Wilderness Linyanti Wildlife Reserve camps newsletters – September/October 2025

The temperatures continue to rise, and our September days ranged from a minimum of 14° C to a maximum of 36° C, with scattered clouds even visible for a few days but no rainfall recorded. 

Vegetation-wise, a few tree species like the Motsebe, Motopi and Mohata are already green and flowering, though the grass is still completely dry.

Wildlife

On the 24th of September, guests were treated to the spectacular sight of 6 lions, 2 lionesses and 4 juveniles (1 male & 3 females) on a buffalo kill on the eastern side of camp – which the lions ultimately had to wrestle for with the crocodiles! 

Meanwhile, the elephants have returned in all their glory! Our guests enjoyed breathtaking sightings of family herds moving gracefully along the riverbed, leaving a trail of stories behind. We are also delighted to share that after the recent elephant movements through the area, no paths or boardwalks were damaged. The gentle giants passed through peacefully, leaving the camp and bush as beautiful as ever.

On the 29th of September, a of pack of wild dogs on a hunting expedition was sighted near the staff village. While it was an exciting sighting for the team, everyone kept a respectful distance. 

Birds & Birding

Birdlife in the Linyanti area is still prolific. We have a large population of guinea fowl in camp that reside around the guest tents of LTC West camp. Birds including African fish eagles, a number of herons and egrets, and spurwinged geese were seen along the watercourse. The swamp boubou is also still seen around the office and main area.

Reptiles

We seem to have a resident water monitor lizard that is occasionally spotted just around camp, out of the water. No snakes or their trails have been spotted around camp as yet as they are still in hibernation. We’re looking forward to the return of our resident black mamba which is usually spotted between the Back of House area and the West wing of Linyanti Tented Camp. 

Camp news

The minimal shade trees have encouraged us to seek new spots to host our bush brunches and bush tea stops. The bush tea spot is now along the water channel surrounded by beautiful scenery with a canopy of riverine trees.

We set up the bush brunch in an open space along the elephant trail, under a Mochaba tree which has very good shade coverage. 

We still utilise our sundowner spot called The Beach, which is just to the east of camp and has a clear view of the sky, a good population of hippos in the water and excellent mixed species of game visible on the horizon. All the guests find it most enjoyable, and always appreciate the set-ups. 

Staff news

All our staff members are in good spirits, Emmanuel, our resident guide is currently assisting at Wilderness Mokete in the Mababe. Our Camp Manager Brie is currently on leave, but the rest of the management team are in camp.

Managers in Camp: Olly, Kgotso & Chawa (Camp Admin)

Newsletter compiled by Kgotso

Weather and landscape

Now that we are approaching full summer, the temperatures have risen noticeably. October is our hottest month of the year, and we recorded a minimum of 15°C (59°F) and a maximum of 39°C (102.2°F).

More than half of the month was dominated by partial cloud cover, and even some drizzle here and there. We actually recorded some 3mm of rainfall towards the end of the month, which brought much-needed cooling of the scorching temperatures. Our mornings quickly warmed up, compelling guests to layer up, as the day would have heated up by the time they returned for brunch. We made sure they came home to nice cold face towels, and sometimes cold kikois too. 

The rainy season is almost here, but the vegetation around our area has already started turning green, with some trees’ seeds sprouting and flowers blooming. The feverberry appears extensively across Linyanti, indicating its adaptability and prevalence. The Linyanti channel is still muddy with almost no water at all on the western side, but has abundant water on the eastern side.

Wildlife sightings

We spotted just a few elephants roaming around camp, but most were seen around the channel looking for water. The dry season naturally means wildlife is drawn to the water in the channel, and other animals spotted there includes hippos, warthogs, impala, with even buffalo frequenting camp. Happily, our resident sitatunga mother and calf are also still around. 

On this month’s predator summary, lions were the most sighted, with a total of 25 recorded. One male lion has been sighted patrolling and marking its territory, which was quite a stunner for guests. The lions were not the only cats seen around though; there is that one leopard that has been frequenting the pages of our sightings book too. 

Sadly, the gentle giants of this area are quietly falling, we suspect from the heat. So far, we have had two elephants succumb not far from camp. On the positive side, this is an early Christmas for the hyenas, whose whooping laughs were heard all around, excited for the windfall. 

Birds

The lovely francolins are still seen around camp, with little chicks following their mothers around. 

We also spotted the swamp boubous flying around, with guinea fowl, long-tailed starling, lilac-breasted roller, geese, fork-tailed drongo, coucal, and African firefinch, among others, all seen. 

Our resident lesser striped swallow couple is nowhere to be seen, and it’s evident they have moved away from their nest at the West main area.

Reptiles

Now that the heat is unbearable, reptiles are escaping their usual hiding spots and seeking shades under the trees. A good number of snakes have been spotted, including the green spotted snake and sand snake. We also recently had a rare sighting of a sand snake eating a lizard. Frogs are also seen around East’s main area furniture, perfectly camouflaged. 

Camp news

With the bigger Wilderness Way Wheel now being put into use, everyone is striving to practice what is preached. For our wows, we still utilise Beach Spot and Croc’s Corner for sundowners and bush high teas, which always create quite the thrill for our guests. Most of our guests arrive from their drive just around high tea time, which gives us the opportunity to wow them with treats in the bush upon arrival, rounded off with beautiful singing when they get back to camp. 

Staff news

All our staff are still around, and everyone is well. We had Letang and Terry from Training in camp, as well as Bevan from Service & Standards, all visiting for the improvement of our gem of a camp.

Managers in camp: Olly, Brie, Shadi, Chawa & Girlie.

Compiled by Shadi

Greetings from the heart of the Linyanti – King’s Pool! 

Meet our wild neighbours

We had some magnificent visitors in camp during the second week of October – two beautiful elephants that seemed to really enjoy spending time around our camp. Over the past few weeks, these gentle giants have been spotted near camp, calm and free-roaming, though we always keep a safe and respectful distance. 

Watching such magnificent creatures in their natural habitat – so close to where we live and work – is a powerful reminder of why conservation and coexistence matter so deeply.

On the 14th of October, Mma Lefatshe, our well-known lioness was seen relaxing with her beautiful cub. The pair looked calm and content, sharing a peaceful moment in the afternoon. 

One of Leru’s cubs has been seen lounging east of camp. Sightings has become more frequent in the past few weeks, and guests have been thrilled to catch glimpses of this beautiful young leopard resting in the shade, or silently surveying the land. We are keeping our eyes peeled for more of his elegant, powerful presence. Fingers crossed he stays close.

Wildlife encounters are at their most spectacular and we can’t wait share the magic with you.

Newsletter by Tilly Modise

Wildlife sightings

Speaking of which, lion sightings were remarkable this month, with as many as 52 lions recorded in a single day. A pride of four females and their eight playful cubs became familiar faces around the camp’s waterhole, often joined by the impressive coalition of four male brothers. Their deep roars echoed through the nights, sounds that marked their presence and were a vivid reminder of who runs the bush.

Leopards also put on an incredible show, with nine different individuals spotted in one day – a rare and spectacular occurrence that thrilled our guides and guests alike.

Adding to the excitement, some guests had a few lucky drives that were graced with sightings of aardwolves and aardvarks, both of which are uncommon visitors that made the early mornings, and night drives, even more memorable. Rare sightings indeed!

A few wild dog sightings added to the month’s wildlife excitement. They moved from the King’s Pool area down through to DumaTau, before closing in on Savuti and heading back up to King’s Pool. This had guests thrilled and excited to learn about these energetic dogs’ movements.

Birdlife at Savuti

Summer birdlife has started to arrive, bringing flashes of colour and song. Guests were treated to sightings of carmine and little bee-eaters, paradise flycatchers, and many other returning summer species.

Savuti activities

As water levels continue to drop, boating excursions have become limited, but the landscape remains rich with life and activity. The month closed with the season’s first rains – a refreshing promise of renewal and abundance to come.

Staff news

To end the month, two of our guides – Pro and Elvis – made us very proud as they passed their rifle assessment and have qualified as trail guides. Along with Onx and kevin, we now have four walking guides.

Managers this month – Sasha the GM, Lebo C the Housekeeping Manager, Alex M the Maintenance Manager, and Udu the Shop Assistant.