Weather and Landscape
The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ICZ) has caused a lot of rain in Deception Valley. Lake Deception is full and Pink-backed Pelicans and Ducks are wading in the waters - a phenomenon that the Owens (Cry of the Kalahari) recorded in their diary in the 1980s.

Evenings and mornings are becoming colder - which means winter has arrived. The night skies are amazing and a sleep-out at Kalahari Plains is a must, as there is nothing like sleeping under a blanket of stars in the middle of a desert! We also highly recommend a full-day safari into Deception Valley.

Wildlife
We've had great sightings this month of the two dominant male lion. The pride has been patrolling around the camp and came to the camp waterhole on three occasions. Dinner was disrupted one night by a loud roar, very close by, as the huge black-maned male walked to the waterhole. Three days later he was seen mating with one of the females just ten minutes from camp. It would be wonderful to have cubs at Kalahari Plains - we can grow together.

The sub-adult leopard is becoming very relaxed around the vehicles now, and seems to be settling in near a small mopane woodland. Who could imagine a mopane woodland in the middle of the Kalahari Desert? This curious sub-adult leopard comes into camp on some nights, which we know by the tracks we see the next morning. 

We had a more than usually interesting Bushman walk a couple of days ago which was interrupted by the leopard, who clearly wanted to learn a little more about the Kalahari.

Otherwise we've been seeing large numbers of gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest and blue wildebeest.

Camp Staff
Management: Ras, Basha and Olivia
Guides: Tshepo and Willie