One of my favourite things about being a Londolozi Ranger is that you never quite know what each game drive has in store. The unpredictability of the bush creates constant excitement and with all its variables, a sense of adventure and wonder. With the Nkuwa Female and her two cubs currently being a highly sought-after leopard trio, I thought I’d touch upon a very memorable sighting I was fortunate enough to have during my past six-week cycle in the bush.
Tracker Terrence and I had discussed the plan for the afternoon with our guests – we were going to search for a leopard. We drove out to the west of our camps along the banks of the Sand River, scouring the big trees and dense riverine areas for perhaps a leopard resting in the shade. One thing that we love to do is to switch off the vehicle every so often during a search just to listen to our surroundings. This helps us to reconnect with the smaller animals around us. They are sometimes the only clue you’ll have when you cannot see any tracks.
A glimpse into the Sand River. This is one of my favourite parts of the river, where it is tucked away by a Riparian forest and flows over rocks creating a waterfall.
We searched the roads for leopard tracks but didn’t see anything worth following. Whilst we had the vehicle switched off, Tracker Terrence looked down along a prominent game trail next to him and could see tracks of where a hyena had been running. We could see where each foot of the hyena slid for a short distance on the damp clay. These tracks were fresh.
Hyenas are masters at making great use of their surroundings to obtain food, and they don’t waste time doing it. We didn’t think much of it in the moment, but we thought we’d drive on a little further in that direction and see if we could see where the hyena was going.
As we turned the corner, about 50m from the road, we spotted a hyena feeding on the remains of an impala carcass on the other side of a small dry riverbed. Given the type of dense bushy terrain we were in, we had an excellent feeling that this hyena had just stolen a kill from a leopard.
We quickly navigated a maze of bushwillows to get closer and have a better overview of the scene.
“Leopard!” I said, as my eyes caught the beautiful pale golden coat of the Senegal Bush Male. He lay nearby, already having eaten, and not in the mood to engage with the hyena.
“Another leopard!”…”oh there’s another one!” Terrence said as he glanced up into a Jackalberry tree. So much was happening all at once – all of us were still busy trying to process what was going on.
Not even seconds later, “And another leopard!” I say in disbelief, pointing across the dry riverbed towards it. Four different leopards all together in the same area!
The Nkuwa Female at the base of a Schotia tree.
It was the Nkuwa Female and her two 10-month-old cubs, with their father – the Senegal Bush Male. It was incredibly special for us to come across such a sighting.
After some time had passed by, it all sank in and we managed to piece the scene together.
The little 3:3 cub peers down at us from the upper branches of the Jackalberry tree.
The 2:2 young male leapt up into this large leadwood tree after another hyena came onto the scene, hoping to get a share of the kill.
The Senegal Bush Male must have been patrolling his territory and stumbled across the Nkuwa Trio, deciding to stay with them because of their kill. Our guess is that one of the cubs, who currently lack the strength and experience of the adults, must have accidentally dropped the carcass out of the tree whilst feeding. The lucky hyena would have been there in a flash if it wasn’t already waiting at the base of the tree.
After the hyenas had disappeared from the scene, the leopards were left empty-handed. Here the Nkuwa Female and cubs search for any leftovers.
Although the leopards lost their kill, they all managed to get a decent meal and the cubs survived another day. The inexperience of the cubs unfortunately cost them their next meal, but that is how they learn. These situations help them to gain the necessary experience they’ll need for their independence one day.
The Senegal Bush male left the scene shortly after the hyenas ran off with the remains of the kill.
Shortly after all the activity subsided, the Nkuwa Female and her cubs decided to rest on the cool sand of the dry riverbed and groom each other. Definitely one of those sightings that will be in my memory forever. Here’s a short clip below of the three of them enjoying some bonding time.
Matt Rochford
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