Deteema Springs Camp Wildlife Stories June 2025
Deteema Springs Camp was cold this June. In camp, that meant hot water bottles and blankets were frequently used. In the wild, the cooler weather is perfect for hunting. We used this knowledge to our advantage and ventured out on early morning game drives to maximise the possibility of a thrilling wildlife sighting.
Tracking Lion Cubs
Tracking animals is one of the most important skills our guides must learn. Without this skill, we wouldn’t have been able to see the adorable sighting of lion cubs and their mothers in early June.
We were looking for big cats during an early morning game drive when we noticed fresh lion tracks on a road near camp. We followed them until we saw six cute cubs playing on the road. We watched with excitement for about an hour before they left.
Bat-Eared Encore
Heading to our sundowner spot at Deteema Dam, Mother Nature decided to give us one last sighting for the day. As we were driving to the location, two bat-eared foxes appeared. We could not hold our excitement seeing these charismatic, endangered species. We decided to skip the sundowner to spend more time observing these elusive and beautiful creatures.
Lion Wake-Up Call
Waking up before the sun might be difficult for some, but in Hwange National Park, it could result in an incredible sighting.
At exactly 5:30 two male lions started roaring. Their thunderous calls rang throughout the wilderness, waking us up. We wasted no time and quickly got dressed and hopped into our safari vehicles. We found the lions not too far from camp, and this time we heard their roar up-close-and-personal!
Early-Bird Buffalos
Generally, one can trust the migration patterns of most animals and can tell when certain herds will be in the area. Lucky for us, we came across a massive herd of buffalo in Hwange a little early this year.
We usually see these big herds soon in spring. We are glad they paid us an early visit.
Mating Elephants
During an afternoon safari, we were watching some bull elephants drinking from a watering hole when an elephant cow suddenly ran towards them. We thought she was thirsty until we saw the huge bull chasing after her.
Once it caught up to her, they started mating right in front of us! For many of our guests, this was their first time seeing nature in action.
June did not disappoint. With adorable and thrilling sightings throughout the month, we can't wait to see what the coming months have to offer.
Until next time
Julius
Deteema Springs Camp
