“No one anointed us ruler of this kingdom. It is not ours to own. We are simply one of the animal species on our planet; not separate, not superior. We hold in our hands the responsibility to preserve harmony in our natural world, to demonstrate compassion towards all that call this home… We must understand the mutual dependence between humans and animals. Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care, can all be saved.” Jane Goodall
Another action-packed week has passed at Londolozi. As I write this, the summer rains have well and truly arrived, filling each puddle and wallow with fresh water and flooding the river banks for the first time in months. New life is around every corner, from termites alates to impala lambs, the bushveld is brimming with a new energy.
Photography hasn’t been easy in the wet conditions, so I’ll admit I’ve used a few images from weeks past. Nonetheless, our sightings have been of the usual high standard with plenty of activity across the reserve. The lion dynamics remain one of the more interesting topics, as the Gijima Males appear to be tightening their grip over Londolozi, forcing the older Ndzhenga Males further north. The arrival of the up-and-coming Nwaswitshaka Coalition of four from the south has also added excitement to the story, and while they are still quite young, they might hold the potential to wedge themselves into a territory in south-western Londolozi. On the leopard front, the Nkoveni Young Male has made up the bulk of our leopard viewing as he finds his way into independence. The blustery weather conditions were ideal for leopard hunting, with sightings of the Maxims Male, Nkoveni Female, Ngungwe Female, Xinkova Female and the Nkuwa Female all having successfully made kills within a couple of days of each other, this week!
The Toulon Pack and Othawa Pack of Painted Dogs have both been seen leading their brood of young pups across the reserve, while the birdlife has also been taken up a notch with all the returning migrants.
Let us know your favourite pictures in the comments below.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
Two tree squirrels explore the nooks of a dead Leadwood tree. It’s likely that they have or were looking for a new home in the trees branches. A squirrels home is referred to as a ‘drey’.
A first view for me of the young Karhula Female. She was found near our southern boundary with a hoisted impala carcass.
A Giant Kingfisher keeps a beady eye on the river below, looking out for any fish or frogs to snatch up for her next meal.
The Nkoveni Young Male seemingly finds some ‘morbid comfort’ in using his duiker carcass as a pillow in the branches of a dead Tamboti tree. His mother, the Nkoveni Female had in fact caught the duiker the night before, gone through all the effort to find her sub-adult cub and lead him back to the meal only to be barred from feeding on any of it by the young male. a clear sign that he’s close to being forced into independence.
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
U
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One of the older male Painted Dogs of the Othawa pack gazes past our vehicle. Its difficult to capture the facial features of these canids but fortunately the light was hitting this ones face to enough to expose his amber eyes. Also, take not of the worn-out margins of the ears – testament to a busy and challenging life on the savannah.
The Three Rivers Female rests on a fallen Marula tree. The moody skies in the background always lend themselves to a black and white edit. Having now essentially finished raising her lastest cub to independence, we expect the Three Rivers Female to be coming into heat rather soon.
Forced into early independence at 11 months. Despite her small size, she’s proven resilient, currently raising a cub in SE Londolozi.
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Spotted this leopard?
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You don’t often get to see hippos out of the water, given their nocturnal habit,s but when you do, you are reminded of their immense size. They are the third largest land animal in the world after the African Elephant and White Rhino.
The Ntsevu Pride and two Ndzenga Males managed to catch a zebra just moments before we arrived on the scene. While watching any animal take their last breath is never easy, it truly was an incredible sighting.
A bloody-faced Ndzhenga Male catches his breath while feeding on a fresh Zebra kill. Having reigned over eastern Londolozi for the last 4 years, the remaining Ndzenga Males are evidently being forced further north by the Gijima Males.
A hefty elephant bull with rather large tusks ambles his way onto the causeway, slowly feeding on the lush green vegetation along the way.
This crocodile was strangely positioned like this in the shallows of a waterhole. All that was moving was his mouth, which he was slowly opening and closing while keeping the rest of his body dead still. He might have been trying to swallow something or maybe putting on a unique display for a nearby competitor. Has anyone seen this behaviour before?
A Vervet Monkey scans the trees around him while perched on a dead Knobthorn Tree. These dead trees are often home to insects and scorpions under the loose bark which the monkey was scratching around for.
The Shingi Male has made up a large portion of our leopard viewing over the last few months, of which several sightings have been in this exact tree, which is in fact a combination of an inosculated Leadwood and Jackalberry tree.
One of the dominant Gijima Males rises from his daytime slumber as the sun begins set. Him and his brother have executed a textbook takeover of the Ndzenga Males territory, often covering huge distances in the cover of night as they patrol their new home and assert their presence over other males and prides in the area.
One of Africa’s most ancient predators sits in wait in the flowing waters of the Sand River, hoping for a fish or frog to be washed into his jaws.
The newest coalition to arrive on Londolozi have been the four fresh-faced Nwaswitshaka Males. Descending from the same pride in the Kruger National Park that the Ndzenga Males are from, these young males have added yet another twist to the changing lion dynamics in the area. Despite being distantly related to the Ndzenga Males, its highly unlikely they will tolerate one another should they cross paths.
Chris Taylor
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