Machaba Camp Wildlife Stories February 2023
Winter may be slowly approaching in the Okavango Delta but for now, the weather remains hot and humid with some refreshing rain showers. The heat of summer has created a dusty and sandy landscape, the perfect colours to hide stalking predators.
A Playful Pride
An encounter with a pride of lions is a thrilling and exciting experience for first-time safari guests. While out one crisp, clear morning we discovered a pride of lions that have been seen quite regularly on the concession recently.
The pride was in a fully relaxed state with the lionesses dozing in the sun with nice full bellies. The cubs on the other hand were playful and our guests just loved watching them frolic and annoy the adults.
Dinner Is Served
It's not every day that we are able to watch as a pride of lions devour a large zebra. As we watched them tear at the carcass we were enamoured with their visceral sounds and growls as they eat. This was an amazing encounter for our guests who had not seen so many lions in one place before.
A Leopard Duo
For any game drive, even spotting one leopard is a thrilling experience. We were so fortunate to encounter a leopardess with her daughter patrolling the area. The graceful big cats moved silently through the tall grass and disappeared into the thicket, proving just how incredible their camouflaged coats hide them in the bush.
Better Luck Next Time
Our resident pack of wild dogs have been extremely active on the concession in recent weeks. On one of our afternoon game drives, we were thrilled to watch as they attempted to hunt an impala.
After a few minutes of a most exciting chase, the impala all managed to escape to live another day. The exhausted wild dogs had nothing left to do but lie down and rest, building up their stamina for the next attempt.
A New Face
We have been seeing a lot of fresh leopard tracks recently while out on a game drive. Each day the guides have been returning with new reports of large tracks on the road. After following the tracks one day they discovered a new male leopard in the area.
The handsome leopard has been patrolling the area and marking his territory. The guests were blown away by the size and beauty of this big cat as he posed beautifully for their cameras.
This has definitely been the month of big cats at Machaba Camp. Lions and leopards have been seen all over taking advantage of the great weather. As the rains dissipate as winter approaches we are excited to see how their behaviour and that of the antelope will change.
Until next time,
MJ
Machaba Camp
