Xakanaxa pride reponds to distant roars - 02:44 am

13 Oct 2008

The distant calling of the Bodumatau pride evokes a massed response from this Xakanaxa pride. They roar in retaliation and the air vibrates around us. Being close to lions roaring like this is awesome. The power of the sound cannot be described, but once heard, will never be forgotten.

This roaring seems to spur them into some action. The lionesses begin to rouse themselves and stretch. Some of the cubs try to suckle, but are angrily rebuffed. The cubs, getting older are seldom allowed o suckle any more.

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Lions begin to settle for the day - 02:36 am

13 Oct 2008

The scene before us is one of lion domestic bliss. They are all setting down in the golden early morning light. Lionesses remain vigilant for any potential prey while the cubs huddle together. They look like they have stopped moving for now and will begin to move into the shade for the remainder of the day.

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Xakanaxa pride at first light - 02:28 am

13 Oct 2008

Picking up their tracks, we track the Xakanaxa pride south and soon find them not far from where we left them last night. They have not fed during the night and are beginning to look hungry again. They are beginning to look like settling down for the day, but are all still alert and scanning the surrounding area for potential prey. Not far from them, a large herd of impala graze, but they have seen the lions and are alarm calling sporadically. 

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Some history on this leopard - 04:09 pm

12 Oct 2008

This female leopard is very well known to us. We see her regularly in the area and have got to know her ways and habits well. She is a beautiful leopard - small with a very pale face. We are told by safari guides in the area that the young male we spent yesterday with is actually her son.

When we first began filming here, she had recently given birth to 3 cubs. She soon lost one and, for a time, we would occasionally catch fleeting glimpses of the remaining two, peering anxiously out of some thicket or shrub. See Cubs flourish in Okavango.

Not long after the first cub was lost, a second of the litter also disappeared. Cubs are defenseless and will be killed any other predator that happens upon them. They are very vulnerable, especially before they are mobile and able to move with the mother.

The apparent brutality of the natural world was brought into stark focus for us about two weeks ago on the 24th of September. I was not here at the time, but Brad and Julie witnessed a traumatic scene.

Julie writes:
‘We came across the young female leopard we have been filming, with her last remaining cub. The cub,now about five months old, had her one hind leg stuck in the fork between two branches of a fever berry tree. She was able to lie on the ground, but her leg – floppy, and void of any visibly functioning joints – was stuck vertically above her.
The cub struggled for several hours, pulling and tugging, trying to get her leg unstuck from the tree. She mustered up all her energy to pull herself in different directions, and then fell to the ground, exhausted and drained. The mother, clearly very distressed tried constantly to pick the cub up and free her.
This was such a tragic scene to watch, and one where you can’t help but feel that you should intervene and help the cub. However this is the natural world; and we as onlookers cannot interfere, we have to let nature run its natural course.’

The cub died during the night and leopardess has thus lost all three of her cubs. She will no doubt mate again soon and will hopefully have better success with her next litter.

The following footage is not pleasant to watch. But it does so poignantly illustrate the leopardesses desperation and care for her last remaining cub.

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As the sun sets, the lions begin to become active - 12:27 pm

12 Oct 2008

As the sun begins to disappear behind some dead trees to the west, the lions begin to show signs of becoming active for the night. They begin to yawn, stretch and greet each other. They are in no rush and this greeting process can play out for some time before they set off, usually led by one of the older females. When hungry, things tend to be very different and they will be far more business-like and proactive about moving off.

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Lions laze in afternoon light - 12:01 pm

12 Oct 2008

This a very contented pride of lions at the moment. They have fed well for several days recently and have been quite happy resting up for the whole of today. We picked them up just at sunrise and the sun is now setting. They will soon grow hungry again however and I would think that they will hunt in earnest again tonight.

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Clouds build up above leopard tree - 11:13 am

12 Oct 2008

The leopardess remains up in the sausage tree and we will shortly head back to the lions to spend the evening with them. Again this afternoon, there are clouds building up to the west. They are not substantial, but hopefully we will get the first rains soon.

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Young bull elephants mud-bath and feed - 10:57 am

12 Oct 2008

On our way to catch up with Brad and Julie we come across these two young bull elephants in the tall miscanthus grass on the edge of a floodplain. These adolescent bulls will have left their maternal herd quite recently I would think. Young bulls such as this will join up with mature bulls in a loose apprenticeship type of relationship.

The leopardess remains up in the sausage tree and the lions still sleep beneath a large jackalberry tree where we left them this morning. It is now cooling down, so hopefully they become active soon.

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Crew post imagery while leopard rests - 03:51 am

12 Oct 2008

The female leopard rests up in a sausage tree but she remains alert. She is still scanning the area for potential prey and I think that she is not yet done for the morning. She may well become active again and hopefully we get her hunting. It is however very hot by this time, so we shall wait and see.

We, meanwhile take the chance to update this site. It’s been a great morning so far and the day is far from over.

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Carmine bee-eater - 03:42 am

12 Oct 2008

Having left the lions and making out way up to join Brad with the leopard, we come across this exquisite carmine bee-eater. This vibrant birds are migrants that arrive here from North Africa every summer to breed. They breed in big colonies, and seen en masse make for quite a spectacle.

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