Gomoti Plains Wildlife Stories August 2026
Weather Report
Even with the cold snap we experienced in mid-August, the weather around Gomoti Plains Camp was fantastic. Mornings were cool, dipping as low as 1ºC, while mid-days were bright and hot, reaching highs of about 36ºC. Visibility was incredible, with mostly clear skies and dried-out vegetation thanks to the outgoing dry season.
Nighttime Travellers
We often get well-travelled guests to our camps around the Okavango Delta, and normally they request to see something out of the ordinary. While the wilderness is unpredictable, we were elated to grant this most recent request on a night safari with two such guests.
While on the night drive, we encountered an aardvark (meaning earth pig in Afrikaans) heading towards Lenong Link. These nocturnal animals have massive appetites, eating up to 50,000 ants in a single night. It was an amazing sighting for guests who have seen a lot of what Mother Nature has to offer.
Ancestor
In mid-August, we were treated to an unbelievably rare sighting of an African wildcat! We found the long-legged cat at dusk near a small body of water near Buffalo Weaver Dam. This incredible species is the direct ancestor of all modern domestic house cats, but with its own unique physical traits. The most important of which is its vertical sitting pose. Thanks to its long front legs, the African wildcat sits in an almost vertical position, a regal pose depicted in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings.
Masters Of The Pains
We had just finished our sundowners when the sound of African wild dogs yelping echoed across the plains. We immediately hopped into our safari vehicle to find them. They sped across the plains in a coordinated search for food. We did all we could to keep up with them, but between the terrain, the size of our vehicle, and their agility, we eventually lost them in some thick bushes.
Full Force
Towards the end of the month, we spotted a resident pride of lions feeding on a giraffe kill not far from Patrol Camp. Seeing lions is quite common around Gomoti, but what made this sighting special is that we got to see the full pride of 18, with two sets of cubs all feeding together.
Normally, prides of this size would split up into groups of about six lions so that they can catch their individual kills and have every member eat enough food.
August was a month of rare sightings from start to finish. Come back soon for more thrilling Gomoti Plains Camp wildlife stories.
Until next time,
Steven Mavromatis
Gomoti Plains Camp
