Ingwe Pan Wildlife Stories May 2025
Early mornings and nights have been cold, while the afternoons have been delightfully warm. There has also been a cheerful breeze throughout the month, which both predator and prey utilise to find their next meals and detect danger.
Chatty Arnot
Our Ingwe concession has an incredible variety of endemic bird species that display astonishing behaviours. We saw an Arnot's chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti), also known as the white-headed black chat, and immediately stopped to marvel at the black and white beauty.
This species of bird is known for its ability to mimic the calls of other birds. Researchers have speculated that it does this to confuse predators and communicate with other birds. The Arnot's chat can replicate a wide range of sounds, making it an extraordinary subject for researchers and birders.
Wild Dog Population
We caught up with a pack of African wild dogs as our day on safari was coming to an end. Our guests had not seen wild dogs until they popped out of nowhere and gave everyone an amazing photo opportunity.
We are always ecstatic when we see African wild dogs. The beautifully colored animals have seen a drastic drop in population size in Mana Pools recently. From around 100 wild dogs in 2010 to less than 25 today, seeing them forage, relax and care for their young is always amazingly rare.
Rare Civet Sighting
Nobody would blame you if you mistook the African civet for a member of the feline family. But upon closer inspection, you’d see that they are more closely related to weasels, mongooses and other small carnivores.
We saw this stunning animal on two separate occasions on the same night safari.
We were enjoying a night drive across the Ingwe concession and saw two civets at two different pans. Seeing this species is quite rare at Ingwe, but when you learn that they are creatures of habit who move along regular paths, spotting them can become a little easier. That said, as one of the more elusive species, it’s only relatively easier.
Bucket List Leopard
Seeing a big cat is on everyone’s bucket list, and for good reason. We were on a routine game drive when we spotted a beautiful female leopard crossing the road in front of us. She decided to rest on the side of the road, allowing us to take some amazing pictures.
Female leopards are known for their distinctive spots and their slender bodies. Males weigh a little over double what a female weighs.
Hippos In Action
Guests requesting to see specific animals is something we always strive to achieve. While there is no guarantee that we will come across them, when we do, it's that much more exciting. This time, we were on the lookout for hippos.
Mostly herbivorous, these massive semi-aquatic creatures are the third-largest land mammals in the world. They spend most of their time in the water and display unique social behaviours in groups called pods.
May was another great month for wildlife sightings. From beautiful female leopards to rare African civets, we cannot wait to see what June has got for us.
Until next time,
Marcy and Emmanuel
Ingwe Pan Camp
