Kiri Camp Wildlife Stories October 2024
Everyone here at Kiri Camp knows October is one of the hottest months of the year. However, The wilderness provides epic wildlife viewing opportunities in the cooler morning air and the welcome chill of nightfall as the wildlife evades the midday heat.
Confrontational Carnivoures
Hyenas, known for their taunting and mischievous nature, can get underneath the skin of even the most stoic predators. This cheeky characteristic got a clan of nine hyenas in trouble when they almost clashed with three lionesses near a watering hole.
The females, already down on their luck after a failed hunt, snarled at the hyenas who were approaching them. This sent the hyenas into a frenzy of screeching and taunting. We loved seeing this interaction play out in front of our eyes, and to the relief of both parties, they saved the fight for another day.
Picture Perfect
Every day offers opportunities to see something unique at Kiri Camp. One evening, we took some of our guests to Ghost Island, one of our favourite sundowner spots. We watched over the Okavango Delta’s waters and noticed three pelicans amongst a group of marabou storks and herons. Pelicans are rarely seen in this region, so seeing their plump white bodies glide across the waters coloured by the setting sun was a picture-perfect moment.
Let's Explore
It's not often that camp is empty. When it is, the staff get together and take a game drive. Along the Boro River, someone spotted something floating in the water.
At first, we thought it was a tortoise, but upon closer inspection, we saw the distinctive scales of a pangolin. We all hopped out of the vehicle to get an even closer look. From what we could tell, it seemed to have died of natural causes. Seeing such an incredible creature sparked very interesting conversations among us, with some even sharing fun facts and local myths.
Wait For Me!
Life on the African plains can be quite fast-paced for the wildlife that is looking for the next meal and the next sip of water. Cubs, pups and calves often lag behind their parents, so they need a little extra time. To our pleasure, we got to see this play out while we were finishing off our coffees before going on an early morning game drive.
A pack of African wild dogs and their two pups darted across the plains before us. The little ones, still growing up, were playing catch up. Luckily, they had a chance to catch up, rest and have something to drink before the rest of the pack moved on from a nearby watering hole.
Until next time,
Stef Ellett
Kiri Camp
