It has been a very special week for all of us here at Londolozi, Wild dogs seemed to be everywhere at one point which is by no means the norm, but we definitely aren’t complaining! There’s a lot of water-related content this week. A hyena patiently waits in the cooling flow of the Sand River for a pack of wild dogs to get a move on, this after having been on their tail as they chased a wildebeest calf into a nearby waterhole! Somehow the little antelope made it out of the jaws of both 9 wild dogs AND a crocodile. Although it was sporting some war wounds, the calf was found in a much calmer state, seemingly mostly recovered from the harrowing morning.
In the world of lions, the two Plains Camp Males find a dead giraffe and have a feed, evidence showing that they had chased off the much younger and less experienced Kambula Breakaways. Later in the week, we were incredibly fortunate to find one of the Ndzhenga Males crossing the Sand River at the crack of dawn, an absolute gift for any photographer. We almost witnessed the birth of a buffalo and later saw one of the biggest tusker elephants I’ve seen in my time at Londolozi. The Kambula Pride’s Cubs continue to enthral us with their antics, the youngest three of the 12 constantly stealing the show. And finally, the highlight of my week, the Ximungwe Female leading her cubs to a new stash point further down in the Maxabene River, a dry river bed that she has raised cubs in and around before.
We’ve had a blast this last week here at Londolozi and I hope you enjoy a few of the images I managed to take along the way. Let us know your favourite in the comments below!
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
Some movement across the river caught the eye of this beautiful specimen as he lazed in the shade after a successful morning hunt.
A Woodland Kingfisher rests atop a broken knobthorn branch as it scans for prey.
Brothers in arms. The two Plains Camp Males stare toward a distant roaring as they feed on a deceased giraffe. In the last TWIP, ranger Kirsten Jocelyn found the Thumbela Female feasting on the fallen ruminant, who died seemingly of natural causes. We Found her slinking away from the scene shortly before finding these two behemoths having a feed.
I have not had the privilege of seeing a birth but this is the youngest calf I have ever seen. Still very wobbly on his legs, this little one must have just been born not 15 minutes prior to us see him taking his first steps.
A huge tusker walks through the grasslands as the sun sets behind him. I tried to get onto the other side to get better lighting but he wasn’t having any of it as he was in musth and we decided to let the giant be.
A very fat and happy cub gets his evening bath.
A chilling moment as this Ntsevu Lioness stares straight through the camera lens.
A prize clutched in his maw, this male keeps an eye out as the rest of the pack feeds.
Ranger Ross Cheshire & guests enjoy the excitement as a pack of wild dogs, having recently finished a kill, nervously stare toward a point behind my vehicle where one of the pack-members had recently yelped in suprise and bolted from that spot.
A Saddle-billed Stork silhouetted against the reflection of dusk in the Sand River.
This hyena sat cooling itself off in the Sand River as it waited patiently for the wild dogs in the first picture to get going for the afternoon.
A stunning young female with a very similar spot pattern to her mother, the Nkoveni Female. Litter still completely intact March 2022.
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Just two best buddies sharing a drink.
A highlight of my week, watching the Ximungwe Female move her little ones down the dry Maxabene Riverbed.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
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Stretching her claws out on a fallen knobthorn tree as one cub follows her lead in the background.
Kyle Gordon
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