News / Camp News

Xigera Camp - December 2009

13 Jan 2010

Weather
We had some spectacular thunderstorms in December to cap off some hot days. A storm broke early one morning and we received 30mm of rain before sunrise, leaving the day to dawn clear and sunny. We've had some very hot days, with guests flocking to the pool and our famous swimming spot at Xigera Lagoon.

Wildlife
Spotted-necked otter have been seen several times from mokoro on the floodplains and in the channels around camp. We also had the privilege of a few close-up sightings right at the camp bridge, when we managed to get a few photos of these graceful beauties. They spend a lot of their time hunting at the reed edge for small fish, crabs, frogs and aquatic insects. Crystal-clear water, like that in the Okavango, is a big advantage for otter because they hunt fish by sight. This is one of the reasons there are so many here in the Delta.

The resident vervet monkeys have three new additions to their troop. They are still very small so the mothers are keeping them clutched to their chests and not letting them wander around. Their limbs need to get strong before they can jump around the treetops. They will be suckling for a few months still before attempting to forage for fruits, leaves and seeds like the adults. On our island the adults feed predominantly on the fruits of the wild fig, jackal berry, bird plum and mangosteen trees.

On one game drive our guide, Ace Gabanakitso, who was watching a male lion with his guests, suddenly noticed something moving in the trees some distance from his position. After checking with his binoculars he confirmed that there was a leopard up the tree and he took the guests off to investigate. They found a female leopard lying on a branch with the carcass of a small impala hanging in a fork of the tree. She hadn't fed much on it and was just relaxing in the shade of the branch.

When Ace returned to the spot later in the afternoon he found the leopard feeding on an adult impala close to the first kill. It took him a moment to put the puzzle together - he realised that the leopard must have first killed a mother impala, making her baby easy prey, so she killed the baby too and hoisted it into a tree for later consumption. This is typical leopard behaviour, and one of the reasons why they are the most successful big cat - they are resourceful and make the most of any situation. They are truly calculating and opportunistic. After spending three days consuming both carcasses she came down the tree, somewhat rounder than before, and disappeared into the tall grass.

On one morning's boat trip our guide Teko Ketlogetswe found a huge dead hippo in the lagoon. On closer inspection he could see big teeth marks across its body, where another hippo bull had attacked it. These big animals are fiercely territorial and can fight to the death - as proved here. The crocodiles soon moved in and fed on the carcass.

Teko also had a very special sighting while out on a game drive with repeat guests Chad, Eric and Javier: they noticed a honey badger running down the road so they slowed down to take a closer look. They then noticed a very small baby trying to keep up with its mother. She picked it up and carried it by the back of the neck, like a cat would do, and bounded off into the bush with her precious package - a very rare sight indeed.

Camp Staff
Anton Wessels, Gideon Mvere, Virgil Geach, Tlamelo Phuthologo and Matshelo Nkwe.

We look forward to seeing you out here and hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a festive New Year.

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