Londolozi Blog

Lion Warfare: The South Pride division

by James Tyrrell on June 18, 2013

I remember a few months ago when the Southern Pride was seen on Londolozi for the first time in a while; I bundled all the trainee rangers into a Land Rover after game drive to see if we could find them as they set out for the evening’s hunt, thinking we might not have another [...]

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A lucky shot

by Kate Neill on June 17, 2013

in Guest's Footage,Leopards of Londolozi,Londolozi Life,Photography,Wildlife Diary

Londolozi guest, David Fedonczak, came to Londolozi with his family and I had the great pleasure of meeting them in the Boma last week. I knew that David was an avid follower of our blog and had been for a few months, so it obviously excited me to get onto the topic! When I asked [...]

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Home away from home!

by Jacqui Hemphill June 15, 2013

I am told that the first time I came to Londolozi I was eighteen months old. We were fortunate enough to see a pride of lions and my excitement levels were running so high that I screamed to alert my mom (who was sitting right next to me) at the sight of them. I gave [...]

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The Week in Pictures #82

by James Tyrrell June 14, 2013

The cub of the Mashaba female continues to provide amazing viewing whenever she is found. Elephants are appearing in greater and greater numbers as water levels shrink in the large waterholes and rivers, and the dropping temperatures of winter have provided fantastic sightings in the crisp, clear dawns. Enjoy this week in pictures… Photographed by [...]

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New Lessons for Mashaba’s Cub

by James Tyrrell June 13, 2013

Experience is the name of the game in the bush, and for the predators in particular, there is no better way to learn than watching their mothers. The Mashaba female leopard, while still young, is by now an expert huntress. The area she inhabits sees both the Sparta Pride and Tsalala lionesses passing through, to [...]

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Wildlife Artist of the year 2013

by Kate Neill June 12, 2013

On the morning of the 4th June 2013 the Londolozi journey of giraffes were looking more spectacular than ever! The golden lowveld winter sun was creating the most breathtaking shapes and shadows through the legs of the giraffes like I had never seen before! It was on that morning that we recieved the news that [...]

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Bush F.O.M.O.

by James Tyrrell June 11, 2013

I suffer from a terrible affliction. It is rampant in our industry and can strike at any time, and the scary thing is that I think there may be no cure. I had an inkling of an idea that I may have been susceptible at university, and I know for sure that one or two [...]

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Meet the Kitchen – Virginia Mthabini

by Anna Ridgewell June 10, 2013

Virginia Mthabini, affectionately known as VG and to me, she is The Queen of Soups! Virginia started at Londolozi in 2000, starting her career in the scullery. She then moved to the kitchen in 2003 where she did all the salad preparation and starter preparations. She also was responsible for the game drive snacks. In [...]

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Projeto Oncafari Gets a Blog!

by Adam Bannister June 9, 2013

Sporadically, over the last year, we have provided the extended Londolozi family with updates on a groundbreaking conservation project happening in South America. The initiative is called Projeto Onçafari and is based in the Pantanal area of Brazil. In an attempt to save the declining Jaguar population an ambitious project started two years ago to [...]

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Four days at Londolozi

by Kate Neill June 8, 2013

It is common for guests to request specific rangers on a return visit to Londolozi. So we were not surprised when Sheena and Peter Insull requested ranger Byron Serrao and tracker Judas Ngobene for their second visit to Londolozi. What we were surprised about and found incredibly amusing, was when they got off the airplane [...]

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The Week in Pictures #81

by James Tyrrell June 7, 2013

Windy conditions made the leopards go quiet for a few days. The wind puts the herbivores on the alert as sounds and smells get confused, whilst waving grass and bushes makes spotting predators difficult. The leopards respond by keeping largely to cover. They all started popping up again however and we enjoyed some great sightings, [...]

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Tamboti Female brings her cubs Home to Londolozi

by James Tyrrell June 6, 2013

The Tamboti female has been featuring more and more prominently as a territorial leopard on Londolozi over the last year-and-a-half. The recent birth of two cubs (believed to be a male and a female) has shot her into the limelight, and scarcely a drive goes by without some ranger and tracker team actively seeking her [...]

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Good Work Foundation CEO to speak at TED

by Kate Groch June 5, 2013

I am really excited (and nervous) to announce that I have been invited to speak at the TEDInstitute session at the annual TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, as part of this year’s “Think Again” line-up of speakers. For those who don’t know, TED is a nonprofit devoted to “ideas worth spreading.” Many of the talks [...]

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Tsalala Breakaway Cubs Cross River

by James Tyrrell June 4, 2013

A lioness carrying a cub in her mouth or a lion swimming the river. Those are definitely two sightings most rangers would have on their bucket list. A wonderful compromise – and I hesitate to use the word – would be what ranger Rich Ferrier and his guest Rae Jensen saw the other day – [...]

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The “Journey from Londolozi” has arrived

by Kate Neill June 3, 2013

Simon and his Giraffes have arrived safe and sound in England! As explained in a previous post, Simon’s artwork has come to be a finalist in the David Shepard “Wildlife Artist of the Year Award”. Inspired by ladder like necks and fractured geometric patterns of the giraffe’s skin, Simon has assembled this unusual and beautiful family [...]

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The Week in Pictures #80

by James Tyrrell May 31, 2013

With my harddrive on the brink I was unfortunately unable to access my latest photos, so while I try and sort out the problem, I thought it would be fun to go back through some old shots. Some were taken long before I began contributing to the blog, some more recently but didn’t make the [...]

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Take three

by Londolozi Guest May 30, 2013

Surprises in store for every guest – first time or veteran bush junkie, three friends give us their take on Londolozi… Most of you will remember Jolynne’s wonderful account of her first week of her two week stay at Londolozi, Christmas in May. Well, she decided to get some friends involved in blog writing and [...]

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Martial Eagle hunts Klipspringer

by James Tyrrell May 29, 2013

Martial Eagles are the largest eagles at Londolozi. Masters of the skies, these enormous birds are incredible hunters, able to take down prey as large as monkeys and impala lambs. Whether it be a leopard, lion, people or martial eagle however, experience is often the key factor in determining success. Hunting opportunities missed, mistakes made [...]

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The Mashaba Female and Cub: Going Strong

by James Tyrrell May 28, 2013

Some sightings are just too beautiful not to post. Not all sightings in the bush need to be drama and action and high intensity in order to leave you stimulated, speechless, or make you pulse elevate until you can hear your own heart beating. Sure, lions hunting buffalo or the thrill of a wild dog [...]

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How do Hyenas Mate?

by James Tyrrell May 27, 2013

For about a week we could do no wrong, with every turn we took and every decision we made seeming to result in some kind of fascinating discovery or wonderful sighting. This evening was no different, even though we were deliberately trying to get away from everything and enjoy a quiet drive in the peace [...]

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The Wild Dogs of Londolozi

by Londolozi Guest May 26, 2013

Now “The Wild Dogs of Londolozi” join the long-famous “Leopards of Londolozi.” By the third day of our Londolozi visit we’d seen two packs of the highly endangered African wild dog – for an amazing total of 27 dogs! The first spot, a pack of nine, was very vocal, whining and crying and constantly on [...]

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The Growth of a Leopard Cub

by Helen Young May 25, 2013

The seasons are changing at Londolozi. There is a chill in the morning air and the metamorphism of the bush from bright greens to deep golds, as the water from our summer rains dries, is more apparent each day. The Impala rutting season, where mature impala males begin to compete for breeding rights over females, [...]

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The Week in Pictures #79

by James Tyrrell May 24, 2013

The pace of the bush has not slacked off, as the cooler weather has kept the activity going until well into the morning. The Sparta pride have been successful in their hunting, bringing down at least two adult wildebeest of late, while the Majingilane have met with similar success, hunting and killing two buffalos in [...]

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Wild Dog Bites Hyena

by Alex Van Den Heever May 23, 2013

For a number of days a pack of wild dogs had been seen around the Ximpalapala clearings. One day 5 dogs would be seen, the next 4, the next 6. Our hopes were raised that the dogs may have been denning somewhere in the vicinity, but it wasn’t long before we realised that the regular [...]

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Tamboti Female Leopard and Cubs

by James Tyrrell May 22, 2013

After many apparently unsuccessful mating attempts with the Maxabene 3:2, Camp Pan and 5:5 males, the Tamboti female finally gave birth to a litter of two in late February or early March of this year. Initially stashing the cubs in a large termite mound under a dead leadwood tree off Rooystens Rd, it wasn’t long [...]

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Londolozi Giraffes in London

by Kate Neill May 21, 2013

There will be some rather unusual visitors making their way through the streets of London next week. The journey of giraffe from Londolozi’s “Christmas” video are being remade for the Shepard Foundation Artist of the Year award. Simon Max Bannister is currently based at Londolozi Game Reserve as the Artist in residence. Working as a [...]

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Zebras vs Wild Dogs

by Rich Laburn May 20, 2013

The pack of wild dogs had been running east since dawn. As the sun cast its Autumn glare across the grassy crests of Londolozi, the dogs spotted a herd of impala and gave chase. Their attempt was unstructured, confused and the impala swiftly evaded their hunt. Nearby a dazzle of zebra, alarmed by the cries [...]

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Tsalala Breakaway Has New Cubs

by James Tyrrell May 19, 2013

In 2010 the Majingilane coalition came roaring in to Londolozi and dethroned the Mapogo. Because of this shift in power, four young lionesses belonging to the Tsalala pride followed their fathers and fled into the western reaches of the Sabi Sands. Two years later, these same lionesses, renamed the Tsalala Breakaway Pride and now old [...]

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Christmas in May

by Londolozi Guest May 18, 2013

It’s Christmas in May and filled with anticipation I wait impatiently for 6:00 and the first game drive of the day. Be it a giraffe in the grey mist or lions in the golden rays of first light, a Londolozi morning never disappoints. The unmistakeable roar throughout the early morning hours meant just one thing [...]

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The Week in Pictures #78

by James Tyrrell May 17, 2013

An amazing week; some of it captured on film, some in photos, some not recorded at all, but all of it very special. This has honestly been one of the most intense and diverse weeks I have had in the bush in terms of the sightings we have witnessed. From new leopard cubs to cheetah [...]

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Is there paint on my fingers?

by Ryan James May 16, 2013

Right next to the Londolozi Digital Learning Centre is the Londolozi preschool. It’s a favourite “hang-out” for Londolozi guests on a “village tour” – to say these kids are cute is an understatement (you’ll see what we mean when you look at the gallery of photos below). As part of the vision to deliver high-impact “digital-era” literacy [...]

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A New Leopard Cub

by James Tyrrell May 15, 2013

We were sitting with a large herd of buffalo on our eastern boundary, just south of our north-east corner. Impala were alarming nearby, slightly west of us, but in the middle of the rutting season, the territorial calls of the males as they chase each other round and vie for the right to mate with [...]

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The Female Cheetah and Cubs

by James Tyrrell May 14, 2013

When Roddie Watson radioed in a few weeks ago that he had found a female cheetah with two cubs just north of the Sand River, nobody took him seriously. Maybe the rangers thought they hadn’t heard correctly or that he had made a mistake. After all, he was on Sasekile Ingwe clearing, near the territory [...]

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A ‘Family’ Affair

by Kate Neill May 13, 2013

After an evening in the wine cellar with many a bottle of a wine, some great food, conversation and a few staff members, John Rhodes words were, ‘it was like being with family’. I always find it such a treat to reconnect with guests that I have previously looked after and last month was no [...]

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The Oncafari Project

by Rich Laburn May 11, 2013

Our friends pioneering the Projeto Oncafari Jaguar Project at the Caiman Ecological Refuge in Brazil were featured in the TAM Airlines magazine this month. Take a read through to find out more about the updates with the project…

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The Week in Pictures #77

by James Tyrrell May 10, 2013

The dogs are back. A pack of 6 has been hanging around the big block to the south of Ximpalapala koppie for the last three days, and their reluctance to move has us holding our breath that they might be denning in the area. It is far too soon to tell, but watch this space… [...]

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The State of the Vomba Female

by James Tyrrell May 9, 2013

Leopards come and go. Fact. They are born, get older and eventually die. The majority don’t even make it through their first year. Excuse this seemingly callous outlook, but it is a reality that every guide in a leopard-rich area such as Londolozi must face eventually, especially if he or she is going to be [...]

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Meet the blog team: Kate Neill

by James Tyrrell May 8, 2013

There aren’t that many people working at lodges in the lowveld who grew up in Cape Town. The exposure to the bush is limited as one must travel long distances, especially to places like Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The lowveld itself is at the completely opposite end of South Africa. For some people though, that [...]

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A Buffalo Birth

by Kate Neill May 7, 2013

Anders Westermann is a repeat guest to Londolozi and I was fortunate enough to have met him during his last stay with us in April. In my new role on the blog team, I always have my ear close to the ground in order to get new and interesting footage from guests and rangers. This [...]

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For my Friend

by Boyd Varty May 6, 2013

Solly, buti, what can I say. I can hardly believe it. Especially because I have not yet felt your absence around the camp. I have not yet arrived in the car park of tree camp on a winter’s morning and noticed that suddenly you are not there. I remember those mornings, you smiling and alert, [...]

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Dastkar Ranthambore

by Rich Laburn May 5, 2013

Dastkar Ranthambore is a women’s self help initiative started in 1989. Located next to Shar Bagh Luxury Tented Camp, the co-op produced handicrafts created by local villagers, particularly women from the surrounding areas. The story begins in 1989, when a 400-sq kilometer swath of dry deciduous forest in the Sawai Madhopur district of south-east Rajasthan [...]

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The Week in Pictures #76

by James Tyrrell May 3, 2013

Once again the big cats stole the show this week. The mother cheetah and her cubs were up to their usual antics, and the male cheetah was back again, this time hunting near the airstrip on one of his jaunts away from the South-western grasslands that he frequents. We believe he made the kill that [...]

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A South African Trip – Part 2

by Londolozi Guest May 2, 2013

Pahn Tanesdechsundhara’s second part to their Londolozi safari. Another wonderful expression of the times spent at Londolozi. Enjoy… Filmed by Pahn Tenesdechsundhara – Londolozi Guest

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Albino Elephant

by Kate Neill May 1, 2013

When ranger, Jess Boon, arrived back from morning game drive one day last week talking about a ‘blue-eyed’ elephant calf we all thought that she possibly needed to go on leave after her six week cycle as we could only assume that she was seeing things. With any unusual or great sighting at Londolozi, we [...]

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The Tsalala Pride: Back Down to 3 Members?

by James Tyrrell April 30, 2013

This morning was the first time I had seen the Tsalala lionesses in a while. I have just got back from leave recently, which might have something to do with it, but a quick scan through the sightings of the last couple of months reveals that sightings of them by other rangers have also been [...]

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Londolozi Learning Centre Graduation

by Kate Neill April 29, 2013

‘We will not give you anything, but what we will do is create a door for you to open in order to have access to world class education but we cannot walk through that door for you’ These were the words that Dave Varty said to the Londolozi staff when the Varty family returned to [...]

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A South African Trip – Part 1

by Londolozi Guest April 28, 2013

Pahn Tanesdechsundhara stayed at Founders Camp early this month with five of his friends. We are excited for you to see the Londolozi experience through the eye of the guest. Enjoy… ‘After this trip, I would recommend everyone to go on a safari at least once in their life.’ – Pahn Tanesdechsundhara Thank you Pahn [...]

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The Week in Pictures #75

by James Tyrrell April 26, 2013

Getting back from leave, the bush was far greener than I expected it to be. Late rains have given the Lowveld a final flush into winter, but already the animals are starting to congregate around the more permanent waterholes. After two weeks away, it’s great to wake up to fall asleep to the distant sound [...]

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The Penalty of Failure

by James Tyrrell April 25, 2013

With the disappearance of the Maxabene female late last year, her territory came up for grabs. A recent interaction between two of Londolozi’s better known leopardesses resulted in the loss of a kill for one and the gaining of a free meal for the other, right on what we believe to be the new territorial [...]

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Meet the kitchen – Eric Ubisi

by Anna Ridgewell April 24, 2013

The Wise Man of the Kitchen. The Silent Wonder. The Teacher. The Supporter. There are many words for Eric Ubisi, but for me, he is my right hand man, a man of great integrity, wisdom and knowledge. Each and every day, Eric guides the Chefs in the kitchen to work in harmony with good communication [...]

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