Gomoti Camp Wildlife Stories December 2021
The long-awaited summer rainfall quenched the ground’s thirst and filled the pans around Gomoti Plains in December. The veld was green and we could see and smell the tiny, fragrant pink, white and yellow flowers.
A Float of Crocodiles
During a game drive in the northern corner of the concession, we came across hundreds of crocodiles, more than any of our guides had ever seen before. We were intrigued as to what was causing the gathering, and on further investigation discovered the feast that had brought the beasts together was a dead hippo! This sighting was really something we won't forget in a hurry.
The Chase is On!
We watched, amazed, as a pack of 20 African wild dogs and their pups hunted an impala. Finally successful, the wild dogs enjoyed a well-deserved meal.
Cheetahs Galore!
We felt incredibly lucky to have had many cheetah sightings during the festive season. One that stands out was when we spotted two adult cheetahs on a kill. This would have been an amazing sighting on its own and yet when we looked on, there were five more cats resting under a tree! The five included a mother and her four cubs! We were so pleased to see this mother managed to keep all her cubs safe and raise them to be healthy.
A Sighting for Sore Eyes
The caracal is a reddish cat also known by its Afrikaans common name which is rooikat (red cat). They are very elusive mammals, so we were over the moon to spot a female relaxing in the grass.
Camp is Abuzz!
Our resident lion is known as "Nagmerrie", which means "Nightmare" in Afrikaans. He has 11 cubs with three females and it’s his job to protect them all against the dangers of the African bushveld. Three young males have been trying to take over his territory and this could easily result in a fight or one of his cubs being killed.
Baby season in the bush means there are a lot of young animals roaming the wild. Prey and predator alike, the adults must do everything in their power to protect their offspring. Unfortunately, with so many predatory mammals around, the warthog, impala, wildebeest and tsessebe parents have their work cut out for them.
Looking forward to 2022!
With so much wildlife action ending 2021, we look forward to 2022 and what the new year will bring!
Wishing you all the best!
Until next time,
Ponche Whelpton
General Manager, Gomoti Plains Camp
