September has come and gone... It was supposed to be the beginning of spring, but we were lucky to experience about two days of "spring-like" weather and then we quickly jumped straight into summer. Temperatures have risen quickly and we are starting to see the build-up of cloud formations which are nature's way of "teasing" us into expecting some potential relief from the heat with the onset of the first glorious rains. However, it is most definitely a tease and as quickly as the clouds build up, the wind blows through, and dissipates the cotton-wool clouds into wispy strands.

Needless to say, the landscape in the concession is looking barren and dry, but the benefit is that there is very little cover for camouflage and hence our wildlife sightings have been spectacular. The constant sunshine and heat has caused the floodwaters to start dropping rapidly which has concentrated the animal herds and made for very "efficient" game viewing.   

It seems as if Chitabe is becoming the destination to view leopard, as we had daily sightings of these generally elusive felines. To top this off, the leopards are very relaxed and provide us with awesome photographic opportunities. One leopard in particular comes to mind as being the most photogenic of all: she is known as Boitomelo. On one occasion, Barberton and his guests had seven different leopard sightings on the same day!

The breeding herds of elephant are also daily sightings in and around camp. The herds are prolific with lots and lots of baby elephants everywhere. The big herds of buffalo continue their trek through the concession, leaving the air filled with dust which in turn makes the sunsets all the more dramatic.

A definite highlight and unusual sighting occurred in the middle of the month, which even wowed Phinley, who has been guiding in the bush for 20 years. The group found a mating pair of spotted hyaena in broad daylight. What makes this interesting is the social structure within a hyaena clan, where the females are dominant over all males as well as being larger in size. This dominance was clear throughout the copulation as the male had to remain submissive and did not stick around after the mating was done.

The Chitabe Pack of wild dogs has also put in some amazing displays for the guests, hunting and taking down two impala - on most occasions when we have witnessed them hunting. It seems as though the pack has split and the yearlings from last year have decided to disperse and potentially start their own pack. Dog numbers at sightings have fluctuated between 13 - 18 and sometimes we've seen 23 dogs together.

September at Chitabe has also presented us with very consistent cheetah sightings, especially around the open plains near the Gomoti Channel on the western boundary of the concession. Other extraordinary sightings this month have been aardwolf and caracal. 

"You have a very good team of staff and guides that many other camps could learn from." Anthony.

"Phinley was an amazing guide. His knowledge and expertise ensured that we were able to see everything we hoped for. Everybody is so welcoming and friendly." Maura and Sandra.

"Game drives were the highlights of our visit. Phinley was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and interesting. We saw amazing sights, learned a lot about the animals, birds and trees. We were delighted with our stay at Chitabe." Chris and Janet.

"Our guide, Anthony was terrific. We saw animals we never expected to see. The pride all the guides have for their country and its resources is inspirational. This was truly the trip of a lifetime." John and Ann.

Managers: Trevor, Masedi, Alex and Lieana. Moalosi and Derrick at Lediba.

Guides: Gordon, Anthony, Ebineng, Barberton and Phinley.

Photographs were taken by Dave Hamman.