Stripes in motion: zebras frolic through dust and light at Pom Pom
Text and photos by Alexandra George
Introduction
At Pom Pom, alongside the headline predators, Pom Pom offered equally alluring but gentler actors who also occupied centre stage: impala herds grazing in the morning light, zebras frolicking and kicking up dust, hyenas resting in the grass. Though not the headline predators, they filled the Delta with movement, colour and sound. Together, they revealed Pom Pom not just as a stage for Big Cats, but as a living, breathing community of creatures great and small. Antelopes, elephants, zebras, hyenas, wildebeest, baboons and jackals form the “supporting cast” without which Big Cats could not survive.
🐾 A Zebra Welcome
The drive from the Pom Pom airstrip to camp is a short one, a sandy track that winds through mopane and acacia. We had barely settled into our seats when the bush staged its first surprise. Out of the shimmering light, a small herd of zebras, six or seven strong, came galloping across the road in front of us. Their black-and-white stripes blurred as they galloped past, manes tossing, hooves pattering against the earth. For a moment it felt like a choreographed welcome parade, as if the Delta itself had sent its striped guardians to greet us.
✨ Other Creatures of Pom Pom – The Plains Herds
The floodplains around Pom Pom held not only the drama of lions and leopards but also the quieter beauty of the herds. At dawn and dusk, impala gathered in the tall grass, their sleek russet coats glowing in the light. They moved gracefully together, ears flicking at the faintest sound, always alert to predators yet at ease in the abundance of the Delta.
Impala in the morning light, a single herd moving like brushstrokes across the green canvas of Pom Pom
One morning, a greater kudu bull stepped lightly out of the woodland, spiraled horns catching the sun. Though I later saw him with his consort and a small herd, in that solitary moment he seemed the very embodiment of elegance and poise, one of Africa’s most stately antelopes.
A greater kudu bull at Pom Pom, his spiral horns rising like a sculpture
Among Pom Pom’s grasslands I was lucky to encounter tsessebe, Africa’s fastest antelope. Often overlooked beside the more familiar impala and kudu, the tsessebe is striking in its own right: long-faced, with rich chestnut coats and dark markings on the legs. One tsessebe stood alert in the open, muscles taut, eyes fixed on the horizon, another moved slowly through the tall grasses, its russet body blending with the light. Elegant yet powerful, tsessebe embody both speed and grace, a reminder of the Delta’s rich variety of antelope life.
Poised and powerful, the tsessebe stands watch over the floodplain
Chestnut elegance: a tsessebe threads its way through emerald grasses of Pom Pom
On one broad plain, the antelope herds mingled freely. Wildebeest grazed alongside impala, their darker shapes scattered through the grass, the scene timeless in its rhythm. Different species, moving as one – Pom Pom’s floodplains alive with the easy harmony of the wild.
Impala and wildebeest, grazing companions on the Pom Pom plains
In a quieter moment nearby, a foal rested in the grass beneath the watchful presence of two adults. Their striped heads bent close, cropping the new growth, while the youngster nestled safely between them. The contrast to the earlier rough-and-tumble was striking with Pom Pom’s zebras showing both their spirited side and their tender, protective bonds.
Stripes upon stripes, generations mirrored, the Delta’s wild poetry etched in black and white.
🐒 Sharing Laps with a Baboon
One afternoon at Pom Pom’s pool, I swam to the far end and turned, only to find a big male baboon crouched over the side, drinking with his cupped hands. Every so often he lifted his head, eyes darting to make sure he wasn’t disturbed. I stayed perfectly still, half-stunned and half-delighted, by his presence.
My phone was resting on a nearby lounger, and I didn’t dare move or distract him knowing how much mischievous baboons love to snatch things. I stayed perfectly still, stunned in the most wonderful way, as we shared that moment before he slipped off into the trees where his troop rustled above the guest safari tents. It was a reminder that here, the water was as much theirs as mine, and even a swim meant sharing space with Pom Pom’s true residents.
🐘 An Elephant’s Salute
After leaving behind the poolside antics of the baboon troop, we set out again across Pom Pom’s grassy floodplains. The late afternoon light had softened, painting the mopane with a quiet glow. Just as the hum of the vehicle blended with cicadas, a vast grey form emerged from the trees. An elephant stepped out, pausing to feed before lifting its trunk high into the air. Whether testing the wind or savouring the scents of Pom Pom, the gesture felt almost ceremonial, a benediction of sorts, reminding one of the serene majesty these giants bring to the Delta.
An elephant’s salute to the Delta skies
🐾 A Softer Rhythm of Hyenas
At Pom Pom, hyenas showed a softer rhythm than I expected. Some rested in the long grass, soaking up the quiet of the morning, while two others strolled together, noses down as they sniffed the grass. Even here, where predators wander, there was a sense of ease in how they passed their time.
As the cheetah strolled through the grass, a spotted hyena appeared, pausing just long enough to fix me with a steady stare before slipping back into the bush. At Pom Pom, predators cross paths in ways that seem fleeting, yet remind you that every creature is part of the same stage
A fleeting stare – a hyena crossing paths with a cheetah at Pom Pom
🐺 Side-Striped Jackal
On several mornings we came across both black-backed and side-striped jackals, sometimes alone, sometimes in pairs. They trotted easily through the grass, ears pricked, tails swaying, not in a rush, simply going about their day. There was a lightness to their movements, as if the morning belonged to them.
A rare glimpse of the side-striped jackal, enjoying the day as he strolls through Pom Pom’s grasslands.
🐕 A Wild Dog Farewell
With the pack of 20 wild dogs stretched out beneath the trees by the airstrip, it felt as though the Delta itself was offering us a last farewell. After days of chance encounters, from zebra herds and a thirsty baboon to this final glimpse of painted wolves at rest, the journey had unfolded like a story written by the wilderness itself. It was a true Magical Mystery Tour: unexpected gifts, revealed one by one, and impossible to forget.