For many of the guests it was their first time at a game reserve so they were all keen to see big cats.  However there aren't many of them and only 3 vehicles are allowed at a sighting so we had to take turns with other vehicles - the guides have radios to communicate with each other.  

Lion

 In December there was just one small pride consisting of a lioness and her 2 well grown cubs.   During the first 2 days nobody within the reserve saw them but on Chrismas Day morning we saw their tracks just outside our camp on the vehicle track.  We got into our vehicle and followed the tracks for several kilometres until they headed off into the bush.  Our guide had been working at Gondwana for several years and knew the layout of the land so had a good idea of where they were heading.  

We did see the female youngster who appeared to be looking at some game up ahead but they retreated so she lay down for a for a short while and then headed into thick bush where the family probably spent the rest of the day as no-one else saw them that morning.       

 Towards the end of our afternoon drive we had a great sighting of the family walking along a track.  

In the photo the young lion is in front, followed by his mother and then the young female.  The mother has a collar on.  We were told that it's not for tracking them but just in case they ever escape from the reserve and need to be located.  

Cheetah.

In December there was only 1 male cheetah on the reserve.  Earlier in the year a couple of female cheetah were killed by the lions.  One of them had cubs which were located and removed to a wildlife centre to be reared with a view to bringing them back to Gondwana in the future.  

The following day in the afternoon our guide told us that the cheetah was still at the kill site with the animal (unusual that he hadn't moved it) and took us there.  This time we were able to stay watching him for 15 minutes.

Last updated: April 2024