Over the past week, the legendary Londolozi bushveld has truly lived up to its well-deserved reputation. As we embrace the depths of winter, the crisp mornings greet us with a refreshing jolt, serving as the perfect complement to that first cup of coffee. Amidst this thriving landscape with a touch of green peeking through the lush grass, the spectacular sightings of several lions have taken centre stage.
From the local resident, Ndzhenga Males hoping to extend their reign over the Talamati Pride too, as both males were found mating with different lionesses. One male strides across the airstrip in the late afternoon light. As the sun casts its warming golden rays, relieving the chill from the evening before we find the Tsalala Female soaking it all up while splayed out across some boulders in the north. The Ntsevu Cubs do the same while their mothers are out and about seeking their next meal. A shot of the Black Dam Males resting in the river sand ahead of them driving the Skorro Young Male out. To top off the lion sightings, we officially welcome two new and fiercely impressive male lions onto Londolozi through the blog, the Gijima Males.
On the leopard front, the ferocious Senegal Bush Male gives us a menacing look as he rests after a long morning patrol. The other leopard we manage to see has some phenomenal news for us to share with you all.
Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
After finishing off a warthog carcass, these two Ntsevu Lionesses led these cubs away from the area and further south into the heart of Londolozi.
In the gorgeous afternoon light, this elephant spent some time knee-deep in the water quenching her thirst.
Allowing us a great opportunity to get some in-action shots.
In the same elephant sighting a water monitor lizard climbed out from a thicket nearby and up into this tree to warm itself in the last suns rays before the evening chill sets in.
With a little playful side spraying water all over with her trunk.
The morning light illuminated this Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill while it preened through all of its feathers.
Another elephant bull came ambling along the Maxabene River towards us while sniffing a couple of piles of other elephant dung along the way, seeing who else is around.
The two Black Dam Males resting in the river before setting off on their quest to chase the Skorro Young Male out of this area.
After following this large elephant bull for a little while, he eventually settled on this little shrub for a feed.
The Tsalala Female now reaching an age of sexual maturity the chances of her beginning to mate or already having fallen pregnant are increasing daily. Here she rests in luxuriates in the warm sun on some boulders very near to where she was in fact denned as a cub. Of course, this got all the rangers into a frenzy thinking could it be that she has already given birth. Anyway, this wasn’t the case she was simply lounging about in the sun.
One of the Ndzhenga Males spent four or five days mating with this Talamati Lioness around the Londolozi airstrip. Could this portion of the Talamati Pride be around to stay.
All the while the other Ndzhenga Male had been mating with another lioness, another of the Talamati Lionesses who decided that this journey of giraffe looked appetising and she began to stalk them.
Fixated on the approaching lioness, out in the open, with no element of surprise there was very little chance of success, I wonder what these giraffes were thinking.
The Senegal Bush Male with a bit of a smirk on his face as he rests in the shade after a long morning patrol.
Initially seen as a young male in 2016, this leopard only properly established territory on Londolozi in mid-2019
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Welcome to Londolozi, the Gijima Males. Yes, they have been on Londolozi before and we know this is not the first time, but this is the first time that we are able to put some content out on them.
A wake of vultures perches in the trees above the Gijima Males waiting for the remnants of the zebra carcass that the lions were feeding on.
I can almost hear the conversation these two were having, “Hey man, what are we going to get up to today?” “I don’t know, probably the same thing we do every day!”
I’ll leave this one for you all to solve. Firstly, who is this? Secondly, what about this picture is so special? Thirdly, where do you think she has come from?
Safe to say, a very similar appearance of this Dark-capped Bulbul. The aloes draw in a plethora of different birds and insects and we look forward to many more excursions to see what we can capture around them.
Sean Zeederberg
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