Pets
The Week in Pictures #640 – Londolozi Blog
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As the greens and lush colouration of summer begin to fade, I can’t help but be excited for the change in season. From beautiful orange sunsets to browner, natural, and drier open landscapes once again, the change in season is always something to behold.
We have been unbelievably spoilt with sightings of many different leopards, from the Three Rivers Female, now slightly more south than usual, to the Tumbela Female who was found feeding on a giraffe carcass that died of natural causes and then was chased off by a clan of hyenas. The Plaque Rock Female still provides incredible sightings in dead trees. The Ximungwe Female and her two cubs continue to provide sightings. Overall, our leopard sightings have been incredible.
On the lion front, the Ntsevu Pride which consists of five females and over ten cubs, has now been established as the Kambula Pride while the remaining older female with two other lionesses and three cubs will maintain the name of the Ntsevu Pride. Nonetheless, it’s been great to see this pride regularly on kills as we watch the young cubs begin to grow up.
The Mbili Pack has been seen more regularly in the central parts of Londolozi from where they were first seen on Marthly. They have spent a couple of days around our airstrip and have been an energetic addition to game drives. The occasional sighting of the male cheetah in the open areas of the reserve have been had as well.
The general game has added a unique element to each drive as the newborn animals from the end of last year begin to grow up. From impala lambs starting to sprout their horns, to baby monkeys climbing in trees, the abundance of life prepares for the drier times ahead.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
A pretty young playful female found along the river to the east of camp
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After repositioning in the same tree she folded her front paws as she watched the herd of impala. A more portrait shot allowed for a black-and-white edit.
These two young elephants both decided to scratch themselves simultaneously on the same stump after a mud bath in the nearby wallow.
The impressive yellow-billed Hornbill in the afternoon sun is a characteristic bird of the low veld.
The camber of the airstrip allowed us to position far enough away to get an awesome eye-level photo as they walked towards us just after the sun had set.
A dominant Rhino bull follows the scent of another rhino while meandering through the Leadwood forest.
A sighting I will never forget. A giraffe bull was found dead from natural causes in the Northern parts of the reserve. To my amazement, the Tumbela female was found feeding on this sizeable meal before being chased off by hyenas and then subsequently the Plains Camp Males.
Born into a litter of two, male cub did not survive. She is seen more and more in central Marthly and rapidly approaching full independence.
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After the Tumble female was chased off of the giraffe carcass she did a big loop around to try and get a better vantage of the hyenas that were feeding. This did not go unnoticed by the three hyenas who managed to see her from far away.
The delicate stare of the Three Rivers female as she watches a nearby herd of impalas in the shade of a fallen over tree. We have been seeing this leopardess less in recent times after she and the Nkoveni female contend for territory.
Forced into early independence as her mother was killed by the Southern Avoca Males.
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The newly named Kambula Pride. This pride is often difficult to capture in its entirety with 5 females and a number of their offspring. This breakaway pride is now known as the Kambula Pride while the remaining three lionesses from the core Nstevu Pride.
The two cubs of the Ximungwe female climb onto a boulder as they peer back at their mother
After greeting and being groomed this young cub played with its mother as a squirrel began to alarm call in the trees above.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
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After the abundance of new impala lambs, it’s been wonderful to see the start of the young males’ horns begin to poke through. It will take them about 3 years to grow their horns fully.
It’s often unusual to see a cheetah here at Londolzoi due to the preferred habitat of the cheetah as well as the abundance of other predators which out-compete the cheetah. The male was scent marking on one of the only Marula trees on the horizon.
Although initially concerning at first this young zebra foal will likely survive its mange. Mange is a mite that during the summer months is more prevalent among young animals. Due to this zebra suckling the friction has caused it to lose its fur. As this foal begins to eat more grass and reestablish a stronger immune system its fur will grow back.
A newborn monkey lies in the safety of its mother’s arms in the fork of a Leadwood Tree.
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Kirst Joscelyne
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