April has been amazing month in the Duba Plains concession, with fantastic sightings, hard working guests and inspired guides.
A large group of Australian guests arrived for their fourth visit to the area and were not disappointed on their first night when they were greeted by a large herd of elephant in camp during the night along with our resident hippos who were wandering around, forming part of the welcoming committee. James and Spike once again hosted the Australians who were determined to spend as much time out in the bush, hoping to spot some action. Their hard work and perseverance paid off on their fifth day out, (after having spent two full days out and enjoying their lunch in beautiful settings not far from large herds of buffalo) when one of the groups in the Tsaro Pride took down a large male buffalo. An awe inspiring event which both our guides reckoned had not happened in about a year in the area – normally the lions go for females or young buffalo – so it was amazing to see the pride working together, with the females battling to bring the huge beast down and then at the last minute a large male lion came to the rescue, felling the buffalo and finally putting an end to the battle. The guests were delighted and got some great footage of the entire episode.

Other guests were thrilled to witness some hunting “training” with a couple of lion cubs trying their best to secure themselves a bite to eat, but who were unfortunately unsuccessful in their endeavors. They were also amazed to witness both lions and cubs crossing deep water together.

Another highlight this month has been a mother and her sub-adult female leopard daughter who killed a Reedbuck not far from camp. Extremely shy, the mother was seen dragging their kill into thick brush, where she stayed, avoiding curious onlookers. The younger female, however, had no such misgivings and put on a great display of preening herself while lying in the open for all guests to witness and photograph. On another day, she was also seen “playing” with the horns of their kill, swatting them here and there while pouncing around playfully. Both females have not left their kill for about 5 days now and everyone who has passed by has returned to camp with fabulous photos and footage of the youngster.
Aside from daily sightings of lions sunning themselves and making half hearted attempts at hunting, a pangolin was spotted by some very lucky guests. Bat eared foxes have also been spotted three or four times by different visitors, along with great sightings of a honey badger with a baby – very special. Other general game in the area have added to our guest experiences – large herds of lechwe roaming in the water soaked floodplains, reedbuck and beautiful herds of Kudu are in abundance.
At present we have a resident heard of Kudu who seem to enjoy hanging around the camp and seem extremely unafraid of us as we walk by, continuing to stroll around very relaxed. With them are two beautiful bulls, displaying gorgeous curling headpieces and who are a little more wary of us, skitting away at first, but then always making their way back.
The birdlife in the area is phenomenal, with sightings of Wattled Cranes and myriad other species. In and around camp, we are so spoilt with plenty of Woodlands Kingfishers and Little Bea Eaters who get so close to guests, allowing for fabulous photo opportunities. Early morning wake up calls from a couple of Fish Eagles are the norm and make a wonderful morning song in camp.
The elephant continue to enjoy the ambiance of our camp during the nights and have been serving as fabulous “security guards”, keeping watch over our slumbering guests. We do, however, have one lazy fellow who enjoys taking naps on our pathways in the early hours of the morning and if it was not for his somewhat voracious snoring, we would perhaps not even know he was there until almost stepping on him!

In April Kenya received a huge amount of rain, and in some regions the flooding was overwhelming. But, following the life-giving surge of water, the entire country has been covered in a thick blanket of green, and the Mara too is flourishing. Most evenings the heavens opened and the downpours often continued into the night.

Massive flocks of migratory birds have swooped in to make the most of the mud, and abundance of grass and insects. Lesser-striped swallows are chirping on every perch and are busy painstakingly packing mouthfuls of dirt into masterfully constructed nests. Mara Toto camp is full of these clever creations under the eaves of the tents.

In the second half of April, the Jackson’s widow birds began their incredible annual mating display, cropping circles of grass around neatly trimmed ‘arenas’ on the plains and then simultaneously leaping and dropping above the tall stems, competing for female attention. This makes for a very entertaining sight as half a dozen feathered black creatures pop up and down across the horizon, and fly gracefully around with their long black plumage draping behind them.

The ostriches are still maintaining their massive numbers in one particular flock of over 30 individuals, first seen in February and now again in April, gracefully filing across the conservancy airstrip. Once this month the Enkoyeni pride manage to bring down one of the adults, but it could not have been without a substantial fight.

The skylines are scattered with great herds of elephant, who have moved into the conservancies by the hundreds to feast on the nutritious red oat grass – an annual dietary boost for them in comparison to their typical diet of tougher branches and shrubs. Many of the breeding groups have in tow tiny calves who are fighting to coordinate their trunks and are struggling to see above the waving tops of the grass plains.

Also needing a better view of their surroundings, the troops of Vervet monkeys in our area can be seen pausing as they run to quickly stand on two feet and look around for approaching danger. All prey species are on red alert at this time of year, never able to see what – or who – may be moving in on them.

Slinking through the grass, the cheetah on the conservancy are doing brilliantly, making the most of the cover that is giving them a distinct advantage. Narasha and her two sub-adult cubs (now over a year old) have never looked better, and they have been spending time between Mara Plains and Mara Toto camps. Her almost daily hunts are more often than not successful and their spotted coats are gleaming with health. Her male cub is doing especially well in shadowing his mother as she stalks, and he is set to become a brilliant hunter, learning from one of the best.

The female cheetah, Nosim, with her one male cub is also doing well and was hunting near the murrum towards the end of the month. At eighteen months old, her cub is bigger than his mother, and in the first half of May they have been found separated by some distance. This may be the beginning of the next chapter in the cub’s life when he is forced to find his own path and to start fending for himself. Guests at Mara Toto just watched her mid-May on a long hunt going after a young Thompson’s gazelle right in front of them and without another vehicle in sight. Nosim, then release her catch for cub to chase and finally kill the young Tommy himself. It won’t be long now before he is ready to go solo.

The Moniko and Enkoyeni lion prides have followed their food source – the Lloita migration – far up onto the escarpment where the grass is short and the game is plentiful. The Olare Motorogi rangers have reported the Moniko stronghold to be in the ‘secret valley’ near the conservancy headquarters, while the Enkoyeni base is currently to the northwest beyond the whistling thorn. The two Enkoyeni pride males were last seen at Hammerkop Crossing towards the end of the month, which was around the same time that the two Double Crossing males were found mating with a female opposite Mara Toto. They spent a few days in April resting through the daylight hours in the bushes facing our tents across the river, and calling loudly into the night, making the hairs on the backs of our necks stand on end. They continue to be very vocal and confident, roaring nightly not far from camp.

Guests landing on the private OOC airstrip in May have arrived to a very impressive welcoming committee of massive herds of zebra, topi, eland, Thompson’s and giraffe all grazing on the vast green plain. There is no better place to acclimatize to the Mara pace of life than at a lunch table set up under the ‘waiting room’ acacia, a glass of cold wine in hand, and 360 degree views of unending wilderness and wildlife, and with nobody else around.

A male leopard has been calling his territory through the nights around Mara Toto this month and our guides suspect this is Yellow, though we are yet to see him to confirm this. The shy kicheche female, AKA Houdini, was also spotted on a game drive on the 24^th. But the most spectacular show of the month has to be the moment that Olive, the leopardess on the Talek river, took down a young waterbuck only feet away from Mara Toto guests – priceless!

At Mara Plains, all hands are on deck, erecting what is shaping up to be an absolutely stunning and unique camp. Rustic wood floors and decks are laid, made from antique railway sleepers, and the draping cotton canvas is being rigged up as we speak. Soon the fabrics and furnishings will arrive from far off lands and begin to piece together the jigsaw puzzle vision of Dereck and Beverly Joubert. Having filmed all over Africa in some of the wildest locations, and having built some of Botswana’s most elegant bush camps, we are all very excited to see their greatest Kenyan project to date come together, and emerge as the all new Mara Plains, set to open in July.

With best wishes from the Great Plains Mara team.

All photographs by Claire Fauquier

Follow Claire’s photography here: www.seefolkyay.com

In April 2013 Kevin Siayalel and Duncan Lenjirr sat for the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association’s Silver Level certification and we’re very pleased to announce that they both passed! CONGRATULATIONS, Kevin and Duncan.

Duncan Lenjirr

Duncan was born in 1977 in the Narok area of the greater Maasai Mara region and was a top student in class throughout primary school. At high school he was also among the best performing students, geography was his best subject and being a great enthusiast of the natural world, he was appointed chairman of the school’s Wildlife and Environment Clubs.

Duncan began his formal training at Mara Intrepids Camp where he guided bird walks for guests. In 2008 he enrolled for a two-year college diploma in Voi (south-east Kenya) training as a professional tour guide. Following graduation Duncan went on to study field training at the Elsamere Conservation and Field Study Centre in Naivasha, writing an extensive report majoring on the birds of Lake Naivasha. In 2010 Duncan’s career path led him to Fairmont Hotels where he further trained as a guide, and in July of that year he moved to Olare Camp in the Mara.

Duncan joined Great Plains Conservation’s Mara Plains Camp in June 2012 and his experience was immediately complimented with a two week guide eco-training course at camp. In April 2013 Duncan achieved his Silver Level guiding certificate, and he will be going for Gold!

Kevin Saiyalel

Kevin Saiyalel was born in 1985 in Talek, a local town not far from Mara Plains Camp. He attended Ole Sankale School, and then Olchekut Sipat Apostolic School where he developed a keen interest in tree planting and was a member of the Friends of Conservation Society.

He started his working life at Riverside Camp as a freelance guide for two years, developing his understanding of mammals and birds. Afterwards he enrolled at the Koiyaki Guiding School near his home in the Masai Mara, excelling in the studies of flora and fauna and graduating with a certificate in Tour Guiding and Wildlife Management.

Joining the Mara Plains team in 2009, Kevin continues to ‘wow’ his guests with his hawk eyes, uncanny intuition and acute understanding of wildlife.

At this very moment, the two double crossing male lions are roaring just south of Mara Toto camp, and the monkeys are scrapping in the tree tops as night falls. Another magical Mara evening.

Exploring The Chyulu Hills is a magical experience and  ol Donyo Lodge acts as the perfect starting point to explore this amazing area which rises up to 2,174m. The surrounding area is one vast volcanic geological outcrop covered by scenic and mysterious acacia forests which are the perfect place to see elephants, oryx, topi, zebra, impala and elands, not to mention a variety of around 380 bird species.

The beautiful hills are bordered by an expanse of black lava flow known as Shetani (Devil) which originate from the hills and is the subject in many local legends.

Right now our guests are able to hike through lushness created by recent rains in the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro but perhaps the greatest charm lies in the vast and mainly uninhabited panorama dominated by the mountain.

Recently, the full moon was shining and we were once again bathed in the beauty of the Kenyan night sky and the expansive skies dusted with millions of stars were so surreal.

Waiting patiently for the rains to clear over the past few weeks paid off and on the full moon evening oL Donyo Lodge managers, Ray and Alyssa, decided to see what a night on the kopjes would be like…..and they weren’t disappointed!

Mt. Kilimanjaro showed majestically on the drive across the lava flows to the kopjes. The kopjes are massive granite outcrops on the plains and not only is the view from the top amazing but the drive there is equally impressive.

As we slowly worked our way through the small forested area in front of the lodge we met up with many giraffe families. It seems giraffe are just as curious about us as we are about them, but the new shoots on the tree tops were inevitably more exciting than a car of wide-eyed travellers, so it was back to eating and, of course, showing the young ones how it’s done.

Upon leaving the forest we came out onto the plains of tall grass which is the perfect grazing ground for herds of gazelle who weren’t quite as calm as the giraffe and scattered in flashes of browns and whites through the grass.

Driving further towards the kopjes and looking back, we were amazed by the beauty of the Chyulu Hills stretching as far as the eye can see and draped in glorious greens with the smallest hint of a rainbow; it seemed like another planet.

With the kopjes ahead in full view, the ostrich and the wildebeest made way in their usual scattered running off, seemingly without any sense of direction! We made our final approach to the base of these rust-colored rocks and coming up close we realized just how small we really are in comparison.

A short climb up exposed an indescribable panorama: a 360 view of the world below and, as always, pleasantly watched over by a Kilimanjaro that felt as though one could reach out and touch it.

With the full moon rising to the east and the sun setting in front to the west we settled in for a moonlit evening on the rock, cooking dinner on an open fire and falling asleep with the stars above and the warm rock beneath. If this wasn’t the top of the world, it sure was close.

Ray  & Alyssa, oL Donyo Lodge.

Photographs: Jeremy Goss

With the end of rainy season the levels in the lagoon have dropped dramatically and while we are still waiting for the annual flood waters to arrive, sightings around camp have altered significantly. Birds in their hundreds are enjoying the fact that fisha re now easier to reach and elephants think that Mother Nature has bestowed upon them a giant swimming pool, frolicking and bathing almost daily.

Last week we were amazed at dinner time to see one lone Cape buffalo who appeared to be jogging along the edge of the lake in the moonlight, and calm as you like deftly avoided the hippos who were leaving the deeper water for their evening graze. Suddenly yesterday, our Swiss German guests saw a herd of 60 buffalo. Wonderful. Lions who have entertained us all month with their cubs have suddenly given way to leopards who – true to form – are appearing at night time, the first a sub-adult who killed a korhaan in Isaac’s spotlight beam, and the second a lone male who we have not seen since this time last year.
My own personal favourite was the battle I witnessed in the dining room between an Angolan green snake and a Foam nest frog. The battle lasted for a full thirty minutes but no victor emerged. The snake relocated its jaw and slinked off as guests returned from the game drive and the stunned frog miraculously came back to life and hopped off to freedom.
Photos by Nick Green

We were just passing an area locally known as Jouberts Island. Here the flood plains are drying up awaiting the seasonal flood to return. It has left pools and small puddles which the wading birds thrive upon.

We were watching Black Winged Stilts slowly stalking through the water when I spotted a small log or branch that didn’t look quite right. On closer inspection (using binoculars for by this stage I knew what it was) the guests laid eyes on their first Black Mamba.
Most of its body was in a puddle with just about a foot and a half out, it’s head and neck must have been six inches raised from the ground.

It slowly started to glide from the puddle and as we watch taking the odd picture and blowing it up on the camera screens to get a good look at its head there was a sudden woosh over our heads and a blur as a Brown Snake Eagle dived upon the Mamba. The snake saw it at the last moment and raised its body a good meter plus off the ground swaying and twisting as it avoided the eagles talons. I dear say even striking out at the bird too. The eagle perhaps realising that it’s prey was a Black Mamba pulled up for a second strike but the game was lost. He settled down next to the snake and watched. The snake had inflated its small hood and stood his ground, quite literally towering above the eagle.
As all this was happening a Hammerkop flew his for his part of the action. Stalking around the snake as if he were going get involved too. The Snake Eagle realising that the snake had the upper hand flew off to a dead tree about three hundred yards away and watch the hammerkop who must have realised that ‘Oh no it’s a Mamba as it suddenly took flight without so much of a glance back.
We guesstimated the snake to 2.5 meters long.

The Lion and Buffalo interaction is world famous and we are one of the top places in Africa to see the kings of the jungle hunt.  Contrasting to this our guide Spike and his lucky guests came a cross another battle amongst the titans involving a Honey badger and a Rock Python in March:

There are so many urban myths and stories told around the fire about Honey badgers.  They are often referred to, pound for pound as the most ferocious mammal in Africa.  Famed for fending off lions, and even killing buffalo, we have also heard of many stories about snakes and badgers fighting.  One recent incident was of a puff adder biting a badger and the badger killed the snake.  After being knocked unconscious the badger was revived, some say his lymph system is so developed to process the venom.

One evening Spike was returning to the camp and using a red filtered spot light they spotted two animals tussling in the short grass.  After a closer inspection it turn out top be python fending off the badger.  The python would be a real prize of a meal, especially as it was about three meters long. The python was lucky as behind it was an acacia tree allowing it to retreat to some height, beyond the badgers reach. Despite its size the badger would normally of eaten the snake, in this case it used its ace card of climbing trees to get him out of trouble.

Lets go boating, the flood allows us to explore the concession:

When the Okavango flood arrives is always very exciting for us.  It brings in so many changes.   We have seen a great drop in the water in March and as we approached the end of the month we have now seen a slow rise in the water giving us the signs of floods. The floods have become an annual reality for Duba and this is a fascinating season for a serene boat cruise in the Okavango waters as the rising levels allow us to access more areas in the concession. The clear water of the Delta, filtered by the papyrus roots and reeds will allow you to see the water creatures like water snails, many types of fish and even leaches.  There are not many places on earth that you can witness leaches flow in the crystal clear waters.

 You can see some great riverine sights from here on in as the flood arrives

Of course so many of our guests come for the Lion and Buffalo and we have seen many professional photographers and their groups arriving.  It has been an interesting month for our operation as we had to move from the normal daily routines to cater for our guests’ special needs. It was business as usual though as we are specialists in the flexibility of being an adventurer, photographer or just someone who loves going off the beaten track.   Instead of guests coming back to camp for any kind of service we rather availed everything for them in the bush. Guests will leave camp in the early hours of the morning and will only come back after the sun has gone down.

The fact about the bush is that nothing is predictable and nothing can be assured, therefore the rule is; be at the right place at the right time. Patience also plays a vital role. It takes a time and sweat to get a good picture, therefore maximising on the day always pays off in photography.

March was a difficult time for lions, being known for their opportunistic character, as the buffalos were in their peak of physical condition after the green season. They would rather take advantage of the calves or rather the mother coming to the rescue of a calf.  There are thousands of Red lechwe at Duba Plains so the Lions were having their fill with them.

Leopards are normally spotted twice or three times in a year here in Duba but this has been a different month. This month alone we’ve had 3 leopard sightings and one was spotted holding a baby monkey in its mouth. The jackal berries and sycamore trees around camp have attracted baboons and monkeys. The alarm calls from these troops has helped find these magnificent cats as our guides would readily follow their call. Some leopards were spotted very close to camp predating on baboons.

We had some good sightings of the Bat eared fox this month with this one on the early morning hunt. Serval was another species seen more regulary than normal.

Day 1

My guests and I had been waiting for this trip for the last 6 months! After a lot of banter and excitement, the day had finally arrived when we would be leaving for our Selinda adventure.  Both myself and Brad were leading the trip, and there were 6 guests (Sean, Brett, Jamie, Adam, Dylan and Jonesy)  along with our pilot Nic. We met very early at Lanseria where our Pilatus PC-12 aircraft was awaiting to speed us off. On arrival in Maun, a quick trip through customs, and we were off to fly over one of the last true wild expanses of land, the Okavango Delta.

  The “team” with the Pilatus Pc-12                          The interior of the PC-12

Nic did a superb job, and we were treated with breath-taking vistas of this unique and magical place. The Selinda concession is North East of the Okavango, and this is where we were heading. There is a Spillway that flows in this area, connecting it to the Linyanti, and this is where we were going to call home for the next few days.

The Selinda Spillway from the air                               The Selinda airstrip on arrival

As we landed, our guests were super keen for a game drive, so we took an extended route to the camp to see what we could find. Kane, our master guide and friend, took us meandering through a wilderness that cannot be described but experienced. We sat with elephants wallowing and drinking and were mesmerised by the Carmine bee-eaters that fly alongside the vehicle snapping up flushed insects. Spirits were very high! Kane mentioned that a mother leopard and cub were found earlier in the morning, so we headed over there to see if we could find them. True enough, they were there, and although lying up in a thicket, it was a great experience to sit with these two incredible leopards.

      An elephant herd playing in the mud                         A leopard cub hiding in a thicket

Once at the camp, we settled in and had lunch, and prepared for our afternoon adventures. We really wanted to spoil our guests, and a great experience in the Selinda concession is to head out on the pontoon at the Zibidianja lagoon. It was quite a drive, so we headed there pretty steadily passing numerous elephant herds, general game and some great birds. Just before the pontoon jetty, Kane mentioned that we were making one little detour, and as we rounded the corner there were the four massive lionesses of the Selinda pride. They were some of the most beautiful lionesses I have ever seen, and also the largest!  The pontoon experience was real highlight. A bull elephant swam across the lagoon as we started, which was extremely special. Having a gin and tonic on a couch, water all around and an amazing sunset in one of the wildest areas in the world is something I will never forget!

                 Elephant swimming                                                  The pontoon

Day 2

The next morning we were up at sunrise. Kane suggested we do a proper bush walk, and we were all up for it! Walking along the meandering Spillway in the company of hippos, elephants and a myriad of bird-life is definitely a way I can spend a morning. We waded and walked for about 3 hours, and this culminated in a great elephant herd sighting on foot. What we didn’t know is that at the pan that we followed the elephants to, there was a bush breakfast set up there as well. We sneaked past the herd, put our feet up and relaxed on cushions, all the while the elephants were drinking at the pan in front of us.  Even a large Bull elephant in Mustsh joined the party and put on quite a show.

                 Elephants on a  walk                                   Bush breakfast with elephants

That afternoon, the canoes were left a few kilometers downstream of the camp in the Spillway. The plan was to walk to the canoes, canoe upstream for a few kms, then play a football match against the lodge staff. Now there was a bit of competition, firstly it was a race in the canoes, then the Lions, Elephants and giraffes would do battle on the beach football pitch. The lodge staff there were so enthusiastic, it was with great pleasure that after a few penalty shootouts, a winner was decided. Well done the Lions! We then watched the sunset sitting in the Spillway with a well-deserved drink in hand.

   Canoeing the Spillway                                 Sun-downers in the Spillway after football

Day 3

Selinda is quite well known for its wild dog packs, and with this in mind we decided to a drive the next morning. After a few hours, and not much luck, we stopped for a coffee break which some of us thought a good time for a quick power nap. We must have looked like a pride of lions sleeping in the shade of the vehicle! The bush is a magical and fickle beast, and if you bide your time and be patient, she will reward you. This happened on the way home!!! We found fresh wild dog tracks, and we were on.  After a bit if tracking, we still had no luck, but we forgot about Kane. In a nonchalant manner, he worked his magic, and true enough 10 minutes later, 14 wild dogs were seen. It was a mind blowing experience.

            Male wild dog                                                     Inquisitive wild dog

Still abuzz from the wild dog sighting, not 10 minutes later we found a young male leopard sleeping in a tree. He was a skittish male, and didn’t stick around but it was an incredible sighting. The spillway had risen slightly, and as a result that afternoon we canoed down the spillway to a larger lagoon where about 40 hippos make their home. The hippos were great value, and they sang and danced all afternoon for us. The staff at Selinda Explorers Camp are truly incredible! They will go out of their way to make your stay unforgettable. This was proven again when on the paddle back, we saw some lights and a fire on the Spillway bank. We were all a little confused, but all was revealed when we paddled in! Dinner under the stars, on the banks of the Selinda Spillway. Wow!!! That night sitting around the fire, I think a little piece of everyone’s soul bonded to that incredible place.

Day 4

On our last morning we thought it best to walk again in this incredible concession. We walked in an area with no roads for thousands of hectares. The raw wilderness really was something special. What made it even better was an appearance of a male leopard. I have been lucky enough to have seen many leopards on safari, but this fleeting glimpse was right up there with one of my best experiences. It was literally a few seconds but the essence of what a leopard is was really displayed. It was like a spotted ghost that allowed us glimpse of its beauty, before it vanished into a myriad of shadows and rosettes.

        Crossing the spillway                                            Shadows and spots

Unfortunately all good things come to end and after a hearty breakfast we left. It was hard to say goodbye to our new friends, and to leave such an amazing place. We will all return and our guests have started to plan their next adventure. Thank you to Great Plains and the team at Selinda Explorers camp, it was really special!

Mots was driving with four lucky guests in the southern part of the concession one early morning.  Quite close the airstrip they heard a mellow calling from a lion.  It is hard to describe such a call but it is almost an anguished resonance. The mother as it turns out was calling for her two newly born cubs.  We estimated that they were maybe one week old, one of the cubs eyes were just opening. She had placed them in an acacia bush to keep them hidden and protected as they are extremely vulnerable.  Mots gave the guests a few minutes with the cubs before retreating.  Such a sighting is so sensitive becuase our presence can attract the danger of other predator particularly Hyena. Mots reported the sighting immediately so the concession manger could put in place our sensitive sighting policy.  This would mean only one vehicle could visit the cubs at anyone time and only two throughout the day.  We will give you further updates about the cubs over the coming months.

The mother was calling for the cubs alerting Mots

Mots’ Diary

Motsami – Mots our veteran guide at Selinda

Mots has been employed by Great Plains for well over the years. A real success story Mots used to be our truck driver before he studied hard to become a guide.  Mots is from Shakawe in the north of the Okavango Delta but now lives near Kasane in the Chobe District.

“In Selinda Camp this month many elephants have been stopping by most days, at around tea time at 3pm, to have a browse of the fresh water lilies next to the main deck.  The older bulls just love the soft lilies because they are so soft.  Elephants only have six sets of teeth and as they get older they become more careful in what they east.  Once they run out of teeth it is time up.  Out of camp has been just very busy also. I had quite a few first timer guests this month and the bush has been generous for all of us so if what we have seen doesn’t make you fall in love with Botswana I don’t know what will. 

Last week we found the  female leopard that lives very close to camp waiting on her kill of an impala.   She had poached the Impala from a loan hyena which is quite unusual.   Once she had taken her fill she quickly removed it from the spot and dragged it up a tree which is impressive to watch. Once she had ensured it wouldn’t slip she waited and surveyed the area. Out from the denser canopy came a very young female leopard, clearly her daughter which was a treat to see as we hadn’t seen her in a few weeks so we were worried she had died. It was a relief to see her and she was looking very healthy, hopefully she will pick up the same skills at hunting her mother possesses. I have managed to spot them a few times around Selinda so Im hoping they will stick around and let us introduce them to more guests after that perfect photo to hang on the wall.  The mother and daughter will tend to stay together for maybe eighteen months as she shows her all the tricks of the trade, it is some skill hunting alone.

Mots had first time guests to Africa when they saw this Leopard

 Hyenas are being spotted up to mischief but also hunting. We found about 9 hyenas feeding on a baby giraffe they had recently brought down which shows that they are having some good success.  Many people think that Hyenas are the scavengers of Africa but in fact Lions steal more food from them than the other way around.

The Wild dogs have been doing well and are frequently seen relaxing around the Mara pools area in between hunts. Guests have been lucky enough to see them hunting and playing almost every day while they stay in the region.  More hunts which havnt been particularly successful include the lions that have tried their luck at digging out warthogs from their burrows but it has just left them all hot and frustrated from what we saw.  Lions have a poor success rate or only 30% attempts per kill, Wild dogs are closer to 90%.  We are very excited now looking for the Wild dogs to begin breeding.  We have seen both the Explorers pack of five and Selinda pack this month, we will keep you posted Go Siame Mots”.

Mokopi – Kops

Kops is another success story.  Originally working at our sister camp Duba as a mechanic Lops used to burn the midnight oil studying for his comprehensive guides exam.  Kops is from Seronga, one of the local villages that our outreach project supports.  Duba employs community members from Seronga and he harnessed the opportunity to progress and studies to be a progressional guide.

“There has been lots of action around the bridge near camp this month with 2 young male lions that seem to have come into the area recently. We haven’t thought up names for them yet but let’s hope they stick around and maybe venture over our side soon because they have been fun to watch playing together. The young female leopard Lesego has been showing off her skills at hunting with a new kill every time we see her. She has been gradually working her way through the concession and sometimes a 10 minute drive out of camp will give us a good chance of seeing her relaxing in the tree canopies during the heat of the day.

Lots of snakes have been spotted sunning themselves on the roads in the mornings. Notable sightings have included snouted cobras, pythons and some sizable black mambas. Looks like it’s taking them a bit longer to warm up every day as the nights are getting colder moving into winter.

Using the boat this time of year on the spillway is giving some of the best sunsets I’ve seen in a long time especially with the abundance of bird life serenading us every evening. This has been the perfect place to relax and reflect on the day and how many more things we still have to see, as long as those naughty hippos are behaving themselves – sela sentle Kops”. 

Thanks Mots and Kops for your diaries.  We have had lots of fun elsewhere in the concession with some great sleep outs at the hide.

The hide is 5 minutes boat cruise from Selinda Camp, it provides a real wilderness experience enabling guests sleep under the stars for the night.  One evening there were Lions nearby roaring most of the evening heightening the experience somewhat.  Nothing to fear though as guide is posted to the rear of the hide with a rifle.

We look to an exciting few months watching our leopard Lesogo, blessed in Setswana, grow into an adult.  We were worried as we had not seen her for a while. The Wild dog season is also a head of us.  We will post all updates on the Great Plains Facebook page as they occur.