Leopards and Lions In Savute - 02:28 pm

17 Feb 2010

Up until 3 years ago, Savute had a huge Lion (Panthera leo) pride consisting of over 40 individuals, these were the main predatory force in the reserve but as their numbers grew, so did the pressure to keep its members fed.  The lack of natural water led to prey species becoming increasingly rare so the Lions had to start specialising in large prey...Very large prey...Elephants (Loxodonta africana).  This behaviour is fairly unusual and as such was filmed by the BBC in their natural history series Planet Earth (see here).

However, 3 years ago their was a huge shift in the dynamic of this ‘super pride’ of Lions. It split and fragmented into several much smaller prides which could focus on smaller, less dangerous prey.  We found one of these smaller prides earlier this morning and spent a little time with them and their 3 new cubs. 

The fragmentation of the Savute ‘super pride‘ and the resulting drop in Lion numbers within the reserve has meant that for the other major large feline predator here, life has got a little safer.  Savute is superb Leopard (Panthera pardus) country and has several individuals that are seen quite regularly by the guides working here.  We had been told about a fresh Impala (Aepyceros melampus) carcass that had been seen stashed in an nearby Acacia so we went to check it out.

The Leopard was nowhere to be seen at first but after a few mins searching we found her relaxing on a nearby log.

It is always incredible to see these animals.  They seem to radiate a sense of supreme regality and you defintiely get the feeling that they are watching you as intently as you are watching them!

After a few mins she decided to get back to the business of eating her trophy from the previous night, effortlessly leaping high into the tree to feed in the safety of its branches.

- Chris Harries

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Savute … A Change Of Scenery - 01:56 pm

16 Feb 2010

Jason, your regular Lions of Moremi correspondent is away on leave for a month so it’s my job to try and fill his shoes.  This month we see the Lions Of Moremi breaking from the norm a little as we travel out of Moremi and the Okavango Delta, North east to the Savute region of Chobe national park

The main reason that we are here is the Savute river, which has just started to flow after a 30 year absence.  In the 70’s this reserve was the premier place for game viewing in Botswana but after the river dried up life for the game here became much harsher and the biodiversity dropped quite considerably.  Now the river has restarted flowing the game is flooding in and Savute is really coming back to life.

- Chris Harries

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Echoes in the Forest - 10:35 pm

26 Jan 2010

The Xakanaxa lions were still in the Mopane and had not moved very far during the night.
The male who was absent yesterday had rejoined and the prides alliance seems stronger than ever.






A herd of impala was moving towards their position, but it was only the female cub who showed interest while the others slept.
She eventually lost patience and charged at the impala way too early and never stood any chance of catching them.





It was late afternoon before the lions became active. They were all very vocal.
Last week the interloper lions were in the same area and the pride had probably picked up their scent. The roaring was to establish their dominance and served to chase the interlopers, from their territory, without confrontation. It was amusing to hear the youngest male cub joining in the roaring. It was as though he was still half asleep and was unsure if he should roar or yawn.

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Well Fed Pride - 08:33 pm

25 Jan 2010

The Xakanaxa pride have returned to the heart of their territory.
They were in the Mopane forest near Jessie’s Pools and looked well fed. When one of the males joined the rest of the pride all the cubs ran to greet him and a couple of lionesses joined in later.






There is a possibility that a lioness could be coming into estrus as the male followed her closely and displayed flehmen frequently.
All the lions moved into the shade as the day warmed.





Nearby roosting vultures attracted our attention.
They were attracted to the remains of a giraffe. It was about 4 days old and the lions had finished the carcass, leaving the rest to the vultures.

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Snake Mechanics - 07:49 pm

19 Jan 2010

Moremi is finally damp and swampy.
It has has been raining persistently for the last 2 days. The pans are filling and once dry channels are rising to become deep water crossings. The vehicles take on more water and require added preventative maintenance. The ‘extra hand’ appearing from the radiator ended up being more of a hindrance.





It was a relatively harmless Western / Angola Green Snake (Philothamnus angolensis) and it was enjoying exploring the engine bay.
Eventually it moved under the bodywork and disappeared behind the gearbox and the work continued, as did the rain.

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Hairy Hippopotamus - 07:54 pm

18 Jan 2010

The Magxwegana area of Moremi is a stunning landscape.
With rain falling on a daily basis every depression is filled with water and most of these are filled with hippopotami.





This pod was very relaxed, allowing us to set up the camera right on the waters edge.
The afternoon started off clear and hot, but a towering storm was approaching over the horizon.
As the storm moved closer the hippo became more active, as if enlivened by the thunder and lightening.







It was another waterlogged evening, but with far less mud.

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Water and Mud - 07:55 pm

17 Jan 2010

Moremi has not had many visitors over the last couple of weeks and some tracks are becoming overgrown and unpredictable.
Using an alternate route to spend the day south in the Magxwegana area, turned into a day of ‘playing’ in the mud.

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Leopard on the Move - 07:18 pm

15 Jan 2010

The clouds have cleared and the animals and birds are more active.
The Xakanaxa pride’s roars could be heard far off to the west during the night. It seems like they are off on another excursion to Marula island.





Vervet monkeys alarm barking in the distance changed the planned route for the day. One can never ignore these alarm calls as they generally result in a predator being sighted.
There was a male leopard moving north up one of the many dry channels. He was fringing the open channel, sticking to the thickly vegetated sand islands.





There was no hunting success as the already alerted impala spotted the leopard instantly.
The leopard watched them closely for a couple of minutes and then walked straight passed the bachelor herd into the next thicket.






There was one more brief glimpse and the leopard dissappeared. The rest of the day was spent working the area, unfortunatley without seeing him again.





This appears to be another new sighting. Back at camp, no whisker patterns or markings could be matched to any of the leopards already sighted in the Xakanaxa area.

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Out of the Ordinary - 07:14 pm

13 Jan 2010

It was a relatively quiet in Moremi today.
The rains have now filled most of the pans and animals are able to access water closer to their food supply.
After spending the last 15 months in Moremi, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the bush like never before.





Pel’s Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli). Sightings are becoming more regular and these owls are now spotted on a monthly basis.



Sightings of the Slender Mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus) are not as fleeting and they are always entertaining to watch.




Watching how an adult Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) tries to drown a juvenile was a violent affair.



These lovely feline’s spoor is seen nearly everyday and incredibly 2 African Wild Cats (Felis lybica) were spotted in the last 3 days.



The Black Crake (Amaurornis flavirostra) is my latest first sighting.

I’m certain that moremi still has a lot more to show me.

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Swimming Monitor - 07:04 pm

12 Jan 2010

The Xakanaxa pride has moved further west, still following the buffalo.
The day was spent searching for leopards. It was uneventful with not even a single spoor being spotted.





Crossing off Dead Tree Island, there was a Water Monitor hunting in the newly formed stream.
This channel was completely dry only a couple of weeks ago and was now attracting many species of animals and birds.
The monitor moved slowly through the water, barely creating any ripples. It was constantly tasting the water with its tongue, trying to locate potential prey.
A monitor will eat just about anything from frogs and birds to snakes and invertebrates.






It was a brief sighting and the monitor moved off into the thicker reeds.

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