Over the past week at Londolozi, we were finally blessed with some rain. Although this is just the beginning, the bush has already come to life. This week has been a very interesting one, especially in the lion dynamics of Londolozi.
The Gijima Males’ presence has been here for a while now as they are moving further and further into the Ndzhenga Males’ territory. With this northward movement, the Msuthlu Pride has also followed. Venturing the furthest north they had ever been with the Gijima Males, they managed to hunt and kill a buffalo. Lion Dynamics are extremely versatile at the moment, and with this development, the next couple of months will be very interesting. We were also graced with the Munghen Pride’s presence at one of our wallows in the south west.
On the leopard front, I managed to capture my first-ever sighting of the Thamba Male, who is territorial west of Londolozi. The Three River Female and her now almost as big as her cub gave us some incredible viewing as we watched them move through some clearings, marching toward a kill. The playful nature of this young female always provides for amazing viewing. Wild Dogs managed to tree an unidentified female Leopard in Marthly. It always amazes me how quickly they can get up these dead trees when they really have to. The Maxims Male and Ximungwe female were seen mating, confirming that she has unfortunately lost her cub. The size difference between them left me in awe.
The Makhatini Family keep pulling on our heartstrings as they continue to flourish in the open seas of Londolozi. It’s a matter of time before these cubs leave the mother, so we need to savour these sightings.
This week has not just given us our first rains but sightings that were out of this world.
Let us know your favourites in the comments below!
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
A confident and curious young leopard, that is nearing independence after a remarkable start to life alongside her resilient mother.
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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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The Three Rivers Female is inspecting her kill after leaving it for some time to collect the young Female.
A curious young hyena cub pops its head out of the mound, watching the older cubs play around our vehicle.
A younger Mhangeni Lioness watches the rest of the pride settle after quenching their thirst.
A Guinea Fowl digs through a rhino midden in search of something to eat.
The pack of wild dogs chased this young leopard up into a tall, skinny dead tree. As it stands, we are unsure of who this leopard is, but hopefully, with time, we will see her again and get some better photos that will help us identify who she is.
A first sighting for me of the very impressive Thamba Male. Let’s hope he continues to push further east and becomes a frequent visitor around Londolozi.
A lioness from the Msuthlu Pride watching the large herd of buffalo feeding around the Tugwaan drainage.
A massive buffalo bull charges towards the pride as they attempt to hunt the herd.
After an unsuccessful hunt that morning, the pride rested in the shade of the drainage line. Before settling down, this young male tried his luck at climbing a tree.
One of the youngsters in the Makhatini Family clawing a tree after finishing off a impala kill.
The mother can’t help but watch another herd of impala in the distance after finishing off their kill.
The morning after watching the Msuthlu Pride unsuccessfully hunt the buffalo herd, they managed to change their fortunes, getting one down that evening. A young Female in the pride feeds on the rib cage.
A Gijima Male feeds with the pride as he stares at one of the youngsters getting closer to his prized area.
One of the Gijima Males takes a moment to listen to some impala alarm calls in the distance.
A herd of elephants stops to quench their thirst as a flock of Egyptian Geese watches on.
The Maxims Male and Ximungwe Female were found mating one morning. Confirming that her cub has gone. Here, they attempt to cross a very wet section near the Maxabene river bed.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
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Dominant since 2019. Once skittish Kruger-born giant now rules vast territory, transforming from elusive presence to formidable force.
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Only time will tell if their time together will yield any cubs.
Patrick Grealy
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