her old routes, used the time to teach her cub a few of the life lessons it had yet to learn. She was also found with a kill – a full-grown male impala! Her kill proved too heavy to drag up to the safety of the nearby tree, making her vulnerable to any competition. Sadly, the hyenas were attracted by her successful hunt and she lost her meal to their determined efforts. It was an exciting encounter to view from the game vehicle!

Other game included giraffe, wildebeest, warthogs, steenbok, lechwe, zebras and hippos. The roan antelope, equally timid and regal as the Sable which was seen in Kwara, was also spotted in the area! As always, the birding was exceptional, from the friendly little carmine bee-eater flaunting its fabulous colours in the air, to the water birds wading through the water on the ground. The painted reed frogs also played their part as their choir twinkled their chorus through the night.

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