Wilderness Chitabe & Chitabe Lediba Wildlife Update – April and May 2025

The unusually high rainfall this past summer brought a lot of energy to the concession, which has undergone a remarkable transformation. The pans are brimming with water everywhere, adding a fresh and vibrant perspective to the area’s beauty. Wildlife viewing opportunities have been nothing short of spectacular and the elephants and buffalos particularly, have been patently enjoying the water, displaying playful energy that is amazing to see.

Across the diverse landscapes of Chitabe, our guests enjoyed spectacular viewing of lions, leopard, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, elephants, hippos, wild dogs, buffalos, zebras, and giraffes, as well as an array of birdlife.

Despite the strong presence of other dominant predators, particularly lions and hyenas, cheetahs continued to make regular appearances throughout the area. In the past few months, cheetah sightings were nothing short of spectacular, and our guests were over the moon with the quality and regularity of viewings. 

We spent time with the three brothers who patrolled the water sources in hunting mode. These boys have grown into skilled and confident hunters, though we did also see them chasing impalas and red lechwe without success. 

Our famous Supermom and her current almost sub-adult cub featured among our regular cheetah sightings. With a very efficient and dedicated mother, this cub has thrived on frequent meals, and he is fast approaching his mother’s size. In the last two weeks, he separated from her, and as at the end of May, is currently in his second week of independence, and already attempting a hunt. Though still adjusting to life on his own, and showing signs of inexperience, he’s managing well enough not to go hungry. A true testament to the skills passed on by his remarkable mother.

From tender nursing moments to playful interactions and pride dynamics, Chitabe’s lion activity has taken centre stage, dominating recent game drives, and delighting guests with the raw beauty of new life in the bush.

The Tsame Pride and their cubs were seen on many occasions, while quite recently we saw a previously unknown female with cubs – bringing the total number of cubs of varying ages to 18. Watching the cubs play, as they demonstrate the early stage of gaining the abilities required for survival, is always fascinating. The pride’s hunting skills are remarkable, taking down very large prey such as giraffes, zebras and buffalos. A few months ago, several lionesses in the pride had their cubs in isolation, and the pride split, raising the question of whether they would regroup again to become the solid pride we know. However, as the cubs have grown, they have indeed rejoined as one pride.

The Matsebe and Gomoti prides continue to thrive too, and they are the most stable and consistently viewed lion families in the area. The sub-adults are growing steadily, strengthening their power and experience, making the prides even more successful in hunting, and protecting the cubs from other predators such as hyenas. 

With the recent discovery of the Matsebe Pride’s newest cubs, all three lion prides in the Chitabe Concession are now moving with young ones, and each pride currently occupies a different prime game drive territory! Matsebe pride, in effort to avoid encounters with possible intruders, they have been keeping a low profile and avoided venturing far beyond the airstrip area.

One particularly heartwarming moment was observing a male lion keeping watch over the cubs of the Matsebe Pride. With the lionesses out hunting, and alert to the distant roars of potentially intruding males, he stepped into the role of protector and guardian. It was a rare moment to see this male bonding with his cubs. We also watched another astonishing action as the four young cubs were introduced and fully accepted into the pride, and fascinating to see their infectious energy as they mingled with the adults, some of which they were not familiar with.

Since taking over from the previous two dominant males, the five new males are maintaining their dominance for all the prides, and their full-time presence ensures the territorial stability and the safety of all the young cubs. They are unequivocally protecting the three prides, making sure no other males are able to move into their territory and attempt a takeover. These males are of a good number and formed a very strong coalition, which gives them a significant advantage when it comes to protecting their prides. Their strength in numbers allows them to split and cover a wide range within their territory, maintaining control and ensuring the safety of their offspring across multiple areas.

Our leopard sightings have truly been incredible over the last three months, and they have provided our guests with many unforgettable experiences, and photographic captures. Much quality time has been spent with individuals as well as mothers and cubs, and at least 11 individual leopards made up the majority of our sightings during these months. Most of the sightings were not far from camp either, as their territories do overlap. The Maun Road Female and her cub, as well as the Leadwood Female, were seen very often. Leadwood’s consistent appearance makes her one of the key leopards viewed in the area. Her cubs are growing fast, taking advantage of the ideal area she picked to live in. It has provided a lot of cover and prey species, giving them excellent strength. As her cubs continue to grow, they have been seen very often on their own without their mother, and their survival is truly remarkable. 

Recently, we’ve also been fortunate to witness a couple of mating pairs of leopards. With this activity taking place not far from camp, these encounters offered our guests a rare and fascinating glimpse into leopard behavior, showcasing an intimate and often elusive aspect to the wild.

One other remarkable and touching sightings this month was observing Rradikolobe, one of our most well-known male leopards, interacting with the Maun Road Female and her single cub. It’s extremely rare to witness a male leopard engaging gently with a cub, even his own, and especially one so young. It was an unforgettable experience for both our guests and guides.

Chitabe is famed for its wild dogs, and they have not disappointed, being seen roaming the area frequently, with two females in one pack being identified as heavily pregnant. Following wild dogs around as they slip through the golden grasses in tight hunting formation is always a thrilling part of the day, inevitably leading to witnessing some classic moments of raw tension and fierce competition in the bush.

Watching hyenas and wild dogs, two of Africa’s most formidable predators, clashing over the spoils of a hunt, highlights the high-stakes reality of survival in the wild, where nothing comes easy, not even scraps. On a number of occasions, moments after a successful impala kill by a pack of wild dogs, hyenas tried to muscle in for the leftovers. But the wild dogs weren’t ready to give up their prize just yet. What followed were tense and noisy standoffs, amid a flurry of snarls, lunges, and posturing. In the wild, every meal is hard-earned, and nothing is ever guaranteed.

With the Gomoti River flowing, the floodplain has transformed into a vibrant hub of wildlife activity. Large breeding herds of buffalos and zebras dominated the open plains along the river, is a popular feeding ground for these species. Our guests enjoyed sightings of elephants playing in the water in the pans, and at the Gomoti River at the warmest time of the day, buffalo herds were seen wading through the shallows, grazing contentedly, while elephants frequently made crossings to reach feeding grounds on the opposite bank. 

Quieter moments were spent the watching elephants interact with each other, especially the younger ones, and knowing they were learning certain skills from their elders created some captivating moments. One of the consistent highlights of a drive along the Gomoti River is seeing hippos grazing out of the water, as well as crocodiles basking on the river banks, soaking up the sun.

Chitabe’s diverse habitats support an impressive range of avian species. Birding has outstanding this season, and we have had amazing encounters with many raptors, and different species of both waterbirds and woodland birds. Raptors encountered included martial eagles, black-chested snake eagles, tawny eagles and many more. Ground hornbills delivered unique sightings on the open plains of Chitabe, foraging for food such as small reptiles, frogs, snails and insects, thanks to the high rainfall turning the area into a paradise of plenty for all. 

Chitabe is also a great place to view the elegant, larger birds such as kori bustard, ostriches, secretarybird, goliath heron, wattled cranes, saddle-billed storks and lappet-faced vultures. Wattled crane sightings also seem to be on the increase, and a sighting of a large flock of 15 birds together shows that the diverse habitat of Chitabe really allows for the survival of such a rare and endangered species.

Our active hyena den has been lively and full of character. With the adults out hunting, the pups took centre stage, interacting, play-fighting, and testing their social boundaries. It's fascinating to watch the different age groups engage, revealing early glimpses of the complex social dynamic hyenas are known for. These moments of innocence and exploration are a true joy to witness. These hyena cubs were endlessly entertaining whenever guests visited the den, making every stop there worthwhile.

 We had some delightful moments with smaller nocturnal and diurnal animals. Some of the highlights included caracal, honey badger, serval, civets, bat-eared foxes, and both black-backed and side-striped jackals. Some of these creatures are very shy and rarely photographed clearly in the wild, but we had great photographic opportunities with some of them that posed just long enough for a special photo. The elusive nocturnal creatures are seldom seen during the day, making some of the sightings all the more extraordinary as we had an opportunity to view them in good daylight.