Machaba Camp Wildlife Stories June 2026
Weather Report
With June’s arrival, we had finally reached the heart of the dry season. Rainfall is nonexistent, but the annual floodwaters from Angola had begun to spread throughout the Okavango Delta, transforming the floodplains into a magnificent mosaic of permanent channels, lagoons, and seasonal wetlands.
The cooling weather and the rising water levels created some of the best safari viewing conditions we’ve had all year. Average daytime temperatures ranged from 24ºC to 26ºC, while nighttime and early-morning temperatures ranged from 6ºC to 11ºC.
Everyday Hyenas
Early during the month, we observed a large hyena clan at their den. There were about 15 adults and six pups. The pups were playing around the den, while some of the adults scent-marked each other. The entire clan was relaxed while a few vigilant adults took turns patrolling the area around their den. As we observed them, the clan all seemed to have full bellies as if they recently finished eating a kill. Unfortunately, we had just missed out on that amazing sight.
Feast For The Kings
During a morning game drive to the Moremi Game Reserve, we encountered two adult lionesses and their five cubs feeding on the carcass of a deceased elephant. The two lionesses were calmly feeding on the massive elephant when we spotted the cubs joining in on the feast. The two mothers, while indulging themselves, kept a watchful eye on their cubs and the area in case more opportunistic predators appeared. Luckily, only a variety of scavenging bird species showed up, gliding overhead while the pride fed on the enormous amount of meat left behind.
Hide The Goods
After following leopard tracks along the Mahatlha road, a female cheetah and her cub were spotted dragging their recent impala kill into cover. The mother did the lion’s share of the work, but the cub occasionally helped by pulling the carcass’ hind legs into a thick bush.
Once the impala kill was fully hidden in the bush, the leopards began to position the carcass under a tangle of branches. After several minutes, their meal was completely hidden. This behaviour is crucial for smaller to medium-sized solitary big cats, as larger predators will use their size and numbers advantage to steal their kills.
Light The Way
While waiting for some of our guests to return from their late afternoon game drive, one of our guides radioed in that a mother leopard and her cub were not too far from camp. Immediately, all of our guides and guests went to find the pair. When we arrived, we saw the leopardess hoisting an impala kill up a tree while her cub cautiously walked around the tree.
We watched the leopards feed well into the evening, using our torches to illuminate that incredible scene before we bid farewell to the beautiful creatures.
June was an amazing month for wildlife spotting in the Okavango Delta. Join us again soon for another Wildlife Story from Machaba Safaris.
Until next time,
Phie
Machaba Camp/Little Machaba
