Kiri Camp Wildlife Sightings March 2023
It has been unusually hot for March in the Okavango Delta with temperatures reaching as high as 36 degrees Celsius. We have also seen very little rain in the area so the floodplain has not yet started filling. We are hoping that the water will arrive in our corner of the delta within the next month.
A Quick Escape
High up in the branches of a jackalberry tree is where we found our resident female leopard, Kiri Blue Eyes. She appeared to have a run-in with a herd of elephants that were not too happy with her presence in the area.
They stood below the tree, trumpeting and running circles around the tree. Kiri Blue Eyes didn't seem perturbed as she nodded off in one of the topmost branches, waiting for the elephants to give up.
A Test of Patience
While on the drive with our guests, ON and Mike had tracked a male leopard as he meandered through the bushveld. We followed the leopard as he suddenly stumbled across a pride of lions. It was a surprise to both lion and leopard, this gave the leopard plenty of time to make a quick retreat into a nearby leadwood tree.
There the leopard sat, right at the top of the tree while the lions spent the next few hours lying at the base of the tree and staring up in frustration. In the end, the lions gave up and moved on. The leopard won this battle of patience!
Love Is In The Air
It looks like Kiri Blue Eyes' mother has found a new mate. She was spotted recently with an unknown male leopard, lying side-by-side in the warm sun. The very next morning we heard the tell-tale sounds of leopards mating. We can’t wait to see the cute new additions to the leopard population in the next few months.
Cheetah On A Kill
We had a few days of rain in March that made it very tough to spot the big cats. However, we were treated to the great sight of a male cheetah feeding on an impala it had just killed. We have only seen this male cheetah a few times over the years, so we were amazed to see how relaxed he was while we watched him. A wonderful encounter for both ourselves and our guests!
As the temperatures begin to drop we await the return of the water to our floodplain and rivers. In turn, this will bring with it the huge concentrations of antelope and other animals to the area. We can't wait to see what April has in store for us.
Until next time,
Wesley
Kiri Camp
