Botswana - Okavango Delta - Monachira Camp

Cuddly Leopard

During a game drive, we encountered a leopard cub adorably playing around while its mother lazed nearby. In this rare moment of tranquility, the female leopard lay stretched out on a shaded dirt road. Her ears twitched occasionally, listening intently to their surroundings for any danger. Her little cub, oblivious to its mother’s keen alert, was a bundle of playful energy, pouncing and tumbling all over her.

Hefty Meal

Leopards rarely hunt down adult hippos, but this doesn't mean they aren’t capable of taking them down. Towards the latter half of the month, we witnessed a leopard feeding on a hippo carcass at a nearby channel.

The leopard tore into the softer underbelly and hindquarters to reach the deceased hippo's rich meat. It ate quickly, staining its fur with blood as it tore chunks of meat flesh before a group of scavengers came to steal its meal.

Aching Audience

Leopards are by no means the smallest predators in Botswana, but compared to lions, they might as well be called prey. Lions are pack hunters, while leopards are primarily solitary animals. If a single leopard were to encounter a pride of lions, its only option is to run. No matter if it has to leave its hard-earned kill behind.

This might have been the case when we spotted a group of lions feeding on a red lechwe, with a young leopard cub watching from a nearby tree.

March at Monachira was spectacular for spotting some of Botswana's most beautiful predators. Watch this space for another Wildlife Story, coming soon!

Until next time,
Gideon
Monachira Camp