April 2026 - Week 4 Roundup

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Leopard

Sighted on: 24.April.2026

A leopard was sighted during the evening game drive on the northern side of the reserve around cobra pan..

Content Creator / Photographer:

Boxer Kalahari

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Kori bustard

Sighted on: 23.April.2026

During our approach to the airstrip, we observed a fascinating cross-section of Kalahari megafauna utilising the open corridor for both foraging and security. A Kori Bustard was seen traversing the length of the runway. As the world’s heaviest flying bird, it frequently exploits these cleared areas to forage for insects and small reptiles without the impedance of thicket, while maintaining a clear line of sight for takeoff.

Ahead of the bustard, a herd of impala was congregating in the centre of the strip, likely using the wide-open space as a predator buffer to negate the stalking cover of nearby scrub. Among them were eland, the desert’s nomadic giants, which often move through these clearings during their transit between browsing patches.

This concentration of species highlights the ecological importance of the airstrip as a multifunctional habitat, offering a vital vantage point for the vigilant impala and an unobstructed pathway for the heavy-bodied bustard and eland.

Content Creator / Photographer:

Mogomotsi Maboga

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Giraffe

Sighted on: 21.April.2026

Today’s game drive offered a quintessential savanna scene as we encountered a journey of giraffe moving in close association with a dazzle of zebra. This multi-species alliance serves as a formidable security system, combining the giraffe’s high-vantage lookout with the zebra’s acute senses to monitor the surrounding bush. The group moved with a calm synergy, navigating the vegetation in a way that highlighted the natural cooperation often found among these herbivores when grazing in open woodland.

The true highlight, however, was the intense curiosity of two giraffe calves that remained fixed on our position while the adults continued to browse. These young sentinels stood perfectly still, their large ears fanned out and their gaze locked on us with a mixture of bold fascination and youthful caution. It was a powerful moment of connection that showcased the inquisitive nature of the reserve’s next generation, providing a striking contrast to the rhythmic, striped movement of the zebras nearby.

Content Creator / Photographer:

Mogomotsi Maboga

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Leopard

Sighted on: 19.April.2026

We observed a pair of Kalahari leopards this morning near the airstrip. The sighting was first reported by Boxer while he was checking the strip. He notified us immediately, and we were able to head out and capture these images.

Upon our arrival, the leopards were looking toward the airstrip. There was a pair of jackals nearby, calling persistently as if mocking the leopards. When the sub-adult male leopard spotted an impala, he immediately crouched to the ground in hunting mode. However, the jackals' alarm calls notified the impala, which went running and snorting into the distance.

It was a fascinating display of the complex interactions and the "early warning system" that often exists between these species in the bush.

Content Creator / Photographer:

Mogomotsi Maboga

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