Verney’s Camp Wildlife Sightings June 2024
With winter officially upon us, there has been a sudden drop in temperature. This drop is especially felt when the sun touches the horizon in the evenings, leaving the cold front to sweep across the plains without the relieving heat from the sun. In the evenings, the temperatures range from six degrees and lower, giving even the biggest elephants a chill through their thick skin.
However, when the sun is up, the temperatures rise again. Still, we recommend our guests take something warm with them as the cool wind and inconsistent daytime temperatures can catch you by surprise.
Clash of The Titans
As if to say June is the month to be at Verneys Camp, one of the first sightings we had was spectacular. On an early morning game drive, our guide, David and his guests were tracking a resident pride of lions that had passed through camp the previous night.
Eventually, they caught up to the pride at Manga Pan, where they drank and sat on a ridge, waiting for an opportunity to present itself. However, the opportunity was much too big for them to chew. A fully mature bull elephant strode into the pan, looking for water. At first, he didn't realise the lions were there until they were too close for comfort. Once he noticed their scent, the biggest land animal in the world faced the Kings of the jungle. The bull charged at them, leaving them running in different directions.
Realising that this was not a fight they could win, the lions ran with the bull elephant in hot pursuit. With a considerable amount distance between them, the elephant stopped his chase and returned to the pan for his well-deserved drink.
Fateful Encounter
By the end of the first week of June, David and his guests had already seen most animals and plains game like lions, elands, roan and sable. However, one guest had her heart set on seeing the elusive African wild dog, but spotting them is by no means easy.
Throughout her stay, we tried to cover more ground, going to spots we knew wild dogs would want to go to. However, we could not find any until the day that the guest was so keen on seeing them was due to depart. On one of her final game drives, a single wild dog crossed the road 30m in front of the safari vehicle. Seconds later, the whole pack followed, bellies full from a recent meal.
The pack stayed for about 10 minutes before darting back into the bushes. This is one of the rarest sightings at Verneys, and we’re delighted that our guests go to see it.
Read The Signs
When you're on the plains, there are signs indicating that something incredible has happened. One of these signs is vultures, signalling that there is a carcass somewhere, and during an early morning drive, we saw some sitting on some trees behind camp.
We later decided to go with our guests on a walking safari to investigate, knowing it had something to do with lions since we found lion tracks inside the camp. What confirmed our suspicions were tracks leading directly to where the vultures were. As we approached, we heard lions growling. We carefully took our time and remained vigilant as we got closer and listened for any sounds. When we were approximately 60 metres away, we entered an open area where we could clearly see the lions feeding on an elephant carcass.
We continued watching, seeing one lion walk away as another guarded the carcass. Our guide suspects that the elephant died of natural causes.
Elephant Encounter
During the middle of June, we took our guests on a walking safari to see the beautiful acacia forest. Walking through the plains can be one of the most exhilarating experiences, but safety is also important. So, after a detailed safety talk, we headed out at a leisurely pace, looking at the beauty of the forest.
That's when we heard the characteristic rumble of elephants approaching. We readied ourselves, positioning ourselves next to a big acacia tree so we would not come in harm's way but also get the best view of the two bull elephants shaking trees to get their snack.
As they approached, looking to eat on the acacia pods near us, one elephant caught our scent and came to investigate. It gave us a little mock charge to see what we would do, but it soon returned to its friend and started eating again, ignoring us for the rest of the time we were there.
Family Feast
Plans change so fast at Verneys Camp. On one of the last days of the month, we planned to go on a walking safari to see elephants. Little did we know that on the way, a pride of lions had just killed a buffalo and had started to feast on it. We watched as the pride ate one of the strongest animals on the plains and entered their feeding frenzy.
Even the cubs, who couldn’t care less about the pecking order of the pride, just strutted in and had their fill. Covered in blood, the cubs later returned to their parents to get licked clean. So fierce yet so cute at the same time.
Until next time,
David
Verneys Camp
