Two Hours With The Plaque Rock Female – Londolozi Blog

There is something uniquely captivating about witnessing the immediate response of our trackers when they detect a drag mark across the road. For those unfamiliar with the term, a drag mark here typically signifies the carcass of a herbivore being dragged across the road by one of the predators we actively seek during our game drives. This moment encapsulates the raw and dynamic nature of the wildlife here at Londolozi and was the beginning of a special sighting we shared with our guests.

Quickly and excitedly, Tracker Freddy and I swiftly exited the Land Rover to assess what unfortunate animal had been dragged across the road and by what in front of our vehicle. “A female leopard,” Freddy muffled, “it’s heading this way.” Due to the freshness of the drag mark, we decided to jump back into the vehicle and track by car, ensuring that the leopard wouldn’t be startled by our approach on foot. Freddy, still positioned on the front tracker seat, guided us with hand signals towards where the animal had been dragged. Signs such as folded-over grass, occasional scuff marks from the leopard, and even tiny bits of fur and blood left behind by the carcass led us, approximately 100 meters away, to the Plaque Rock Female. There, we discovered a young Kudu calf stashed under a fallen tree.

A photo of her taking a break below the Marula tree she had selected to hoist her kill into. Leopards will always look before going up, which provides an amazing photographic opportunity.

A pretty young playful female found along the river to the east of camp

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After spending approximately 10 minutes observing her, the leopard decided it was time to secure her well-deserved meal. Just 20 meters away stood a towering marula tree, where we anticipated she would choose to hide her food. Before her moving, we strategically positioned ourselves to witness her graceful ascent of the marula tree. There’s something truly extraordinary about observing a leopard ascend a tree, especially when carrying their prey in their jaws. With remarkable ease, she lifted the young kudu into the tree, expertly concealing it within the dense foliage of the upper branches.

*insert video of Plaque Rock female hoisting kudu kill”

Having already fed on the kill before we discovered her, the Plaque Rock Female had now securely stashed the prey within the safety of the tree. Descending from the tree, we could see she was in search of a water source. We followed her through dense vegetation, along the way, she took a 30-minute rest atop a termite mound. We positioned ourselves to enjoy a beautiful view of the leopardess on a large and relatively bare mound as the afternoon’s light began to fade.

The mound she decided to rest on before taking a drink. On top of this mound, she has the vantage point to see any approaching danger. She lay atop here grooming and scouting her surroundings.

Just before it had got dark, almost our time to head back to camp, she decided to quench her thirst. The sound of her lapping up the puddle of water beside our vehicle enveloped us in a moment of peace and serenity. We spent a good two hours with the Plaque Rock Female that afternoon. In every moment something unique occurred, and with just a little patience we managed to have a sighting of a lifetime.

This was our final moment with the Plaque Rock Female that afternoon. With the beautiful colours of the already set sun in the background we managed to get one or two silhouette photos. What a way to finish the day!