The game densities generally get better as you head further north in the area. Impala are probably the commonest antelope here, with tsessebe a close second and red lechwe certainly dominating any areas which are flooded. Kudu, giraffe zebra, reedbuck, warthog and occasionally wildebeest are all found here; sable, roan and waterbuck are not. Elephant and buffalo occur singly during the wetter parts of the year, and pass through in larger herds as the dry season reaches its end.
When the flood is at its height, there may be the occasional sitatunga around, but apart from a few places on the rivers, there isn’t enough papyrus reedbeds to support them.
Lion are around in good numbers, and while leopard occur, they’re not frequently spotted. Wild dog pass though, and sightings of them seem to increase between about October and December. However, the open wide plains where you could follow them are limited in the concession.
Cheetah are certainly around here and often seen in the drier areas – on one drive here during a fairly brief visit one of the book’s contributors spent a magical 25 minutes with a male cheetah as he strolled from termite mound to mound searching for the perfect vantage point.