Ingwe Pan Camp Wildlife Stories July 2026
Weather Report
Ingwe Pan Camp experienced some of the most spectacular conditions of the year this winter. Mornings and nights were as cold as 8ºC to 12ºC, while middays reached temperatures as high as 27ºC with sunny skies and no recorded rainfall.
The floodplains remained dry, and the pan’s water levels continued to drop, allowing for excellent game-viewing opportunities near the few remaining water sources.
Not Your Usual Sighting
One of our most uncommon sightings happened early in July. We were on a midday game drive when we spotted four lionesses feeding on a waterbuck. From the abundance of meat and the amount of blood, the four sisters killed their prey only minutes before we arrived. We were thrilled to have seen this, as lionesses hunting and feeding in the midday heat are very uncommon sightings.
Calling Card
We had just arrived for an early morning breakfast when we heard lions calling in the distance. We stopped everything, climbed into our safari vehicles, and headed to the scene. We had only driven about a kilometre from camp when we found two males, four females, and four cubs lying on the side of the road.
While we revelled in the sighting, the lions slowly got up, walked past our vehicle, and disappeared into the bushes.
Waiting By The Door
As we arrived from an evening game drive, we spotted an African wild dog running towards the back of camp. We followed and parked our safari vehicle near the common area and heard a commotion near the entrance of the car park. What we found was exhilarating. A pack of wild dogs had brought down an impala behind camp.
We had almost no time to enjoy seeing them feed when a hyena was drawn to the scene by the scent of the kill. The cheeky hyena tried to steal from the pack, but it was severely outnumbered and chased away in a choir of snarls and barking.
Before The Bark Of Dawn
Just after 06:30 one morning, we witnessed a pack of African wild dogs hunting an impala not far from camp. We followed as the wild dogs communicated and tried to corner the poor impala, but it was always one step ahead. The dogs occasionally stopped to catch their breath before recommencing the hunt, but eventually gave up and returned to their den near the riverbed.
African Standoff
We had an incredible sighting towards the end of July when we found a pack of African wild dogs feeding on a fresh kill right by the entrance of Ingwe Pan Camp. The atmosphere was electric as we watched the dogs yelping in excitement as they fed.
The drama intensified when a group of hyenas showed up to try and steal their kill. The two groups were in a tense standoff as each yelped and bared their teeth, paying no mind to us in the background.
July was filled with extraordinary predator sightings from start to finish. Come back soon for more Ingwe Camp Wildlife Stories!
Until next time
AB & Everard
Ingwe Pan Camp
