Gomoti Plains Wildlife Stories May 2025
To the delight of wildlife across the Okavango, Gomoti Plains was cooler in May. Early mornings and evenings were quite chilly, and we didn’t go without our ‘Bush Babies’ (hot water bottles) and blankets. Cold as it may be, there's no better time for a safari adventure. The cool weather prevents predators and prey alike from overheating in the midday heat.
The much-anticipated flood waters have not arrived yet, but our water levels remain high in certain areas.
Lustful Lions
For the first time, our entire group of guests got to witness lions mating. It was two lions we found on honeymoon at our bush dinner site that captivated us with their three days of on-again-off-again mating.
We were amazed by how quickly everything happened. Over their three-day stay, the couple mated almost every half an hour for about eight to 68 seconds each time.
Wild Wildlife Sundowner
After a full day of adrenaline-pumping wildlife viewing, we wanted to unwind with a leisurely sundowner. Little did we know that a few drinks and snacks at Wild Dog Pan would result in us seeing a lion roaring while coming towards us, a leopard rasping, a hyena whooping, two black jackals sprinting past us, and a flock of sand grouses landing in the pan!
Lions Changed Our Plans
We love celebrating couples’ honeymoons here at Gomoti. We always try to give our guests unforgettable experiences, and on this occasion, we had planned a romantic private dinner by the pool. Before we could properly prepare our dinner set up, some lions stole the reservation and claimed the pool deck for the night.
So instead of a honeymoon dinner, we celebrated their happy matrimony with a spectacular lion sighting.
Lion Cub Carer
One of the final sightings of the month was also one of the cutest. We were on a safari drive when we saw a lioness crossing a flood plain carrying two cubs, one at a time, in her mouth.
For the first few months, lionesses will hide their offspring in dense vegetation or caves to protect them from other predators, or even rival lions within the same pride. We suspect that this caring mother was taking her cubs to a new hiding spot.
Wild Dog Frenzy
Towards the end of the month, we managed to see one of the most incredible African wild dog sightings from start to finish. A pack of 7 African wild dogs were hunting impala as a unit. The coordination on display was incredible.
They first stalked the herd of antelope before breaking out into a sprint, singling out and cornering one of them. The wild dogs brought down the animal and started ripping away at its flesh.
The sound of yelps, snarling and ripping rang across the plains as we watched for a short while before we moved on.
May was yet another great month for wildlife spotting. Come back next month for more Gomoti Plains Wildlife Stories.
Until next time,
Grant Parker
Gomoti Plains Camp
