Winter has blown its initial breaths over the region, and with the cooler weather has come a bounty of predator action.
Milder weather is especially favoured by big cats who are usually most active at dusk and dawn. With the sun rising and setting later, the opportunity to witness them has expanded slightly—and we have not been disappointed.
Much like at Camp Moremi and Camp Xakanaxa, which both have family suites, family has been at the forefront in the reserve itself. For starters, Moremi Game Reserve recently welcomed a new litter of lion cubs.
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Over the past few weeks, the mother lioness, who we’ve dubbed our Moremi Mama, has been spotted a handful of times as she introduces her cubs to the landscape, along with the help of her sister—who may also be expecting a litter of her own any day now.
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Before these recent sightings, the cubs were closely protected by both their mother and aunt, hidden away in the thicket of Dead Tree Island. The dominant male of this pride, a black-maned beauty, remains near his family and was recently observed guarding a buffalo carcass nearby.
Fuel up on a few facts before your next visit:
- Gestation Period: Lionesses typically have a gestation period of around 110 days (3.5 months).
- Birth Location: With their tactics of hide-and-go-birth, it’s true that lionesses are very stealthy about where they have their cubs. They often seek out secluded areas such as thickets or dense vegetation to give birth. This provides protection for the vulnerable cubs in their early days.
- Number of Cubs: Lionesses usually give birth to a litter of 2-4 cubs, although litters of up to 6 cubs have been recorded. The entire pride helps in caring for and protecting the cubs.
- Development and Dependency: Lion cubs are born blind and rely on their mother for nursing and protection. They begin to open their eyes after about a week and are fully weaned by 6-7 months. Cubs are early developers, beginning to walk at just 10 to 15 days old. Cubs stay with their mother for about two years before becoming independent.
- Cub Mortality: Unfortunately, lion cub mortality rates are high, particularly in their first year of life. Factors such as predation by other animals, diseases, and competition from other predators contribute to this. However, in a well-protected pride, cubs have a higher chance of survival.
In addition to golden sightings of little lions, we’ve been spoilt with a few spectacular leopard sightings, too. One Moremi veteran, a seven-year-old leopard, has been seen teaching her cub how to hunt. While he’s not very good quite yet and seems more interested in playing than eating, he’s got a great teacher—and he’s got size.
The cub is notably big, almost bigger than his mom, and is only about a year old. This female was previously seen with two cubs, though the young female was killed in 2023 by a fatal giraffe kick. Leopard life is hard, and such is nature, making sightings like these all the more cherished.
Recently, our guide Gwist captured footage of the young male cub attempting to catch a tree squirrel—a nutritious snack that he’s been practising hunting since his mother taught him how just a few weeks ago.
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It’s common for leopard cubs to start hunting small, regardless of their size. In addition to squirrels, birds and insects, other small mammals are targeted for practice until the cub is fully independent.
Fuel up on a few facts before your next visit:
- Number of Cubs: A leopard typically gives birth to a litter of 2-3 cubs.
- Observation of Adults: Leopard cubs observe their mother hunting from a very young age. They accompany her on hunting trips, watching her stalk, chase, and capture prey.
- Maternal Guidance: The mother leopard provides guidance and correction during hunting lessons with her cubs. She may demonstrate techniques, correct their mistakes, and share captured prey with them as a form of reward and sustenance.
- Independent Hunting: Around 12 to 18 months old, leopard cubs start to hunt independently. They initially target small or medium-sized prey that they can handle on their own, gradually gaining confidence and skill as they mature.
- Maternal Care: The mother leopard is solely responsible for caring for and protecting her cubs. She moves them between different dens to avoid detection by predators and may leave them hidden while she goes off to hunt.
Finally, our focus on predators this week wouldn’t be complete without mentioning our resident Pel’s Fishing Owls at Camp Xakanaxa. Guests recently captured the mother and her chick on camera once more.
The chick has noticeably grown since its early days with white feathers. The duo were spotted enjoying a breakfast of fresh fish caught by the mother from the Khwai River, which flows right in front of our camp.
You can read more about these elusive owls here.