The Ximungwe Female has Cubs! – Londolozi Blog

Over the years, Londolozi has grown in reputation for its leopard viewing. Primarily our viewing has come from one strong lineage of leopards, the Sunsetbend Lineage. Over the years it has produced many female leopards that have established their territory near to or around the Londolozi Camps. The Ximungwe Female has certainly held up this reputation and has been one of the most prominent leopards seen on Londolozi over the last few years. This, however, hasn’t come without its lulls. As previously mentioned by Barry, the Ximungwe Female can be somewhat unpredictable. She can go from being seen almost every day for months to all of a sudden vanishing and only being seen on the very odd occasion. We have found some coincidence of this with her being pregnant and or denning cubs. This was no different with her before us finding her third and most recent litter of cubs.

Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.

U

Spotted this leopard?

You’ve seen this leopard

82 sightings by Members

This brings with it a huge amount of excitement amongst the rangers and trackers as the Ximungwe Female’s track record with raising cubs is outstanding. In her first-ever litter in 2018, she gave birth to two cubs, the female cub was sadly killed at about eight or nine months of age and the young male, now known as the Mahlahla Male, then reached independence. After this, he moved further north and established territory in the Manyelethi Reserve. She then gave birth to her second litter in early 2021, and we only ever saw one cub. With the odds stacked against the Ximungwe Female, she successfully raised this young male to independence, now known as the Ntomi Male, who between him and his mother they have given us the most spectacular viewing over the last two years. He is still occasionally seen on Londolozi and often either in the company of his mother or his father the Senegal Bush Male. It is likely that he will eventually move on to establish a territory elsewhere.

A single cub of the Ximungwe Female’s second litter. Initially rather skittish but is very relaxed now. Birth mark in his left eye.

U

Spotted this leopard?

You’ve seen this leopard

39 sightings by Members

An inquisitive young male that has been pushed further north by the Senegal Bush Male.

U

Spotted this leopard?

You’ve seen this leopard

8 sightings by Members

With this incredible success rate that the Ximungwe Female has had in the past, the rangers have been waiting with bated breath since she was seen mating for the first time after raising the Ntomi Male, this indicated that she was ready to have another litter of cubs. We believe that in the first mating bout with the Senegal Bush Male in October 2022, she was unsuccessful in conceiving. However, she was then seen mating with a few different males throughout 2023 and began showing signs of being heavily pregnant in late November. You can imagine just how thrilled we all were. Finally, after seeing her very heavily pregnant on the 13th of December and no longer pregnant with very fresh suckle marks on the 14th of December we knew there were cubs to be found.

She had been spending time around the Tugwaan Drainage line in the central parts of Londolozi, an area that is extremely thick and difficult to access in a Land Rover. Making the search for the Ximungwe Female’s den. We frequently checked all the previously used dens that we knew of but didn’t have much luck. Dan and Robbie eventually had a very brief view of the cubs on separate occasions at a cluster of boulders but that was it. Then nothing further for a week or two.

Finally,  one morning in late January after hearing monkeys alarm calling, James Souchon and the trainee rangers were the closest and the first into the area to find the Ximungwe Female leading two six-week-old cubs straight down the road. Sean Zeederberg was quick to join them.

The first sight of the tiny cubs. Its moments like this when time stands still.

While following her at a very steady pace, the Ximungwe Female was eager to move these cubs to a new den. Not sure what had caused her to make the move, but after following her for a while, James, Sean, and the Trainees left the trio marching swiftly in the direction of the Maxabene River. Somewhat in the direction of a den that she had used when the Ntomi Male was a young cub.

Once they had settled into the new den, sightings of them became more frequent.

That afternoon tracks of only the mother were found leading away from that exact den. We now knew where she was keeping her cubs, although in the pique of summer and with the bush being thick, this was a particularly tricky den for us to get a view of them at.

I know this picture does not look like much more than a few rocks in long grass but this is the area where she has carefully chosen to hide her cub away while is off hunting and protecting her area from other threats. Leopards often choose rocky outcrops to hide their cubs. This is not the first time this den site has been used and has provided successful cover in the past.

Not too long after that she then moved the cubs to a new den further downstream in the Maxabene, where the cubs were using a dead Schotia trunk to hide in. There is huge excitement around Londolozi that we have finally found her new den. The fact that she has moved them into an area where she has denned before has also helped us navigate around the area. We will continue to send one vehicle per drive to this area to enhance the habituation process. Slow and steady exposure to the sound and presence of a vehicle in a respectful and gentle manner will help these cubs learn and understand that the vehicle is not a threat and that they can trust it.

Lets hope that viewing like this can continue and that we witness The Ximungwe female raise more cubs to independence

It is early days, but exciting times lay ahead. As we know, The Ximungwe Female is an incredible mother and has already exceeded expectations. Let’s hope we continue to have incredible sightings of this amazing leopard and her two new cubs.