I know we say this week in and week out, but genuinely, the past week to ten days has been some of the best game viewing we’ve had at Londolozi in a while. The variety of species and the level of activity of these animals in their respective sightings has been phenomenal. To top it all off, the weather has hit that sweet spot. Chilly mornings turn into a mild midday warmth as a golden haze sits over the landscape in the late afternoon. You’ll see that this spectacular lighting is reflected in the images below with several of the photos holding a rich, warm glow to them. On the one or two gloomy days that have passed, I often opted for the black and white edit to highlight the moody tones of the sky.
A predator-dense week was dominated by lions with no less than 5 different prides and coalitions being featured in this blog alone. The Avoca Male made an appearance one afternoon while the Ntsevu Breakaways continued to trail behind the herd of buffalo. We had the Toulon Pack of wild dogs traversing Londolozi for two days, successfully hunting a variety of prey on four different occasions of which I was fortunate enough to be with them on two. The cheetah viewing has been fantastic with eight different cheetahs being found in the last little while, including a mother with three cubs. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the cubs myself but enjoyed a couple of afternoons with a young male cheetah. Of all the predators, the leopards actually proved to be the hardest to track down. However, we happened across an unidentified young male in the north and spent a damp afternoon with the Xinzele Female and her sub-adult cub.
Let me know your favourites in the comments section below.
Enjoy this week in pictures…
It always quite refreshing seeing a new leopard, and better yet one that remains unidentified. This young male has been seen on the odd occasion over the last 6 weeks in northern Londolozi and after sending some identifying photos to the neighbouring reserves I still don’t have any idea who he might be. Any guesses? Seems to be a 3:2 spot pattern.
This was my first time seeing the Avoca Male in a good few months. He’s looking stronger than what I expected and was patrolling through the open crests after being drawn into the area the night before, responding to the calls of the Skorro Male.
The last remaining northern Avoca Male wanders his way over Ximpalapala crest in northwestern Londolozi.
A Saddle-billed Stork lands at a small waterhole, wings out-stretched, making for a great reflection on the glassy water.
While climbing onto the vehicle for our morning game drive, we heard a bushbuck alarm calling just outside the camp. We got ourselves ready and raced over to see what was lurking in the area and shortly found the Senegal Bush Male. He was moving fast and scent-marking along the way, taking us through some thick terrain. What a way to start the day.
Initially seen as a young male in 2016, this leopard only properly established territory on Londolozi in mid-2019
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Kyle Gordon and his guests enjoy front-row seats to a marching Ndzenga Male in the early morning. Few things can top a male lion moving with purpose. He had just had a run-in with the Skorro Male near the airstrip and was ushering him out of his territory.
The Ntsevu Breakaways are becoming a dominant force in the central and western parts of the reserve. They have developed a strong taste for buffalo and essentially spend their days now trailing behind the herd, picking off the young, weak and stranded. Long may they prosper.
The Xinzele Young Female, now approaching a year and a half, is growing into a beautiful young leopard. She and her mother had just finished an impala kill on a rainy afternoon in the north.
The cheetah viewing has been exceptional of late. I haven’t formally tallied things up but I would go as far as to say that we have had more cheetah sightings in the last two weeks than in the last year put together. Here, a young male scans the open crests on a dark and moody morning.
The paws of the Ntomi Male. Entering what will properly be the most challenging stage of his life as young nomadic male, it will be interesting to see where these paws lead him in years to come.
A single cub of the Ximungwe Female’s second litter. Initially rather skittish but is very relaxed now. Birth mark in his left eye.
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It’s anyone’s guess how this hyena lost a portion of its upper lip. It was more than likely another predator that would have nipped it off during a battle over food. It’s healed well but makes this particular hyena a very recognisable and somewhat intimidating one.
A Water Monitor, catches the last of the sun’s rays on an exposed boulder in the Sand River.
Although it might not look like it, this was an affectionate greeting between a Ntsevu lioness and her cub. We have consistently been seeing nine cubs moving with the bulk of the pride but I believe there are a few more youngsters that are still being stashed away, not yet introduced to the other lionesses.
Spot the Klipspinger. These small antelope species are very specialised rock-dwellers and seldom come down from their rocky refuges other than to occasionally drink or find a mate. This individual was positioned perfectly for a silhouette shot against the backdrop of a cloudy sky.
A gentle greeting between two of the Talamati lionesses. For a pride that seemed young and somewhat disjointed upon arriving here about a year ago, these lionesses have settled down rather well and have been seen mating with several males across the reserve. Hopefully, they settle with their future cubs in our area.
A few minutes after the last photo was taken, the two lionesses joined each other in the same frame. This was the start of an incredible morning which I plan to write a separate blog on altogether… stay tuned.
Chris Taylor
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