The Week In Pictures #727 – Londolozi Blog

The stare from a lion can stop any person in their tracks but this particular one was special. One of the young male lions from the Msuthu pride glare straight at us as we approached them all sleeping ona sunny afternoon.

An amazing spot by tracker Freddy Ngubene. While exploring the south western parts of the reserve, known to be open grassland, we came across this fiery-necked nightjar sitting on its nest. These patterns often go amiss as these beautiful birds are mainly seen at night.

After a quiet morning exploring the banks of the sand river, the day took a turn when we came across the Nhlanguleni Female patrolling a nearby drainage. Here she posed perfectly still as a Grey Duiker escaped from the brush.

Caught in the act, a giraffe gnawing on what looked like an old impala horn. Giraffes are sometimes seen practicing osteophagy, chewing on old bones to obtain minerals such as calcium and phosphorus that their typical leafy diets lack.

Poised with intent, the Three Rivers Female sits fixated on a few francolin moving through the undergrowth along the banks of the Maxabene.

With the Gijima Males moving north, the Msuthlu Pride has followed and we have been enjoying seeing them a lot more regularly.

This is one of my favourite photos of the week. The Ngungwe female stands between the granite rocks that surround the Manyelethi river in the northern parts of the reserve.

One of the Kambula lionesses returns to her cubs that were feeding on a zebra kill. After wondering off for a drink, she slowly meandered her way back to the remains of a successful night hunting.

Every time we see these two leopards together I cannot help but think, is this the last time? It is clear the Nkoveni Young Male is bigger than his mom now. Spending more time alone and increasing his hunting skills, it is about time he starts to move on…

A kudu bull stands tall against the breeze on an open crest.

Now this will be a morning to remember for a long time. After following a drag mark that spread across road, potentially meaning a predator had dragged a kill over the road, we entered the bush to find the Ndzanzeni female perched on this bolder with a kill hanging over head in the leadwood tree just ten metres away.

The Msuthlu Pride spent the better part of a week on Londolozi recently, and you can’t help but admire these young male lions. Sired by two of the biggest lions in the sabisands, their futures have the potential to make history.

A picture is worth a thousand words. The Ximungwe Female’s life recently has not been the easiest. From a broken leg and losing cubs to altercations with her nephew, the Nkoveni Young Male. After fights, leopards will often salivate profusely, and this was the case on this eventful afternoon.

The Gijima Males are making their presence felt. With every passing day, they seem to be expanding. Her,e one of the Gijima Males looks to cross the sand river after spending time with the two Kambula Lionesses.

A side profile of the Nkoveni Female standing strong over a large impala ram kill. At 13 years old this leopard never ceases to amaze me.

In my last TWIP, I explained how rare it was to find a Scops Owl in broad daylight but it happened again. Here I managed to capture the exact moment it “winked” at me, another favourite from this week in pictures.

Saving the best for last, my favourite picture of the week. The Xinzele Female poses ever so elegantly on the base of Ximpalapala Koppie. This rocky outcrop has been home to many animals but seeing a leopard on it is every guide and guest’s dream. Stay tuned, as there is potentially some big news involving the Xinzele female. Stay tuned.