Pets

The Three Rivers Female: An update on her Recovery – Londolozi Blog

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A little over three months ago a few of the rangers, trackers and their very fortunate guests at Londolozi witnessed an epic territory battle between the Three Rivers Female and The Nkoveni Female. If you happened to miss this titanic scrimmage, watch this very detailed video by Sean Zeederberg, which brilliantly recaps the moments leading up to and the enthralling action that unfolded between these two fierce leopardesses.

The Three Rivers Female’s condition looked precarious immediately after the fight and a few questioned whether she would even survive. What is phenomenal out in the wilderness is the resilience of the animals and how they manage to bounce back after the most intense mishaps or life-threatening situations.

Two days before the incident, The Three Rivers and Nkoveni Females walk alongside each other, scent marking, rasping and displaying behaviour typical of sizing up potential territorial boundaries as they move through an area bordering their respective territories.

Forced into early independence as her mother was killed by the Southern Avoca Males.

A gorgeous female who is found to the east of camp. Easily recognised by her 2:2 spot pattern she is often to be found in Marula trees.

A Brief Recap:

The Nkoveni Female could no longer tolerate The Three Rivers Female after many days of squaring off and sizing each other up. To make matters worse, the Three Rivers Female was responsible for killing one of the Nkoveni Female’s cubs four days before and as a result, it came down to fighting tooth and claw to establish supremacy.

While difficult to witness, it is exceptionally rare to see two adult female leopards engage in such an intense and potentially fatal confrontation.

Although these two leopards know each other well and have bordering territories, the heartbreaking tragedy lies in the fact that the Nkoveni Female sacrificed both her cubs in her pursuit of a larger territory and in doing so nearly killed the Three Rivers Female. Having witnessed this intense battle, I was convinced that the Three Rivers Female suffered a fatal wound to her neck and head and as a result would not see out the rest of the day.

The Three Rivers Female appears defeated, bearing evident signs of a severe injury to her neck. There was significant bleeding from a gash beneath her throat, accompanied by cuts on her ears and head.

Upon closer inspection, the inflicted damage by the Nkoveni Female is revealed. Despite the injury initially appearing superficial, the profuse bleeding from the gash and the demeanour of the Three Rivers Female suggested a more severe impact.

Disappeared or Dead?

Following the intense altercation and enduring a severe beating, the Three Rivers Female vanished for several weeks. Our concern for her well-being deepened, as uncertainty surrounded the extent of her injuries. The severity of the situation raised questions about whether she had sustained injuries that might compromise her ability to hunt. For a leopard, this scenario could be catastrophic. If she was unable to hunt, then her condition would deteriorate quickly and the stark reality of scavenging for food could’ve become a reality.

An Encouraging Development

In October 2023, after more than a month since the altercation with Nkoveni Female, the Three Rivers Female was spotted on Londolozi with a kill in the Tugwaan Drainage. It seems she might have been spending more to the east of the Sand River, where encounters with the Nkoveni Female would be less frequent. During this sighting, her battle scars from the fight had healed, bringing relief to many who were pleased to see her having recovered and back to her normal self.

The Three Rivers Female is unusually small for an adult leopard, but that doesn’t hinder her from taking down prey much larger than herself.

Mating with the Maxim’s Male:

Jumping back in time to the lead-up to the significant confrontation, the Three Rivers Female and Nkoveni Female were in the Maxabeni, engaging in a dispute over an impala carcass presumed to have been killed by the Three Rivers Female. The disagreement was resolved with minimal conflict on this occasion.

After the palaver of the Three Rivers Female and the Nkoveni Female, the Maxim’s Male then moved in and claimed the remains of the carcass.

Fairly skittish male that is presumed to have come from the Kruger National Park.

Meanwhile, the Maxim’s Male cleverly took advantage of the situation, dominating the females and claiming the carcass for himself. Subsequently, the guiding team observed the Three Rivers Female and the Maxim’s Male mating for a couple of days. This sequence of events raises the possibility that Three Rivers may have fallen pregnant between the episode involving Nkoveni Female’s Cub and her own precarious encounter.

A New Litter is Confirmed!

On the last day of October this year, we had a phenomenal sighting of the Three Rivers Female climbing into a big beautiful leadwood tree. After spending 20 minutes tracking her down on foot, Joy and I found her staring down at us from above. We were ecstatic because it was the first instance we had seen her since the big fight with the Nkoveni Female in August.

Three Rivers Female descending a leadwood tree with difficulty because the bark is very hard and even the sharpest of leopard claws struggle to penetrate the leadwood.

It is difficult to tell in the image, but she had a very full stomach indicating the possibility of her being pregnant with her next litter of cubs.

It was a true spectacle watching her manoeuvre through the branches of a very large leadwood and then descend the tree before us. As she leaped from branch to branch I noticed that she could be pregnant. Her stomach was very full, and although she had been feeding on a kill, it appeared she was hiding more than just her recent meal.

We believe she is denning in the Maxabene Riverbed right in the core of her territory in the southeastern parts of the reserve. Though it’s early days, the prospect of her denning again is incredibly exciting. The specifics—like the exact den location and the number of cubs she’s birthed—are yet unknown. The responsibility now falls on the guiding team to uncover these crucial details.

The stunning Three Rivers Female gracefully perches on a fallen marula tree. Witnessing her back in action, fully recovered, brings us immense joy. She’s an exceptional leopard, and we eagerly anticipate witnessing her flourish in the upcoming summer months.

Three months down the line, her recovery from the fight with the Nkoveni Female has been remarkable, to say the least – she’s thriving. Her wounds have healed remarkably well, leaving little trace of the violent encounter. Now we hope she can successfully raise another litter of cubs. It’s truly awe-inspiring to witness the resilience of wild animals, especially solitary predators like leopards.

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