BIG CATS OF BOTSWANA

Lion
Panthera leo
Botswana is home to an estimated 3000 lions in its various national parks and wildlife management areas.  While this may seem like a large number, they are actually under significant pressure in many areas from human encroachment and hunting.

Lions are quite likely to be seen on any safari to the Okavango Delta or Linyanti region in northern Botswana.  Interestingly, many prides of lion have become specialists in terms of the prey animals they hunt.  This is often dictated by the prevalence of such prey in the lions' home ranges.  In some areas like Duba Plains Camp in the Okavango (one of the best places to watch lions), lions hunt predominantly buffalo and have become experts in doing so successfully.  In Chobe's Savute Marsh, the Joubert's have documented some lions who take to hunting adult elephants for part of the year when the zebras and other plains game have migrated out of the lions' territory.  Still others specialize in red lechwe, warthogs, and even hippos!

It is always a thrill to get close to a wild lion, especially for the first time.  The power of these cats is well documented as is their need to rest for much of the day.  Seeing lions sleeping is unfortunately all too common, but if you encounter them in the cooler hours of the day, you will often be rewarded with lions in action.

Lions are the only social cat in Africa and related females remain in a family unit called a pride throughout their lives.  Young males are typically driven away from the pride at or before 3 years old by the dominant pride males who "own" the territory and the females within it.  Male lions must fight to take over a territory and they may lead a difficult existence as nomads before growing strong enough to challenge other males for their chance to mate.

Watching lion cubs is also a great thrill for those lucky enough to see them on a safari.  The playfulness of these little ones is truly a pleasure to watch as they chase each other, bite their tolerant mother and older siblings, and practice the skills of stalk and pounce which will be needed later for their survival.

Leopard
Panthera pardus
The leopard is often described as Africa's "true" cat, and it really is.  It climbs trees very well, is truly the master of all cats when it comes to stalking and ambushing prey, and can disappear into foliage right before your eyes to become seemingly invisible.  The leopard is also a very beautiful creature - it moves like liquid and its coloration is spectacular.  This is also a fast cat - over the first 30 meters, it is like lightning and, over this initial sprint, probably has no equal.

The leopard is also very successful as it has adapted to a wide range of habitats and prey species.  Census counts are very difficult owing to the fact that these animals are more difficult to locate.  However, a visit to the Okavango is your best best for seeing a leopard.  Mombo Camp in the Moremi Game Reserve has a well-deserved reputation as perhaps the best place in Botswana for seeing leopards up close.  Other safari camps with good leopard sighting possibilities include Kwara Camp and Jao Camp.

Unless you are lucky enough to find a female with cubs or mating leopards, these cats are solitary creatures and most often seen alone.  Their preferred habitats are well wooded forests as these areas provide cover for hunting and refuge from other predators like lions and hyenas.  Leopards will always attempt to haul a kill into a tree and cache it safely out of reach of the other predators but can often kill prey far too big to lift.

Prey consists mainly of small to medium-sized antelopes, warthog piglets (in season), birds such as francolin and guinea fowl, and often young and female baboons.  Male leopards will defend a territory against other males while females have what is known as a home range with a core area in the center which is strongly defended and a less defended outer area around the center.

Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
The cheetah is well known as the fastest land animal, reaching speeds of up to 100 km per hour over short distances when chasing down prey.  Cheetahs are seen fairly often in certain areas of the Okavango, Kalahari and Linyanti regions of Botswana.  There is a healthy population of cheetah in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park as well.  Safari camps with an excellent chance of seeing cheetah include Savuti Camp, Vumbura Camp and Mombo Camp.

Because of their need for wide open spaces for hunting, the dry floodplains in the Okavango Delta are excellent for cheetah viewing on safari.  Prey species include impala and other small antelope, although coalitions of males can tackle larger prey such as adult red lechwe, wildebeest, and sub-adult kudu and zebra.

Female cheetahs live a solitary life, interrupted regularly by 18-month intervals of raising litters to adulthood.  Males can often be seen alone or in a coalition of one or two siblings (not unlike male lions).  The coalitions give the males a better chance of holding a territory and open up larger prey species to their menu.

Cheetahs are the least aggressive and have the least body strength of Botswana's large predators and, as a result, cannot defend kills against hyenas or lions as so they hunt during the daylight hours (when lions and hyenas are less active) to avoid confrontations.  Even so, a cheetah's kills are often stolen by other predators scavenging.  Cheetahs therefore also feed as quickly as possible after a kill (and after resting from any long chase) to reduce the risk of going hungry.

At some point in the past, cheetahs reached a point of near-extinction before recovering their numbers.  Consequently, today there exists almost no genetic diversity in cheetahs, making them very susceptible to diseases and genetic afflictions.  Other than Botswana, the cheetah may be found in fairly good numbers in certain parts of Namibia.