Wildlife Stories Kiri Camp August 2026
Weather Report
August marked the end of Botswana’s dry winter season. Landscapes away from the Okavango Delta were mostly dry, while those near its channels remained wet and vibrantly green. Days were warm and pleasant, while early mornings and nights were chilly. Average lows were between 6ºC and 10ºC in the mornings. Later, temperatures rose to an average midday high of 26ºC to 30ºC. The floodplains were still at their annual peak levels and continued to receive inflow from the Angolan highlands.
Happy Family
On the first day of August, we were treated to a wonderful sighting of the Western Pride of lions right behind the staff village. The pride consisted of two lionesses and four sub-adults resting, while four little cubs were climbing and playing on a termite mound.
Seeing the cubs play so happily was a highlight for our guests because we could have easily found them when they were resting. Lion cubs live quite a relaxed lifestyle, as they spend around 20 hours a day resting to conserve energy for growth.
Cats Of The Plains
Big cats are some of the most exciting animals to see on safari in the Okavango Delta. That's why we were so happy to spot so many of them during August. Early in the month, we spotted a cheetah by Hippo’s Pan feeding on a fresh impala kill. Just a few days later, we also encountered a female leopard feeding on an impala carcass on a tree branch. This sighting doesn’t happen too often, so imagine our excitement when we looked up and saw the elusive cat.
Dog Spotting
The K9s of Southern Africa are some of the most impressive in the world. Take hyenas, for example. We spotted four females south of Hyena’s Pan feasting on a baby elephant carcass. Hyenas have a bite force nearly double that of lions, just short of a grizzly bear, and there we were watching them crush a baby elephant's bones.
Another incredible K9 species we often see is the African wild dog. We caught up with this species on a morning game drive. A pack of 14 dogs was spotted north of Ali’s Pan chasing a male impala, eventually ending in a successful kill. But this was not surprising, as wild dogs have a hunting success rate of around 80%.
Kiri Camp was abuzz with fantastic sightings throughout August. Join us soon for September's batch of Wildlife Stories.
Until next time,
Pako and BK
Kiri Camp
