The Week In Pictures #637 – Londolozi Blog

The beautiful Xinkhova Female took a rest in a shaded riverbed allowing this perfectly unobstructed view for us.

She then started grooming herself and yawning on three different occasions signalling some intent to get moving. A few minutes passed and she did just that, slinking into the bushwillow thickets and disappearing.

A striking Woodland Kingfisher searching for its next victim. These kingfishers do not feed on fish as you’d expect but rather prefer to go after insects, frogs and lizards.

Seeing a large elephant march through the open area surrounding the Londolozi airstrip is just incredible.

It is always so exhilarating to find a cheetah on Londolozi as they are quite difficult predators to find in the open savannah regions of the reserve. This day was no different as we happened upon a male cheetah scanning his surroundings from a fallen marula tree.

We have been seeing a pack of three wild dogs consisting of two males and one female recently. The female, pictured here, has been mating with the alpha male meaning she could be pregnant and expecting a new litter in autumn. This will be very promising for this pack which is thin on numbers.

One member of a troop of baboons climbed a small stump to keep an eye on us as the rest scampered into the thickets.

Another member of the pack of three exposes its carnivorous set of teeth as it yawns after a busy morning of hunting.

The largest eagle in the area, a Martial Eagle, takes flight before our eyes. With three powerful flaps of its wings, it effortlessly took to the sky.

The regal and dominant Senegal Bush Male. We are noticing his territory shift further west of camp and into Marthly, north of the Sand River.

Spending time with this elephant bull was a pleasure. He was very relaxed and was happy to feed on the grass and small wildflowers all around our vehicle.

A spectacular White-fronted Bee-eater comes to perch after attempting to catch an insect buzzing around nearby.

A Martial Eagle perches momentarily while hunting a scrub hare beneath the long grass.

The impressive Ntsevu Males are the breakaways of the Ntsevu Pride. These males are growing into enormous lions and are looking in fine condition.

A peaceful snapshot of an intense standoff between two male giraffes who were fighting for dominance. This is known as ‘necking’.

We spent some quality time with the Ximungwe Female one afternoon as she drank from a mud wallow and then lay down in the shade of a tamboti thicket. She is currently denning two cubs in the heart of Londolozi which has brought much excitement.

There was also a special sighting of the Mashaba Female laying and then stretching on a marula trunk. Previously known to be the most viewed leopard on Londolozi, at 16 years old, she has become a lot more scarce due to her shifting her territory much further south.

A large elephant bull throws mud on his back in the heat of the day.

The Black Dam Males have shifted territory further North of Londolozi recently. Apart from hearing their roars from time to time, we haven’t seen them too much.