Adam Bannister

A Sad Goodbye

by Adam Bannister February 18, 2013

In my four years at Londolozi I have seen a number of rangers say goodbye. I always wondered what it must feel like to leave: the mixture of emotions that must churn inside. The excitement of a new chapter, combined with the daunting realization that your time in this particular paradise is over. A sudden [...]

Tracking Lions

by Adam Bannister February 14, 2013

The Tracker Academy is attempting to keep the fundamental skills and art of tracking alive today. Every morning a dedicated group of ambitious and enthusiastic ‘trackers-to-be’ greet the sunrise and head out into the bush at Londolozi Game Reserve. Their teacher, mentor and inspiration comes from the mind of the near mythical Renias Mhlongo. A [...]

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How to Film Wildlife with a DSLR Camera

by Adam Bannister February 11, 2013

After filming this short piece of buffalo wallowing in the mud, I decided that it may be quite interesting for some of you to see how I set my camera up. For this piece I used a Canon 5D Mark II with a 70 – 200mm F2,8 Lens. This camera is obviously a very good [...]

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Majingilane in Black and White

by Adam Bannister February 6, 2013

The other morning we were fortunate enough to have all four Majingilane Males together. I used this opportunity to try get an update date close up facial shot of each male. I decided to crop the individual portraits tight and to put the pictures into black and white. My thinking was that I wanted 100 [...]

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Tsalala Five are Fine!

by Adam Bannister February 3, 2013

Upon returning from two weeks leave from Londolozi I was desperate to get out into the bush and find the Tsalala Lion Pride. A pride I hold so close to my heart that many consider me part lion! A few days before I had set off for a short break in the city, we had [...]

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What causes a rainbow?

by Adam Bannister February 2, 2013

A highlight of a game drive can come in many shapes and forms. It could arise from watching a pride of lions hunting in the low light, a leopard perched high up in a tree, or a journey of giraffe sauntering through the long grass. It could be learning something useful about a tree or [...]

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The Raptor and the Cichlid

by Adam Bannister January 31, 2013

The other day we watched a juvenile African Harrier Hawk raid a colony of Red-billed Buffalo Weavers. It was both sad and exciting to watch. Sad to watch him pluck tiny chicks out and gobble them up, yet exciting to watch a majestic bird perform a difficult task so efficiently. The way he jumped around [...]

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Follow-up to the missing Maxabeni Female

by Adam Bannister January 14, 2013

A couple of days ago we broke the worrying news that the last confirmed sighting of the Maxabeni Female was in the end of October 2012! We, as a guiding team, are starting to accept the harsh reality of this fact! I thought that I would put together a short piece documenting the history of [...]

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Do White Storks Bring Babies?

by Adam Bannister January 9, 2013

There are few birds as well known as the White Stork. This tall white bird, blended with black flight feathers and bright red bill and legs is found in numerous countries throughout the world. So widely spread is the stork that if features as a prominent figure in many cultures. The Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese [...]

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Maxabeni Female: Missing

by Adam Bannister January 8, 2013

One of Londolozi’s iconic leopards is missing…the Maxabeni Female The last confirmed sighting of this icon was in the last week of October 2012. That is now 9 weeks ago! A long period of time for Londolozi’s previously most viewed and celebrated female leopard. The sighting, back in October, was unusual to say the least. [...]

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The Story Behind the Picture

by Adam Bannister January 3, 2013

Many of you may have seen this picture on some social networking forums. I decided that it may be quite fun to explain a little bit more about this shot. It is after all one of my favourite lion shots from 2012! This picture was taken on the last day of 2012 and shows one [...]

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Tutlwa Female is expecting!

by Adam Bannister December 31, 2012

The average gestation of a leopard is 100 days. Now, after feverishly going through the sightings book, I can confirm that the Tutlwa Female was seen mating with the Marthly Male 104 days ago! Very few leopards, out here in the wild, live by the book so it is to be expected that it is [...]

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Sparta Pride and the Leopard Tortoise

by Adam Bannister December 29, 2012

Whilst two of the lionesses from the Sparta Pride were off unsuccessfully hunting giraffe in the thickets around the Maxabeni drainage, the seven cubs decided that they would try their own luck at a hunt. The target of their skirmish: a large Leopard Tortoise. A few days ago we were fortunate enough to witness the [...]

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December at Londolozi

by Adam Bannister December 24, 2012

As Christmas is about to break here at Londolozi Game Reserve, I thought I would just post a couple of the pictures I have managed to capture in the last two weeks. The bush is alive and magnificent and I am so happy to be working here at this time. Whilst the rest of the [...]

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The Origin of the term ‘Buffalo Wings’

by Adam Bannister December 22, 2012

I love it how sometimes the conversation on a game drive can get really strange! Statements made by guests can lead to the most fascinating debates on obscure, random and hugely entertaining topics. Not just your everyday conversation on weather, politics or the economy, but discussions on the weird and the wonderful. I guess that [...]

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Tsalala Young Male Comes of Age!

by Adam Bannister December 20, 2012

There is trouble brewing amongst the Londolozi Lions. Lion Warfare has taken an unexpected turn in the last 3 weeks with the Tsalala Young Male and his comrade, the Sparta Male, appearing to be hell bent on pushing back into Londolozi. It has been fascinating to watch them move further and further north, on a [...]

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The Lions of Londolozi: The Apple iBook is launched

by Adam Bannister December 19, 2012

I am glowing with pride as I sit down to write this. Many of you have been following this blog for the last few years and may very well have read a number of my pieces. I must extend a huge thanks to those loyal readers who have helped inspire me to continue to explore [...]

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Crocodile catches Leopard Tortoise

by Adam Bannister December 18, 2012

Crocodiles freak me out! Floating reptilian logs become stealthy death traps in an instant. The way they drop below the surface of the water and disappear in the blink of an eye. Terrestrial animals I can handle; at least with them you can watch them move, but as for those that live under the surface [...]

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How old is a Leopard when it first kills an impala?

by Adam Bannister December 17, 2012

The lady in the back row of my jeep thought she was asking a straightforward question “Adam, at what age does a leopard make it’s first kill ?” I needed a bit more clarity in the question before I put my neck on the line. I asked her if by ‘kill’ she meant something like [...]

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The Sparta Cub with the ‘big head’

by Adam Bannister December 14, 2012

Those of you who have been at Londolozi over the last month, and who were fortunate enough to spend some time with the Sparta lion pride, will know exactly who I’m talking about. For those who have not been so lucky well let me introduce you to Londolozi’s latest star! This young male, born June/July [...]

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Wildebeest attacked by Crocodile…and survives…

by Adam Bannister December 7, 2012

This is a story of courage! An epic tale caught on film, of one animal’s refusal to give up. A gigantic struggle against the odds; a fight from within the jaws of death. Now, I have been privileged to have seen some sensational moments over the years: births, deaths and a plethora of torn emotions. [...]

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Leopard cub and the Infanticidal Squirrel

by Adam Bannister December 3, 2012

The Dudley Riverbank Female Leopard managed to use patience, anticipation, speed and agility to kill a large male Impala. This sighting in itself was incredible, but even this feat was not enough to steal the show. It was her daughter, her female cub, that managed to get us all on the edge of our seats… [...]

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Christmas Soccer Match: The Lucky Leopards

by Adam Bannister November 30, 2012

It’s one of Londolozi’s longest standing traditions: a fierce soccer/football match, which acts as a curtain raiser to the annual staff christmas party. This year, like all those before, was heated and brutal. Blood was spilt and knees grazed as the two teams tore into each other. Spurred on by the flamboyant crowd, the ultimate [...]

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Heartbreak for Tsalala Pride?

by Adam Bannister November 27, 2012

After a refreshing two week break from work I am delighted to be back at Londolozi Game Reserve. Ready for another enchanting six weeks behind the wheel. Ready, to head out into the magnificent bushveld every day to find and observe Africa’s wildlife. Ready, to try convey some of the stories, photographs, video and magic [...]

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Leopard catches Porcupine

by Adam Bannister November 13, 2012

An unusual sighting of a male leopard on the remains of a Porcupine provided some entertaining viewing at Londolozi Game Reserve. Written and photographed by Adam Bannister

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Can you explain this hyena- rhino interaction?

by Adam Bannister November 12, 2012

This is one of the more unusual and unexpected sightings of the year. Although I personally did not see it, I managed to chat to Dean Smithyman who did. I got him to give a brief synopsis of how he managed to capture these images seen below… The mighty Mapogo had managed to kill a [...]

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Tsalala Pride taking shape

by Adam Bannister November 10, 2012

The much loved Tsalala Pride are looking great! The past year has been very difficult on this special group of lions. If one considers that not too long ago it consisted of three mature lionesses and 8 cubs. A series of catastrophic events whittled this down to the three lionesses and only 2 cubs. Well, [...]

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Impala lambing season is upon us

by Adam Bannister November 8, 2012

I can’t believe it is that time of the year again! It’s lambing season for the beautiful Impala. Very soon little baby Impala will be running around Londolozi. In fact, just the other day, Dave Varty claimed to have seen the first one. The ranging team’s response was that if there were no pictures to [...]

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Happy Birthday to the Nottens Female

by Adam Bannister November 7, 2012

The Nottens Female (a.k.a. The Shaw’s Female) has just turned 17 years old! This is an incredible achievement for a leopardess in this area. Not only in the wild, but in one of the most dense and competitive leopard populations in Africa. This officially makes her the oldest territorial leopard at Londolozi and I’m sure [...]

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The Mapogo Return North

by Adam Bannister November 6, 2012

The surviving two males from the legendary Mapogo Coalition graced us with their presence last week. Makhulu (15) and Pretty Boy (12) were found trailing an exceptionally large herd of Buffalo. We estimated the herd at about 600 individuals. These giants of the lion world were obviously hoping that one of the members of the [...]

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My Leopards of Londolozi

by Adam Bannister October 31, 2012

This morning, after having a ridiculously good leopard sighting, I felt inspired to go through my computer looking back at some of the leopard pictures that I have taken over the last 4 years. I gave myself the challenge of trying to identify my favourite picture of every individual leopard I have seen on Londolozi. [...]

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The Eye of the Leopard

by Adam Bannister October 24, 2012

Like in all animals the pupil of a leopard’s eye constricts or dilates according to the amount of light that enters the eyes, with both pupils normally dilating in dim light and constricting in bright light. The eyes are the window to the soul and provide one with feelings of emotion and feeling. As a [...]

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The Life of a Lioness

by Adam Bannister October 23, 2012

After managing to find the Tailless Female of the Tsalala Pride relaxing together with her cub, I found it impossible to not share some of the footage with you all. It shows the attention a cub seeks, and the demands placed on you, when you are a mother of a single cub. For those ‘lion [...]

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Giraffes chase Cheetah

by Adam Bannister October 22, 2012

The male cheetah’s shoulder blades sat high as his belly dropped to the ground. There was little cover in the recently burnt area, but he was skillfully approaching a herd of impala. Completely oblivious to his presence…we were poised for the chase! There was nothing that could stop him; except for the 15 giraffe that [...]

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Wild Dogs chase Kudu into watering hole

by Adam Bannister October 20, 2012

One of the reasons I love my job is that every drive is different. You just never know what is going to happen. A couple of nights ago we had planned to have a sundowner at a watering hole in the south-western extremities of Londolozi. A refreshing drink to celebrate yet another wonderful game drive [...]

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Male lion, impala carcass and the vultures

by Adam Bannister October 15, 2012

He used the Impala carcass almost as a lure. The Scar-Nose Majingilane Male lion, sat hidden in the thickets. His dark mane blended in perfectly with the dark green shrub. The half eaten impala carcass was left about 3 meters from his hiding spot and the vultures were accumulating. At one stage I counted 20 [...]

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Hippo Sunscreen

by Adam Bannister October 13, 2012

There was/is a belief that hippos sweat blood! This myth came about because of the dark red colour of the sweat. But believe me this is not blood; nor is it ordinary sweat… As the African sun bakes down on the backs of Africa’s two hippopotamus species, they have had to evolve a mechanism to [...]

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How do birds land?

by Adam Bannister October 10, 2012

Without getting too deep into the science of flight, I decided I would like to try research just a little about the physical adaptations and processes that allows birds the land. The theory that enables one to get a series of photos like the one below… A high landing speed does not pose a problem [...]

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The Most Precious Lion Cub at Londolozi

by Adam Bannister October 8, 2012

Most of you will be aware that the legendary Tailless Female from the Tsalala Pride has a cub, but I’m not sure if enough airtime has been given to this little one. It is after all, the result of an incredible tale of circumstances and events. I have just returned from leave delighted to find [...]

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Who is the Piva Female?

by Adam Bannister October 1, 2012

Londolozi is home to a very healthy population of Leopards. Over the years it has developed the reputation of being the premier spot in Africa to watch these majestic cats in the wild. As has been described numerous times on this blog we are able to distinguish individual leopards based on a combination of spot [...]

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Tsalala Young Male at Londolozi

by Adam Bannister September 28, 2012

I had to refer to the rangers sightings book to try find out exactly when these male lions were last seen at Londolozi. The answer…May 2012 For those of you who are avid followers of the Lion Warfare that has been playing out, both at Londolozi and the Sabi Sands as a whole, I thought [...]

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Another magical bird: White-breasted Cuckooshrike

by Adam Bannister September 19, 2012

It is wonderful and refreshing to know that after working at Londolozi for 4 years there are still new birds out there in the bush to be seen. The White-breasted Cuckooshrike was one of them. Luckily, I got my first view of one last week. A single bird fluttering around in the upper reaches of [...]

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Tugwaan Male mates with ‘Unknown Female’

by Adam Bannister September 15, 2012

The other day the Londolozi trackers managed to track down a pair of mating leopards. Mating leopards are always wonderful to watch…emotional, passionate, loving, lustful, physical, fluid and ever so photogenic. The male involved was the incredibly dominant and successful Tugwaan Male a.k.a Shorty. This male has been patrolling the south and east of Londolozi [...]

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Vomba Female has a New Cub

by Adam Bannister September 13, 2012

We at Londolozi are pleased to announce the arrival of a new leopard to the family. The Vomba Female is the proud mother of a single cub, born approximately mid July 2012. About 2 weeks ago we managed to find the den site of this old female and were delighted when we saw the tiny [...]

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Male Leopard Raids African Fish Eagle Nest

by Adam Bannister September 4, 2012

It was the most bizarre sight that I had ever seen! I really had to pinch myself to be convinced that what I was seeing was real. Completely unexpected and out of this world, my hands shook as I watched it unfold… We were inspecting two African Fish Eagles perched high up in the tree [...]

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The Pantanal Series: Walking with a Giant Anteater

by Adam Bannister August 31, 2012

In my life I have been fortunate enough to have travelled rather extensively and to have seen some pretty incredible things. I am not a ‘city traveller’, as in I do not travel to places to see touristy sites, ancient buildings and museums. I am a ‘nature traveller’. I travel to wild places and destinations [...]

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Is the Kruger Male Lion Dead?

by Adam Bannister August 30, 2012

Two days ago (28 August) we found what we believe to be the remains of a male lion. Very little of the body remains: only a few fragments of bone, hair and the tell tale dark mane pieces, strewn about over a small area. The grass was flattened in the area suggesting that the animal [...]

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The Dudley Riverbank Leopard Cub

by Adam Bannister August 28, 2012

Every once in a while it is hugely satisfying to see the rewards of our work in action. The ‘work’ I refer to is hardly defined as work in most people’s books. It’s also the type of work we certainly never complain about! Im referring to the slow and gentle process of getting a leopard [...]

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What if the Impala was in the Olympics?

by Adam Bannister August 25, 2012

The London Olympics were a huge success. I spent hours perched in front of the television watching the best athletes in the world compete for the ultimate honour: the title and bragging rights of being able to say “ I AM THE BEST IN THE WORLD”. Years of training, practice and sacrifice, sweating blood and [...]

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Leopards Fight: Camp Pan vs Tugwaan Male

by Adam Bannister August 21, 2012

It was the perfect sighting! We managed to track down a female leopard who had successfully killed an impala, dragging it over a hundred meters into the nearby riverbed. Mid track, Solly pointed out that the female tracks had now been replaced by those of a male. A male must have stolen it from her. [...]

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