Pets
A Morning With The Ngungwe Female – Londolozi Blog
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The morning started with the unmistakable sound of impala and kudu alarm calls, echoing through the bush. We knew a predator was nearby, and our search led us to the Manyelethi River. There, we spotted her—the elusive Ngungwe Female Leopard, emerging from the dense riverine vegetation, gracefully crossing the sandy riverbed.
Young inquisitive beautiful female, bordering on independence as of November 2021
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Born in 2020 during the quieter days of the pandemic, she had once been known as a shy and reclusive leopard, rarely seen and even more rarely photographed. On this particular morning however, she offered us one of those rare and breathtaking sightings by moving through and posing in just about every iconic spot you could think of.
We followed her as she moved with purpose, scent marking and winding through the landscape rich with boulders and thickets – now the core part of her territory. We watched as she effortlessly scaled the iconic boulders of Southern Cross Koppies, pausing to scan her surroundings with a calm authority. This was no longer the timid leopard we once knew – the Ngungwe Female has grown into a confident adult with a commanding presence.
Climbing over the boulders with confidence as she spots the trio of klipspringers.
As we followed her ascent, she suddenly froze, her gaze fixed on a trio of klipspringers perched on a nearby rocky outcrop. The small antelope, with their sharp eyesight and sure-footed agility, had spotted her almost as quickly as she had spotted them. They began to sound their unique whistling alarm call, a high-pitched note that echoed across the rocks – another highlight for me as this is an alarm call I have only ever heard once before. The Ngungwe Female, unfazed by their alarm, watched them intently for a few moments before continuing on her way, the interaction a reminder of the finely tuned balance of predator and prey, now that she had lost the element of surprise it was no longer worth her time or energy to go after these klipspringers.
A trio of klipspringers eventually spotted the Ngungwe female high up on the boulders and gave off their unique whistling alarm call.
Eventually she seemly disappeared into one of the smaller river beds nearby and we thought we might lose sight of her there. Most of us in the vehicle were eagerly peering down to the river bed on the left while one of my guests casually mentioned: “I think there is something lying in the sun on the rocks over there” – now pointing to the right of us. There she was perfectly posing looking into the golden morning light.
Posing into the golden morning light.
At this point we thought, surely things can’t get any better when ranger Reece Biehler let us know he had spotted a male leopard passing through the area nearby. The Ngungwe Female then continued to spoil us by climbing high up into the branches of a knobthorn tree observing the Xitsalala Male as he passed through her territory.
Now five years old, the Xitsalala Male could be looking to establish a territory of his own, but the Ngungwe Female will make sure he is well-established before she pursues him to mate and have cubs.
The Xitsalala Male watched the Ngungwe Female from below for a short while before he disappeared down into the thickets along the Manyelthi River.
A handsome young male leopard that originates from Ngala in the Timbavati Reserve north of here. He had a sister who made it to independence
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Without a doubt an exceptional sighting of the Ngungwe Female moving confidently across these iconic spots and her behaviour hinting at a possible future – one where these boulders could possibly serve as a den site for her cubs.
The Ngungwe Female wraps up an exceptional morning as she descends the knob thorn tree.
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Kelsey Clark
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