Showcasing some of the remarkable sightings each week, we hope you’ll enjoy being kept informed about the resident leopards and the lion prides that call the area around our camp’s home. Join us as we delve into the thrilling world of these top predators!
Thursday 3rd August
In the morning, at Waterbuck Dumbo, Sly and his guests spotted the Hollywood pride, consisting of two males, six adult females, and four little cubs, which are about two months old. The pride was happily feasting on a buffalo they had killed earlier.
Not too far from the carcass, a female was nurturing her four cubs right next to the vehicle.
Earlier that same morning, near the hippo hide, Sly and his guests caught sight of Chipadzua in a gully. She was lying down, patiently waiting for puku to pass by so she could pounce on them, but her attempt was unsuccessful.
In the afternoon, Sly and his guests decided to revisit the location where they had previously spotted the Hollywood pride. To their delight, the pride was still there, enjoying the remnants of the buffalo carcass they had consumed.
The four cubs were seen playing together with elephant dung.
Friday 4th August
In the morning, Philemon and his guests discovered Chipadzua’s cubs, Taonga and Chisomo, near the upper end of Fish Eagle Lagoon. The cubs were hurrying into a thicket to eat something Chipadzua had killed the day before.
Taonga
Chisomo
Chisomo
Saturday 5th August
In the afternoon, Philemon and his guests once again observed Chisomo and Taonga near Fish Eagle Lagoon, playfully chasing each other. They appeared to be well-fed from the meal their mother had hunted two days prior.
Taonga
Taonga (left) and Chisomo (right)
Taonga (left) and Chisomo (right)
Monday 7th August
In the morning, Sly and his guests spotted a new female leopard near the grove. She was seen inspecting and hunting for puku and impala but remained unsuccessful.
Later in the afternoon, Sly and his guests visited Wildog Lagoon and observed six cubs and a large male from the Mwamba-Kaingo pride. The lions were lying in the grass, looking a bit dirty from feasting on a big elephant. They were seen resting contentedly with full bellies.
Tuesday 8th August
In the morning, Sly and his guests observed a male lion from the Hollywood pride near Acacia Loop on the opposite side of the river attempting to cross over.
Despite several attempts, he was repeatedly chased by hippos. Eventually, he gave up and disappeared into the bushes.
During the same morning, Sly and his guests also encountered a male and a female from the Hollywood pride near the Main Shelf. The lions were seen drinking from a stream before disappearing into the thicket.
Later in the afternoon, Sly and his guests had the opportunity to witness Chipadzua and Taonga.
Taonga was observed chasing puku, yet she was unsuccessful in her hunt. This led to Chipadzua becoming increasingly frustrated with Taonga, likely due to the puku escaping.
Taonga
Chipadzua
Taonga
Wednesday 9th August
In the morning, Sly and a group of guests returned to Wild Dog Lagoon. During their visit, they encountered the Mwamba-Kaingo pride, which consisted of two large male lions, four adult lionesses and six lion cubs.
The lions were feeding on the remains of an elephant when Sly and the guests arrived. After finishing their meal, the pride headed to a water source for a drink. Sly and his guests eventually left while the lions were drinking.
We hope you enjoyed this captivating glimpse into the world of big cats at Shenton Safaris. Stay tuned for more exciting updates.
For previous Big Cat Round-Up features, please click here.
I haven’t been able to follow for a while. The last I saw the four nomads were tentatively courting the Hollywood pride. Are these two males from that group, or are they from somewhere else?
Yes these two males are from the group 🙂
Wow, an elephant? That has got to be pretty rare! Thank you for this post – definitely an eye-opener. I hope Nthanda is recovering well. And a new leopard? Exciting!
Yes it was amazing to watch them all feeding on that elephant! Nthanda is doing much better and no longer limping 🙂