Ingwe Pan Camp Wildlife Stories October 2025
Weather Report
The dry season was almost upon us, and with it (ironically) came cooler weather. At the beginning of May, we experienced a maximum daytime temperature of 35°C, while the latter half of the month cooled to between 26 and 28°C. However, the dry season is one of the best months for safari adventures. We witnessed the vegetation thinning out, opening up previously closed pathways, which allowed for better visibility on safari activities.
Hide And Seek
Early in May, we spotted a leopard lying next to a carcass. All of the guests were in awe of the sighting, watching as the predator tore into its kill. We watched for approximately an hour before driving down to a nearby floodplain for more sighting opportunities.
Three hours later, we returned to the location where we saw the leopard, only to find that it had gone and dragged its kill somewhere else. We followed the trail left behind and found the carcass hidden in some thickets, but the leopard was still nowhere to be seen. Maybe if we had waited a few more hours, we would have seen the leopard return for its meal.
“We’ll Catch The Next One”
We witnessed a sight we don’t see very often at Mana Pools, a group of predators not even attempting to chase nearby prey. A pack of 18 African wild dogs was resting in a cool area near a pan when an impala ran right in front of them. Thinking that we were going to witness a heart-pounding chase scene, we switched our cameras to action mode. But nothing happened. The dogs just watched as the impala ran away from them.
Only in the late afternoon, when the temperatures had cooled down, did the pack start to move and start hunting.
Loving Lions
Safari walks around Mana Pools National Park are one of our favourite activities at Ingwe Pan Camp. During one of our most recent walks, we spotted a mating pair of lions conceiving the next generation of apex predators.
Lions’ mating process is unique and intense. They can mate every 15 to 30 minutes for four to five days, with sessions often lasting less than a minute. This frequent mating is critical because lionesses are induced ovulators. That means that the act of mating itself induces a female lion’s ovulation.
Trial, Error, And Troops
During one of our game drives, we spotted a pride of lions stalking a herd of impala in some Indigofera plants. However, this was not a day when the pride would successfully hunt and eat their prey. Rather, it was more of a day of teaching. As the pride stalked the herd, the cubs that went along for the hunt kept standing up and alerting the impala.
Later that day, we also managed to spot a crowned eagle swoop in and snatch a monkey from its troop as they cried out for their friend. The monkeys, as well as some of us, hoped the eagle would release the monkey, but unfortunately, it just flew away to another tree some distance away.
Ingwe Pan Camp had some incredible sightings in May. We can’t wait to see what else Mana Pools has in store in June.
Until next time,
Marcy
Ingwe Pan Camp
