Ingwe Pan Camp Wildlife Sightings July 2023
Winter is a wonderful time for safari at Mana Pools National Park. The weather is pleasant and although the mornings are chilly, the days are warm and without rain. The predators both on land and in the air are very busy. The land is dry and the animals are thirsty so they tend to hang around together at waterholes.
The Endurance Of Wild Dogs
Wild dogs display incredible stamina when chasing their prey. Even the impressive and athletic evasive techniques from the prey are not enough to beat the endurance of the wild dogs. We watched as a pack successfully hunted an impala.
The guests in the vehicle were taken aback by the frightful way in which wild dogs kill their prey. The guide's interpretation of the behaviour enabled the guest to understand these more tragic cycles of nature.
A Lions Roar
We awoke one night to the not-so-distant roar of lions. In the morning we left camp early with our guests in search of the lions. After an hour of searching, we finally spotted them, a small pride made up of one male and four lionesses. For our guests, coming this close to lions was a thrilling experience and will always be a highlight of their time at Ingwe.
A Happy Coincidence
While out on an afternoon game drive, we were having a discussion with our guests about where you can find honey badgers in Africa. Just a few minutes later, to our surprise and excitement, a honey badger wandered past the vehicle while we were stopped at a nearby pan. We couldn't believe our luck as we don't often see them.
Spotted Spots!
Bumbling along on a game drive one late afternoon we heard a huge exclamation from a young guest on the vehicle. “What's That!?” she shouted, and we all looked around to find she had spotted a beautiful female leopard crouching in the grass nearby. It was an incredible moment for the young girl who will certainly never forget her first leopard sighting!
Branch Insect
We were ambling along the road with pilots from Flying For Wildlife when we spotted something strange moving on the ground. We stopped to investigate further. What appeared at first as just a stick began moving along the ground.
It was a stick insect - the sheer size of him led me to call him a branch insect rather. He was about the size of my hand and moved with surprising speed. Definitely not something you see every day!
Life in the bush continues to surprise us. From incredible predator sightings to some unusual sightings, this month has been incredible. As we move into Spring we cannot wait to see what is in store for us on safari in Mana Pools National Park.
Until next time,
Nkosana
Ingwe Pan Camp
