This morning we started off looking for wild dogs. JJ drove us to a den they identified where there are wild dogs and their pups. It took about 25 minutes of driving to get to the area, but there were no signs of the dogs yet, so we moved on to the next sighting.
African wild dogs, also called painted wolves, are highly social predators known for their mottled coats and remarkable teamwork while hunting. They live in tightly bonded packs led by an alpha pair, with strong cooperation and care for pups and injured members. Once widespread, they are now endangered, with fragmented populations across sub-Saharan Africa.
We drove for another 15-20 minutes until we came upon a female leopard laying in the morning sun.
JJ told us this leopard had a cub somewhere close by. It turns out, it was much closer than anyone thought. The mom called for the cub, who came running down from the nearby tree. The previous ranger who was sitting here before we arrived never saw it in the tree, nor did we. It blended in so well.
After a few minutes of watching the mother and her cub, she suddenly rose and began walking toward the tree. JJ leaned over and whispered, “Get ready—she’s probably going to climb.” I steadied myself, camera in hand, ready for the perfect shot.
After the leopard got settled in the tree, JJ re-positioned our vehicle for a better line of sight. Just as we lined up, the sunlight broke through the branches and made for some pretty pics!
After spending some time observing the leopards, we decided to let them explore on their own. As we continued our journey, we soon encountered some elephants.
We then wound our way down the sandy track toward the river, encountering numerous elephants along the way.
Next, we ventured to the sandy riverbed and discovered a majestic male leopard on the ledge. This was the sixth leopard we encountered during this trip.
He didn't sit there long and before we knew it we were following him along the sandy riverbed.
He ended up at the river that actually has water flowing and stopped for a drink.
During our game drive, we encountered a diverse array of wildlife beyond what was previously mentioned. Here are some of the other creatures we spotted.
