Machaba Camp Wildlife Stories September 2026
Weather Report
September was defined by warm, dry weather as temperatures gradually increased as the month progressed. The first small rains and occasional thunderstorms occurred early in the month, providing relief from the dry conditions, but as the days went by, temperatures increased steadily until the monthly high of 40ºC.
Nights and early mornings were significantly cooler, resulting in much of Southern Africa’s wildlife becoming most active during these hours. The Khwai floodplains remained full of water thanks to the Angolan highlands, attracting various species of animals to the area.
Delta-Specific Adaptations
It was during an afternoon game drive along Mokoro Road that we encountered a remarkable wildlife sighting. A large clan of hyenas was feeding on an elephant calf they had brought down. Several other clan members rested beneath a nearby mopane tree, their full bellies telling us it was a successful hunt.
This sighting gave us a glimpse into the changing predator behaviour in the area. While hyenas are often associated with scavenging kills made by others, we’ve increasingly noticed that they actively hunt when the opportunity arises.
Interestingly, this is not the first time we’ve seen such an interaction. These repeated observations raise the possibility that hyenas in the area are adapting their survival strategy to include more active hunting to secure food.
Almost Grown Up
We were delighted to spend some more time with the beautiful leopard, Seronga, and her not-so-little cub. They were feeding on a freshly caught impala at Leopard Lagoon and were astonished to see just how big the cub has grown since we first spotted it. Now, at almost a year old, the youngster has become increasingly independent and has started tagging along on its mother’s hunts.
The pair had dragged the impala carcass into a dense bush where they could feed while staying concealed. Both the mother and the cub were extremely vigilant while they fed. At the slightest noise, both leopard would raise their heads, scan the area, then return to feeding. Seronga’s experience was evident, she positioned herself within the bush, keeping low and using the vegetation to stay hidden.
Cause & Effect
We had a spectacular morning safari along Mokoro Road toward the middle of the month. It began with us spotting a mother leopard and her cub feeding on a warthog kill. The pair was relaxed as they fed, giving us more than enough time to take some amazing photos.
We continued along the road, and not too far from the original sighting, we spotted another pair of leopards. This time, we saw a massive male and a new female in the area mating. The male repeatedly approached her, letting out deep, guttural sawing or rasping mating calls. Seeing one leopard is already an amazing sighting for us, but seeing four in the same area is exceptionally rare!
Two-Day Sighting
An exceptional lion sighting unfolded over two days near Machaba Camp! On the first day, we spotted four lions near our bush dinner area, clearly displaying the posture, slow movements, and vigilance characteristic of hunting behaviour.
The next morning, we saw the same four lions at the Matswere Crossing, where they began crossing the river. We were all amazed as they entered a section of extremely deep water, so deep at parts that their whole bodies disappeared beneath the surface. But to our amazement, they seemed unfazed, confidently wading and swimming across the river.
September was another spectacular month of predator sightings. Come back soon for another Machaba Camp Wildlife Story.
Until next time,
Kutlo
Machaba Camp / Little Machaba
