Rich Laburn

A Taste of South Africa

February 4, 2012

A Taste of South Africa A Sarasota group discovers wild beauty and sophisticated cuisine on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Deep in the African bush, more than wildlife is stirring. Safari camps like Londolozi in the Sabi Sand private game reserve are leading South Africa’s quest to become an international culinary destination. Chefs, like trackers and rangers, [...]

Majingilane Male Lions Fight

February 2, 2012

Just when you think you’ve witnessed all of the indescribable or unbelievable traits within the animal kingdom, our guide James Tyrrell and tracker Exon, pulled the ace out of their sleeves and gave us the experience of witnessing very few can say they have seen – two male lions fighting! James mentioned at the outset [...]

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Enter the Good Work Foundation Raffle…and Win 2 Nights at Londolozi

February 1, 2012

The Good Work Foundation Raffle is commited to doing just that, Good Work, and now you can play your part in helping the GWF continue its mission. All you need to do is buy a raffle ticket…

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How to Photograph Leopards 101

January 26, 2012

Despite the absence of our weekly regular, David Dampier (owing to his leave), I still wanted to put out an album of leopards this week. Browsing through a selection of my images I thought it would be useful to compare a variety of photographs, explaining why I took them in a particular way; the settings [...]

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Africa Exposed

January 25, 2012

“As a child I had always wanted to visit Africa and go on Safari. To see firsthand the natural bushveld, get up close and personal with the animals and experience the call of the wild. At the end of 2011 a lifelong dream came true when I had the opportunity of going on safari to [...]

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The Growing Sparta Pride

January 23, 2012

This video was forward to us by our recent guest James who managed to capture some fabulous footage of the Sparta Pride and their new cubs over the Christmas period. Growing in size and attitude each day, these cubs are going to be interesting to watch as they mature into adulthood and form the foundation [...]

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An Update on the Weather at Londolozi and Surrounds

January 18, 2012

Dear Friends, Over the last few days a large amount of bad weather has moved through from the Mozambican Coast covering much of the Kruger National Park in heavy rain. Certain parts of the Kruger have experienced flooding and here at Londolozi the river levels have risen substantially since the beginning of the week. This [...]

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No Fast Food Here

January 18, 2012

No fast food here – A Londolozi Leopard’s ordeal just to get a good meal. One thing you won’t see at the zoo is a leopard killing its prey and then climbing 50 feet above the ground to stash it on a top branch of a nearby tree. This featured video provides an inside look [...]

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Majingilane – The Story of Lion Warfare

January 16, 2012

Introducing: Majingilane – The Story of Lion Warfare A male lion takeover is a hard reality of the wilderness. Since the 8th June 2010, when the Majingilane Coalition arrived in the Sabi Sands and began to take control from the Mapogo coalition, the rangers, trackers and guests of Londolozi and its surrounding properties have witnessed [...]

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Camp Pan mates with Tamboti Female

January 14, 2012

The Camp Pan male was in full force this week as he mated with the Tamboti female. This young female has developed more and more of a territory for herself along the central eastern areas of Sparta, Londolozi. With the Dudley 5:5 Male Leopard infrequently visiting this area, there are no other competing male leopards [...]

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Introducing: The Electric Landrover

January 9, 2012

A brand new electric Land Rover arrived at Londolozi over Christmas. Courtesy of Barker Performance Products and Land Rover, the electric vehicle was sent here to be put through a rigorous and rough field test owing to the success and pioneering development of Londolozi’s first three prototype electric Land Rovers. Having unveiled this new product [...]

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COMING SOON: Majingilane – The Story of Lion Warfare

January 3, 2012

In the next few days, a 15 minute short film on the Majingilane Coalition will be released on the Londolozi Blog. Produced by myself for YOU (the loyal and devoted viewers of the Londolozi blog), as well as all other lion and wildlife enthusiasts around the world – here is a little taster, teaser & [...]

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New Years Eve 2011

January 2, 2012

New Years Eve is one of the biggest events on the Londolozi calendar and this past year was no exception. Paying tribute to the original pioneers of Londolozi, Charles Boyd Varty and Frank Unger, who purchased the land (sight unseen) after a tennis match in Johannesburg back in 1926 – this years theme was ’1926 [...]

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The Best of the Londolozi Blog 2011

January 1, 2012

It’s New Years Day 2012 and here at Londolozi we wish you all a very prosperous and absolutely brilliant year ahead. 2011 was mind-blowing throughout Londolozi and much of it was reflected right here on the blog. Right from the beginning of the year we knew that the pride dynamics were going to be interesting [...]

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‘One of our Greatest Ever Bush Experiences’

December 17, 2011

You’ve heard of Batman and Superman, even Spiderman. Now meet Elmon the Ecoman, whose sharp eyes guided us through the wonderland of Londolozi. My wife Lynn and I hadn’t stayed at Londoz since I was Sky News’ resident Africa Correspondent 17 years ago. Now we know what we’ve been missing all these years! Super-tracker Elmon [...]

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7 Leopards in 7 Days

December 6, 2011

Yes! Seven leopards in seven days thanks to the special eyes of my tracker, Solly Mhlongo, and ranger, Adam Bannister. Knowing Londolozi is famous for their leopards still did not prepare me for this amazing adventure. Having the opportunity to spend so much time obseving their behavior gave me a better sense of how unique each leopard is. Their lineage, behavior and territory is known intimately by the rangers and explained with passion to the guests of Londolozi. I know my photos and my few words can’t capture what it feels like to be in the presence of these magnificent creatures and among such wonderful people of Londolozi…

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African Relais & Châteaux Cookbook

December 3, 2011

32 Chefs inspire the first cook book featuring recipes from Relais & Châteaux member properties across Southern, East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. Bringing together the styles and techniques of some of the most highly regarded chefs in Southern, East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, Relais & Châteaux, in conjunction with publisher Peter [...]

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The Whereabouts of Jaguars

December 1, 2011

Last month we brought you a story about the Caiman Ecological Refuge situated in the Southern Pantanal, South America. This ecotourism destination, much like Londolozi, is home to many spotted cats and where we have abundant Leopard, they have the Jaguar. The Caiman Ecological Refuge is currently undertaking the Restoration of certain areas of the Pantanal in [...]

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Movember at Londolozi

November 30, 2011

“During November each year, the Movember (Moustache- November) is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces around the world. The aim is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically cancer.” At Londolozi we chose to not only raise awareness for men’s health by supporting the Movember tradition, but [...]

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 5

November 28, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ‘3:4‘. In this the fifth of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks openly about 3:4′s life, behaviour and her phenomenal life as a Leopards of Londolozi…

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Marthly Male Hunts Warthog

November 26, 2011

We were just about to leave camp when we heard the rasping call of a big male leopard in the distance. I looked at Richard Siwela (my tracker) and suggested to him that it might be Camp Pan. However Richard disagreed as he seemed to think that this call, although deep, was not as loud [...]

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 4

November 24, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ’3:4′. In this the second of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks about 3:4′s life as a cub and how leopards behave when raising cubs and dispersing their young at different stages of maturity…

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Behind the Scenes at Londolozi

November 23, 2011

Renowned photographer Ryan Graham recently spent some time with us at Londolozi capturing an assortment of images out on safari, throughout the lodges and behind the scenes. This blog post is dedicated to the staff of Londolozi whose lives are closely intertwined as a community and as a family living together out in the wilderness. The images below are a behind the scenes snapshot of what goes on when our cherished guests are out on drive or relaxing in the quiet of their rooms…

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On Safari at Londolozi

November 17, 2011

Renowned photographer Ryan Graham was recently at Londolozi taking pictures of everything from the rooms to the wildlife to the members of the Londolozi family. In this post, we showcase Ryan’s stunning images taken whilst out in the field…

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Pioneering the New Frontier of a Social Enterprise

November 15, 2011

In a recent interview with CNN’s Marketplace Africa, Dave Varty talks to Robyn Curnow about balancing profit with conservation and how he is pioneering Londolozi’s organisational model towards a Social Enterprise…

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The Lodges of Londolozi by Ryan Graham

October 31, 2011

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 3

October 27, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ‘3:4‘. In this the third of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks about how 3:4 responded to her cub being eaten by an African Rock Python…

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How to Photograph a Lightning Storm

October 25, 2011

Have you ever wanted to know how to capture stunning images of lightning? Contrary to what you may think, the process is relatively simple provided that you have the correct equipment, a promising location and, of course, a very big electric storm. I took the below set of images a few nights ago as the first electric storm of the summer rolled across the central regions of Londolozi, creating a spectacular contrast of lightning bolts and sheet lightning. I have included a short explanation beneath each image which all together should give you a fairly good indication of how to get these types of shots…

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The Top 5 Things to Bring on Safari

October 22, 2011

Preparing for your safari can be a daunting task, especially when you have limited luggage space and a long trip ahead of you. With this in mind, I have put together a basic list of what I believe the 5 most important items for your safari are. As long as you have these, everything else should fall into place. Of course, there are items I have not included and as such if there is something that you feel to be just as important, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below…

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 2

October 18, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ‘3:4‘. In this the second of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks openly about 3:4′s life, behaviour and her phenomenal life as a Leopards of Londolozi…

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Safari for the Soul

October 11, 2011

There’s a line from a poem by Mary Oliver that asks: ‘What is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?’ Those words have a habit of hitting me in the gut, which is why I leapt at the opportunity to join the African STAR (Self-transformation Adventure Retreat) hosted by Londolozi in June each year. The retreat invites people to experience the healing power of nature during a week of intensive coaching…

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 1

October 6, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ’3:4′. In this the first of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks openly about his relationship with 3:4 and a life spent with the Leopards of Londolozi…

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The Good Work Foundation – Now LIVE

October 4, 2011

The Good Work Foundation is committed to doing just that, Good Work. For many of the travelers to Londolozi, you would have experienced first hand the amazing work that the GWF is doing by bringing positive educational interventions to the rural South African communities in and around Londolozi. Over the course of 2011, the GWF has continued to expand rapidly with the development of the Madlala Digital Learning Center as well as the newly acquired Hazyview Learning Centre…

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Male Lions Bring Down Buffalo

October 3, 2011

Talley, our tracker, had promised something special that morning. Something “rare.” So the five of us great hunters and Talley and Freddie, our tracker, enthusiastically jumped into the invisible green Land Rover and set out at a quickened pace to find our quarry. With Talley driving and Freddie tracking we rushed from one end of the property to the other finally coming across the four Southern Pride lion brothers…

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Lion Cub Saved by Mother

September 28, 2011

We received this story via email and thought it was too brilliant not to share with you. Taking place in Kenya’s Masaai Mara game reserve and photographed by Jean-Francois Largot, this dramatic story once again displays the strong bond that lionesses and their cubs share…

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What’s Become of Camp Pan?

September 27, 2011

Since the conflict with the Dudley Riverbank 5:5 Young Male, the Camp Pan 4:2 Male Leopard has been seen less and less frequently. Hanging further south into his territory than usual, this dominant male seems to be getting pushed downwards by both the Marthly Male and the Dudley Riverbank 5:5 Young Male…

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The Orange Bushveld

September 25, 2011

The bushveld in September is magnificent! The mornings are crisp and fresh and the days warm and comforting. This time of the year always allows for incredibly vivid and colourful photographs. The colour orange is often expressed so effectively in strong powerful images. Below you will see some of the photographs which concentrate on the theme of ‘orange’…

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World Rhino Day

September 22, 2011

Today is about celebrating the magnificent Rhinoceros! These incredible creatures who grace us with their presence throughout much of Africa have become synonymous with the battle that they are currently enduring against poaching. A complete lack of respect for wild animals and their well being; the separation of man from beast; the forgetting that we are all connected; that we are all part of the same canvas…

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Meet the Blog Team: David

September 20, 2011

The bush is a long way from the world of finance and few men manage to bridge the gap successfully. David ‘Doyle’ Dampier is one of those men and with a knack for capturing spectacular photographs of Londolozi’s most renowned and elusive leopards, he is one of the secret weapons in the Londolozi blog team.

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On Safari at Londolozi

September 18, 2011

Our recent guest, Brian Datnow, provided us with an album of photographs which illustrates the type of images that a keen amateur photographer can capture on safari. Over the course of a few days, Brian photographed a variety of animals, birds, landscape and lodge pictures. We are happy to share Brian’s perspective of being on safari at Londolozi…

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A Winning Shot

September 17, 2011

“We tracked the Maxabeni 3:2 young male leopard on an early morning drive a few months ago.” says ranger Mike Miller. “He appeared quite nervous and was always on the move. We could hear another leopard calling and assumed this younger leopard was being chased. We followed him for some time until we came across two warthogs fighting. He immediately took an interest in the warthogs, however they were so occupied in their fight that he snuck right up to them, getting to within a metre or two. Upon noticing him, the warthogs simply stopped for a second, sized him up and, realising he wasn’t a major threat, continued fighting…”

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Wild Dog pup killed by Leopard and Hyena

September 15, 2011

Before seeing anything I remember hearing someone saying “Oh my god, a leopard is attacking the wild dogs,” and then I saw it. The leopard, who we later found out was the Maxabene 3:2 Young Male, otherwise known as Pinky – named so because of his extraordinarily pink nose, had charged straight into the pack, targeting a young pup. We had seen this pup minutes before frolicking with its siblings, tumbling here and there on the road, but now, with one great swipe of his paw, the leopard had incapacitated it entirely.

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The Tsalala Super Pride

September 5, 2011

The current low water level of the Sand River is allowing the Tsalala Pride to be a little more adventurous in their movements. Spending more time south of the river, they have increased their hunting grounds substantially. As spring envelops us the days are getting hotter and the river is a hive of activity, especially in the mid afternoon as animals come down for a refreshing drink. The Tsalala sisters are well aware of this and are using the river and it’s flood plain as a highway to speed up their movements and increase their chances of a successful hunt…

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3 Leopards and a Hyena

September 3, 2011

A few weeks ago, my ranger, Chris Goodman and I heard over the radio of a leopard with a kill. We talked about going to see it, but the sighting was closed down because the kill was still on the ground and they were hoping it would be hoisted to a tree. We decided to try first thing in the next morning to see it. So early the following morning, we found the Camp Pan male sitting in a tree munching on a wildebeest. To our surprise, we also found his 3 year old son, the Maxabene male sitting on the ground below, hoping for scraps. Within about 15 minutes, a leg fell from the tree and the young male had something to eat…

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Star in Your own Safari

September 2, 2011

Imagine being whisked away to Londolozi Game Reserve on a mission to write and present a multimedia travel story about your experience. Sound good? The reality is that all you need to do is enter the ‘Star in your own Safari’ competition proudly sponsored by Safari Interactive Magazine and Londolozi Game Reserve to stand a chance at winning this prize. Safari interactive Magazine and Londolozi Private Game Reserve are offering one subscriber and partner a two-night private photographic safari in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa. You’ll be sent off to Londolozi and met by a professional media crew so all you’ll need to do is enjoy it, tell us about it and become the star in a full feature about the experience in an upcoming issue of Safari…

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The Campbell Koppies Young Female and Cub

August 25, 2011

The infrequently seen Campbell Koppies female was sighted on northern Londolozi two days ago. Having just killed an impala ewe, she proceeded to hoist and feed before making a contact call. Within minutes, much to our delight, her cub appeared to join in the feeding. It turned into, however, a comedy of errors which only served to display the young cub’s inexperience in dealing with hoisted carcasses. Here is the story below…

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A Londolozi Safari

August 23, 2011

Our recent guest, Rita Shaw, shares some of her best images from her stay at Londolozi Tree Camp. An avid fan of the blog and past visitor to Londolozi, it is wonderful to be able to share some of her images below…

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Meet the Blog Team: Adam

August 22, 2011

Adam Bannister is passionate about the African bushveld. Having worked as a Londolozi guide for just under three years, Ad is even more enthusiastic about the bush than when he first arrived. An in depth understanding of lion dynamics at Londolozi, stunning photography and of course his naturalist abilities, make Adam a valued member of both the ranging and blog team at Londolozi…

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Wild Dogs Chased by Elephants

August 16, 2011

The pack of wild dogs began moving just before sunset. A balmy winter’s afternoon breathed across of the open savannah as the pack ran in a westerly direction. The alpha female led the charge followed by the other adults with the young pups and a limping male close behind. Ardently searching for an opportunity to hunt, the dogs covered a massive amount of terrain as they got a feel for the rhythm of the bushveld. What they could not have excepted, however, was an encounter with Africa’s largest living land mammal – the elephant…

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Tsalala Cubs Brave Sand River

August 15, 2011

We thought we had missed the sighting of a lifetime. 4 wet cubs from the Tsalala Pride lay next to a finished impala carcass, bellies full and eyes closed. They had come south and somehow crossed through the Sand River to eat with the two Tsalala lionesses. It was hard to imagine these young cubs tentatively standing on the banks of the Sand River, dabbing their paws in the flowing water before rushing through to the other side. Yet the cubs had done it, courageous in the face of a challenge and growing up as only lions do. The only disappointment was that we had missed it – or had we…?

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