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August 2026 - Week 3 Roundup
Updated: Aug 24
16th - 22nd August 2026
Giraffe, Springbok & Southern Yellow - billed Hornbill
Sighted on: 22.August.2026
During our morning drive, we recorded an excellent variety of scrubland and open-plains species. We first encountered a giraffe peering over the dense acacia brush, actively browsing on the higher canopy foliage. Further along the open clearing, we logged a solitary springbok ram resting quietly in the tall, golden grass, taking advantage of natural camouflage against the arid Kalahari landscape. The drive concluded with a close encounter with a pair of Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills perched low on a pile of dry brush, actively foraging and scanning the ground for insects and small reptiles.
Content Creator / Photographer:
Mogomotsi Maboga
Lions
Sighted on: 20.August.2026
During today’s game drive in the Central Kalahari, we enjoyed a classic sighting of a lion pair moving through the open fossil riverbed system. We first observed an adult lioness wading through the tall, golden valley grass along the riverbed floor, actively scanning the open terrain. Shortly after, a young adult male lion stepped onto the main sandy cut-line, pausing in full view to survey the valley before continuing to follow the lioness. Open riverbed sightings like this offer our guests unobstructed views of big cat movements as they utilize the ancient fossil valleys as natural travel corridors through the reserve.
Content Creator / Photographer:
Mogomotsi Maboga
Trail Camera - Brown Hyena, Impala & Greater Kudu
Sighted on: 20.August.2026
Brown Hyena: Operating as an essential desert scavenger, this species relies on its keen sense of smell to cover immense distances under the cover of night and dawn to locate scattered carrion, minimizing water loss and keeping the arid environment clean by processing carcasses that other predators leave behind.
Impala: Exhibiting exceptional dietary flexibility to survive unpredictable seasonal shifts, these highly adaptable antelopes form cautious herds at waterholes during the day, seamlessly switching between grazing on grasses and browsing on woody shrubs to maximize their nutrient intake.
Greater Kudu: Adapting perfectly to the arid savanna, this large browser relies on its cryptic coloration and the shade of dense acacia scrub to avoid midday heat, conserving vital body moisture by feeding almost exclusively on deep-rooted, water-rich leaves and seed pods.
Content Creator / Photographer:
Mogomotsi Maboga
Trail Camera - Zebra
Sighted on: 19.August.2026
Demonstrating high water dependency in a dry landscape, these bulk grazers visit permanent waterholes during peak daylight hours to drink and digest coarse, fibrous grasses. This feeding habit clears old vegetation and stimulates nutrient-rich green growth for smaller herbivores.
Content Creator / Photographer:
Mogomotsi Maboga
Giraffe
Sighted on: 18.August.2026
During today’s drive, we enjoyed an open-plains sighting of a solitary giraffe moving across the grassy scrubland parallel to our game drive vehicle. The individual maintained a steady pace across the open clearing before heading toward the acacia thickets to browse, offering our guests a classic, wide-angle viewing opportunity directly alongside the vehicle.
Content Creator / Photographer:
Mogomotsi Maboga
Swallow - tailed Bee - eater
Sighted on: 17.August.2026
During this morning’s drive, we enjoyed a wonderful sighting of a Swallow-tailed Bee-eater perched on an exposed branch along the edge of the scrubland. The individual was actively hawking for flying insects, returning to its perch between quick aerial sallies. Its vibrant green plumage, blue tail streamers, and yellow throat band provided a bright highlight for our guests during the early morning sunlight.
Content Creator / Photographer:
Mogomotsi Maboga
Crested Porcupine
Sighted on: 16.August.2026
During the night drive, we recorded a fantastic encounter with a Crested Porcupine foraging along the sandy track under spotlight. The individual was observed moving slowly through the scrubland, foraging for roots, tubers, and bark. Seeing Africa's largest rodent up close with its defensive quills on full display offers guests a great highlight of the Kalahari's active nocturnal ecosystem.
Content Creator / Photographer:
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