Gomoti Plains Wildlife Stories August 2023
Slowly raising the water levels in front of Gomoti Plains, the floodwaters are trickling in and garnering much excitement.
Taking Chances
We weren’t the only ones who responded to the jackal's calls late at night.
After dinner, we set off on a night drive to find out what all the commotion was about. When we arrived on the scene, a few jackals were circling a tree and upon closer inspection, we found a leopard had hoisted an impala kill to the safety of the taller branches, away from other predators.
The calls had attracted two sub-adult lionesses, who started to climb the tree in hopes of stealing the leopard’s dinner. Watching this unfold, the leopard knew her chances were slim against two lions and surrendered her kill.
Surprise Attack
The bush is full of surprises. One minute we were counting how many giraffes had gathered and in the next minute, we were watching a lion stalk and attack an impala…
The lion had been stealthily using the game viewer to find from the impala and once taken down, the rest of the pride came to join in on the feast.
An Early Start
Waking us up around 4:00, the calls of lions resonated through the early morning air. Jumping in a game viewer, we drove to where the sound was coming from and found Survivor, a dominant male lion, and his pride had taken down a giraffe.
The pride ate well and rested for the remainder of the day.
Risky Rendezvous
Night drives are always an exciting experience on safari. On a night drive recently, we spotted two spring hares, fondly known as the African kangaroo, honey badgers and porcupine! What a night…
But, the excitement didn’t end there. On our way back to camp, we found two porcupines in what looked like a courting dance. Circling each other and sniffing carefully so as to not poke each other with their sharp quills, they must be extra careful when mating.
If successful, we hope to see two to three tiny porcupines after four months.
An exciting month was had at Gomoti, and with the season changing, we are feeling hopeful for more unforgettable safari experiences in the Okavango Delta.
Until next time,
Ponche
Gomoti Plains
