August has been an exhilarating month for big cat sightings in South Luangwa. Here’s a detailed look at some of the remarkable moments from the month, offering just a glimpse into the incredible encounters we’ve had.

3rd August

Sly and his guests spotted Chipazua at Shortcut Crossing with an impala kill, which she later hoisted up into a tree.

Chipazua

4th August

On a morning game drive, Sly and his guests saw Mwezi perched in a tree, watching buffalos at a nearby stream. After the buffalos left, she had a brief encounter with a young bull elephant but managed to move away. The day ended with the Hollywood pride resting along Lion Plain with full bellies.

Mwezi and buffalos

Mwezi and elephant

Hollywood pride female

5th August

On a morning drive, Chipazua was observed at Shortcut Crossing, still feeding on her impala kill. Nthanda, limping from an injury, was seen at Ebony Grove attempting to stalk impalas but was unsuccessful. In the evening, Sly and his guests spotted two lions mating and a heavily pregnant female from the Mwamba-Kaingo pride. The drive also included a sighting of a new male leopard walking through Ebony Grove.

Chipazua

Nthanda

Hollywood pride male and female mating

New male leopard

6th August

On an afternoon game drive, a new male leopard was found with a kill at Ebony Grove. As they continued driving, they saw Nthanda nearby resting. Chipazua was later spotted at Shortcut Crossing, eating the remains of her kill. Chisomo appeared in the same area, walking through Shortcut Crossing where his mother was.

New male leopard

Impala kill

Chisomo

7th August

On the morning game drive, Yoram and his guests spotted Nthanda up in a sausage tree trying to hunt antelope. She failed but rested in the tree for the rest of the morning.

Nthanda

8th August

In the morning, Philemon and his guests saw Chipazua feasting on an impala kill. In the evening, they observed lions from the Hollywood pride resting together. Later, Sly and his guests spotted members of the Mwamba-Kaingo pride eating the remains of a buffalo near the mobile hide.

Chipazua

Hollywood pride

Mwamaba-Kaingo pride

9th August

On a morning game drive, Philemon and his guests found Chisomo near Acacia Loop searching for his mother, Chipazua. They then tracked Chipazua, who was attempting to hunt antelope but was unsuccessful.

Chisomo

Chipazua

10th August

During a night drive, Sly and his guests observed Chipazua successfully killing an Egyptian goose that she then carried up a tree to finish eating.

Chipazua

11th August

On a morning game drive, Sly and his guests spotted Tyson by the Ebony Grove with a kudu kill he had hoisted up in a tree. Later, he came down to get a drink of water. Mwezi came through, spotted the kill in the tree, and pulled it down. That’s when a group of hyenas arrived and stole the kill from her!

After that sighting, they spotted Nthanda near Kaingo Camp, heading towards the grove. Continuing their drive, they found one male lion resting by Debs Tree. Moving on, they saw Chipazua at Acacia Loop with an impala kill up in a tree.

Talk about a haven for big cat sightings!

On a night game drive, Philemon and his guests spotted Chipazua resting in the same tree.

Tyson

Hyenas eating Tyson’s kill

Chipazua

12th August

On a morning game drive, Philemon and his guests spotted two males from the Hollywood pride on the banks of Croc River. They were informed that, earlier, the lions had been in a fight with two nomadic males. That same morning, by the edge of the river, Nthanda was spotted trying to hunt guinea fowl. Later, near Ebony Grove, Sly and his guests saw Mwezi resting in a dead ebony tree with baboons surrounding her.

On an evening game drive near Ebony Grove, Philemon and his guests observed Mwezi attempting to hunt antelope but being unsuccessful. That same evening, Yoram and his guests spotted Chipazua at Acacia Loop with an impala kill. They found her lying by the lagoon, resting with a full belly.

Hollywood pride male

Mwezi

Mwezi

Chipazua

13th August

On a morning walking safari, Sly and his guests spotted five lions from the Mwamba-Kaingo pride feeding on a baby hippo by Mimbulu Loop. That same morning, Yoram and his guests spotted a new male leopard close to Ebony Grove attempting to hunt, but the baboons’ barking made it difficult for him to succeed.

Mwamba-Kaingo pride male

New male leopard

14th August

On a morning game drive, Sly and his guests returned to the same location where they had previously spotted the lions with the baby hippo, and the pride was still there, feasting on it. The pride consisted of two males and four females.

After that sighting, they spotted Chipazua up in a sausage tree, attempting to hunt puku but without success. She later climbed down and headed towards Acacia Loop.

Mwamba-Kaingo pride

Chipazua

15th August

On a morning game drive, Philemon and his guests spotted two males and two females from the Mwamba-Kaingo pride sleeping together. That same morning, Yoram and his guests spotted Mwezi at Shortcut Crossing attempting to hunt puku but failed.

On an evening game drive, Philemon and his guests spotted Chisomo hunting on the Main Shelf.

Mwamba-Kaingo pride

Mwezi

16th August

On a morning game drive, Mwezi was spotted up in a tree, ready to hunt. After that sighting, they then spotted Nthanda with an impala kill in the Ebony Grove. Although she is still limping, she seems to be surviving quite well given the circumstances.

Nthanda

17th August

On a morning game drive, Philemon and his guests spotted Mwezi in the Ebony Grove with an impala kill, and not too far from her was her sister, Nthanda, watching her.

Mwezi

18th August

On a morning game drive, Philemon and his guests spotted three females and one young male from the Hollywood pride walking, with two nomadic males following behind them.

After that sighting, they spotted lions from the Mwamba-Kaingo pride near Leopard Loop, eating a warthog. Near the Mobile Hippo Hide, they then spotted Mwezi eating an impala kill, with her sister Nthanda not too far away, resting on a fallen tree.

On an evening game drive, Philemon and his guests returned to where Mwezi had her kill and found her sharing it with Nthanda. Suddenly, they heard the sound of hyenas in the distance, and out of nowhere, a male leopard the guides call “Baboon Sniper” stole the kill and scared Mwezi and Nthanda away. Hyenas then began to surround him, but he managed to jump up the tree with his kill and eat it. After some time, an old, weak lioness arrived, covered in scars and embedded with porcupine quills. She looked so hungry that she tried everything she could to get that kill, even attempting to jump up the tree several times before eventually giving up.

Mwezi and Nthanda

Mwamba-Kaingo pride

Mwezi

Baboon sniper

Old female lioness

19th August

The next morning, Philemon and his guests returned to the scene, where they found Nthanda up in a tree, with Baboon Sniper still in the same tree with his kill. The old lioness was still on the ground waiting, and surprisingly, another female lioness was also there. Phil mentioned that this other female has a small cub she has been hiding.

On an afternoon game drive, Sly and his guests saw Taonga by the main shelf, stalking impalas in a gully, but she was disturbed by the lapwings. She then lay near their vehicle before moving into the bushes.

Old female lioness and other female lioness

Taonga

20th August

On a morning game drive, Philemon and his guests saw Chipazua at Fish Eagle Lagoon, up in a tree with an impala kill.
On an evening game drive, Philemon and his guests spotted Nthanda hunting by the Hippo Hide, but she was not successful in her hunt.

Chipazua

Nthanda

23rd August

On a morning game drive by Wild Dog Lagoon, Philemon and his guests tracked members of the Mwamba-Kaingo Pride. Two males were seen looking well-fed from a distance and feeding on something with two females and two of their young. Not too far away from them were two other males.
After that sighting, they continued driving and spotted Nthanda trying to hunt near Kaingo Camp, but she was not successful.
On an afternoon game drive, Philemon and his guests spotted Chipazua at Fish Eagle Lagoon, drinking water from the lagoon.

Mwamba-Kaingo pride

Chipazua

24th august

On a morning game drive, Patrick and his guests had spotted a nomadic male lion on the other side of the Luangwa river trying to cross to members of the Hollywood pride on the other side. As he was crossing, a large dominant hippo started to chase him through the water but luckily the male lion swam fast enough to the bank were he dried off and met members of the pride.

Male lion and hippo

26th August

On a morning game drive, Patrick and his guests spotted a young male from the Mwamba-Kaingo Pride up in a tree, resting and observing his surroundings near Mwamba Bush Camp. There was also a female not too far from him, resting in the shade. That same morning, near the Hippo Hide, Patrick and his guests spotted two males from the Mwamba-Kaingo Pride resting together.

Mwamba-Kaingo male

Mwamba-Kaingo males