Very good rains this reason so far – possibility of good floods in the Okavango Delta this winter depending on rains in the latter part of summer.

Here are the latest game sightings for January 2006 in the Okavango Delta of Botswana.

Botswana Private Concession Alpha

Sightings include – 4 lionesses followed hunting, a pride of 3 lionesses chased and killed a wildebeest calf, and the Alpha pride chasing and missing a warthog. An adult male lion was seen close to camp feeding on a warthog.
A couple of sightings of a relaxed adult male leopard
A pack of 21 Wild dogs successfully hunting impala and tsessebe over a period of a few days – great interaction with a clan of hyena.
An herd of 300 elephant spread out along the fringe of the mopane woodland, several small groups of elephant bulls and smaller breeding herds.
Several sightings of pythons as well as Giant African Bullfrogs mating and fighting – many various frog and toad species, and chameleons at night
Hyenas seen on most night-drives, also seen – caracal hunting, African wild cats,
General game good – impala, reedbuck, giraffe, tsessebe, roan, wildebeest, hippo out of the water, sitatunga in the wetlands.

Botswana Private Concession Bravo

A pride of 3 males, one of the males was mating with a lioness
A pride of 5 lionesses was found after trackers heard baboon alarm calls – each lioness was feeding on a baboon.
A relaxed female leopard was seen with her cubs close to the boat station – she had killed a kudu, and fed for the whole of last week.
A coalition of 3 male cheetah was followed hunting
Scattered sightings of elephants throughout the concession, and a group of up to 7 bulls feeding in front of camp daily.
Both black-backed and side-striped jackals seen regularly on night drives as well as African wild cats practically every night-drive.
A clan of hyena with 2 x 6 month-old youngsters was seen hunting at night but were not successful.
General game – giraffe, impala, tsessebe, kudu, lechwe, chacma baboon, vervet monkeys and zebras
Birding has been excellent with all the summer visitors in attendance – broad-billed rollers with a youngster, wattled cranes, black-breasted snake eagle, martial eagle, and the heronry is still producing excellent photographic opportunities.
Other night-sightings – porcupine, serval, a honey-badger mother carrying her youngster in her mouth..
Also seen – various species of snakes, as well as many different frogs.

Botswana Private Concession Charlie

2 male lions from the coalition of 3 were found very close to camp – roaring. One of the males was limping very badly though.
A pride of 4 lionesses were seen a couple of times -they killed 3 baboons close to Twin pools – another 2 shy lionesses were sighted just north of Twin pools as well as another 2 lionesses along Crane rd.
A relaxed young female leopard was seen a couple of times as well as a shy adult male leopard who was seen a couple of times near old hippo pools – he may have had a kill in the area.
An adult female cheetah with her sub-adult cub were found feeding on an impala they had killed, and were followed the next day moving slowly north.
Large breeding herds of elephants seen regularly feeding along the fringes of the woodlands, as well as small groups of bulls moving across the floodplains.
Night drives yielded many sightings of hyenas, porcupines, African wild cat, serval.
General game has been good especially along the floodplains.
Good sightings of different snake and frog species – both very active in the rains
Also seen – numerous raptor species, African skimmers, Rossy-cheasted longclaw, pratincole species, as well as one group of 7 ostriches with 7 chicks, while another with 3 adults had 33 chicks!

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All the best,
daDave