Guest’s Footage

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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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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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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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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On Safari with a Fisheye Lens

December 26, 2011

I must start off by wishing you all a Merry Christmas. I trust that you had a wonderful day and that you were surrounded by friends, family and loved ones. As a wildlife photography fanatic I am continually seeking new ways to shoot and portray images in nature. One quite exciting idea that I have [...]

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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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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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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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Impala Birthing Season Approaches

November 14, 2011

Many scientists, taxonomists and experts in the evolutionary field consider the Impala the archetypical antelope; with it’s body form bearing resemblance to many other bovids. A hugely successful antelope remaining almost unchanged since the Miocene (6.5 million years). One stratergy, amongst many, which the Impala uses is to breed on masse at a very specific time of the year.

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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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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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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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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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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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The Connoisseur Club on Safari

August 20, 2011

I have grown up in a well-known hospitality family and first started working in the restaurant, resort and catering business when I was 14. The most significant business concept that I was taught and that I have tried to live by in the over 40 years since, and the 25 years at my own restaurant and catering business is to “treat my guests as I would expect to be treated”. Londolozi is the epitome of that concept. We have never experienced such genuine and professional hospitality anywhere else in the world…

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My Ten Days at Londolozi

August 11, 2011

Our recent guest, Francesca, spent 10 days at Londolozi with her family. Driving with Jess Boon and Jeffrey Mhlongo, she was able to capture a spectacular album of images during the course of her safari. Witnessing leopards mating, the infamous Majingilane Coalition, adorable Tsalala Cubs as well as the Marthly Male amongst others, below is a selection of her finest images…

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Lioness Kills Impala Next to Landrover

August 8, 2011

The impala saw the lioness too late. Already in mid-stride, the tawny flash bore down on the helpless ewe and smothered it within seconds. Barely a moment after alarming in fright, it now lay in a heap as another victim of nature surrounded only by the eerie silence pervading the bushveld. The odd click of a camera stirred the scene and the lioness turned to drag her prize away from the front right tyre of the vehicle where she had crashed down moments earlier. For the photographers, the adrenalin slowly ebbed away as they gasped in amazement at just how closely they had witnessed natures primal rhythms in motion…

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The Plaque Rock

August 7, 2011

The “Howard Mackie” plaque, seen in this picture, is in memory of Howard and the great contribution he made to the start up of Londolozi and also as a Founder Pioneer in creation of “Helicapture” – the original and first ever game capture company in South Africa. Howard became a leading expert in the capture and after care of wild animals. This poignant photograph demonstrates the timelessness and enduring renewable cycle of nature as yet another generation of the Leopards of Londolozi visit at “plaque rock” in the heart of Londolozi…

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Safari in Syd Afrika!

August 1, 2011

Johanna Hagman visited Londolozi in January 2011 together with her family, including her grand parents and her cousins. This is an article she wrote for the WWF Panda Magazine in Sweden…

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Rare Black Rhino Spotted!

July 28, 2011

One of the other rangers had seen tracks and dung of a black rhino a few days before so it had been on my mind that this was a possibility. As I saw it I immediately, even from the little I could see, thought it just looked different. Not wanting to shout out “Black Rhino” and then loook silly when a young white rhino wandered out, I held my tounge and reversed a few meters for a better view. Then, in a typical display of Black Rhino behaviour, it ran out of the thicket towards us to investigate, a bunch of leaves dangling from its mouth…

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The Tree Climbing Lions of Londolozi

July 26, 2011

It is not common to witness lions climbing trees. Leopards are the most notorious tree climbers of all the big cats, however every so often lions will ‘break the rules’ and venture upwards into the arboreal realms. Notorious at Lake Manyara, in Tanzania, the tree climbing lions spend much of their time in the upper branches of the trees to escape the wrath of the dreaded flies and insects which constantly pester them.

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Camp Pan and Dudley 5:5 Come to Blows

May 25, 2011

When a youngster that we’ve watched from birth finds a gap in his natal area – well it’s exciting to say the least! It is even more riveting when that young leopard is the Dudley River Bank 5:5 Young Male and a direct descendant of ‘The Mother Leopard’. That makes him part of the Londolozi ‘Royal Family’ which we’ve had the privilege of watching for more than 3 decades. The twists and turns of this families fortunes are intriguing and fantastically just a microcosm of what probably occurs with the secretive leopard everywhere. A few days ago, one such twist was spectacularly caught on video in a royal battle between this male and the Camp Pan 4:3 Male…

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How Wild Dogs Behave at a Kill

May 16, 2011

Despite the nature of the Wild Dog’s approach to hunting and killing, the dynamics at a kill make for interesting observation and much can be learned about the depth of this specie’s social structure. The below video gives you a good indication of how these dappled creatures truly behave around a kill…

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‘The Best Wedding I have Ever Photographed’

May 9, 2011

In October last year, Londolozi was incredibly pleased to host a fairytale wedding for two of our closest ambassadors and their friends. In the midst of the wedding party was renowned Wedding Photographer, Ryan Graham, who spent the weekend taking a selection of extraordinary and beautiful images of the event…

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Starling Feeds Cuckoo – Strange but True

April 28, 2011

There are something in the order of 11 million hits when you simply Google the term ‘Cuckoo’. Admittedly a fair amount of those relate to human behavior – but that’s no longer surprising…

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Southern Pride Kill Buffalo Calf

April 11, 2011

It was spectacular to watch. Deep into the night the sounds of bellowing, stampeding buffalo could be heard in the southern grasslands of Londolozi. 5 hours of sitting with a hunting pride of lions was about to pay off…

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Lion Warfare – An Update Part 6

January 24, 2011

It’s been awesome to see the response that blogs about Lions are receiving. For those that have been following the story of the different Prides, the update is as follows….

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The Sparta Females’ Desperate Dance

January 20, 2011

Just a few weeks earlier, in almost exactly the same the spot as we now found them, the two Sparta lioness killed a young buffalo for themselves and their three cubs. Unfortunately, the noise attracted the attention of the four Majingilane males. That night, two of the cubs were killed and one of the lioness was badly injured. Now they lay: just one cub, one injured lioness, one healthy lioness and a herd of buffalo numbering in their hundreds. The buffalo were strengthened by the summer rains but the small pride was hungry….

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New Years in 2 Minutes

January 10, 2011

An evening in the bush inspired by the eccentric imagery of Madame Zingara. A world of deep and rich colour, where anything is possible and your wildest and most intimate dreams take form. This was the stage for New Year’s Eve at Londolozi. Fresh from the Photo Booth here is the evening (all 590 photographs of it) squeezed into 2 minutes…

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Majingilane Murder

December 15, 2010

For a single heart stopping moment, they stood and stared at each other with just meters between them. Four male lions, confident and big, had piercing gazes locked on Adam and Solly. A low growl sounded, reinforced by two, then three low rumbles from either side. Stepping backward slowly, Adam and Solly created distance between themselves and the coalition eased back down into the grass, never letting their sights off the pair. There was an undeniable tension in the air. An intangible energy which had already set the Majingilane coalition on edge. Something was in the air. Something was up….

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Brand New: Impalas

December 9, 2010

Never before have I been so aware of the profound changes taking place across the world. Almost daily I read new stories about once impressive structures crumbling down; once brilliant innovations now worthless and once revered individuals fallen from grace. The world is coming ever closer to being completely flattened as it resides in an increasingly rapid state of flux without any parameters defining how, when and in which direction to head….

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Wildlife Photographs Dissected

November 26, 2010

Sheila, a regular reader of our blog, was at Londolozi recently and I asked her if she would mind me using a few of her photographs to talk about on the blog. The reason I wanted to do this is that more often than not, nice photographs can be greatly enhanced by a few simple tricks that will make them really stand out…

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Aces High: My trip to South Africa…

November 12, 2010

Professional Poker Player, Beth Shak, recently stayed with us at Londolozi on her trip to South Africa. This is the story of her experience….

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The Revenge of the Maxabeni Brothers

November 9, 2010

Once the hyena was dragged up the tree, he no longer stood any chance. Instead of being the one to lock his firm jaws around flesh and bones, he now felt the powerful grip of the Maxabeni 3:2 Young Male Leopard around the back of his neck. Suspended 5 meters up and wailing for assistance from any creature that might hear him, the only other animal that arrived was the Maxabeni 3:3 young Male Leopard. After one too many stolen kills and aggressive encounters, the Maxabeni Leopard Brothers were now exacting their revenge….

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Lion Warfare – Well Not Quite…

October 28, 2010

As we rounded the last corner, the unmistakable sight of a large pride of lions feeding on buffalo carcass greeted us. Nearby, however, was another smaller pride of lions. On closer inspection we discovered that it was one of the Sparta females and the three cubs lying off to the side of the kill, whilst a large portion of the Southern Pride sat feeding on the kill…

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Buffalo Thrills and Lion Kills

September 15, 2010

The Sparta Pride hunt a large herd of Buffalo at Londolozi Game Reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park. As the pride brings down a small calf, the buffalo herd retaliates with aggression and fury, chasing the pride off the calf and suddenly turning the tables….

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EXCLUSIVE – New Leopard Cub Caught on Camera

September 10, 2010

Serendipity is a funny thing…at once exciting yet at the same time a mystery giving us new opportunities when we weren’t looking for them, it wafts in and out of every individual’s life at one or another time. It is at the heart of Newtonian Theories, the Slinky, Microwave Ovens and Corn flakes. It is the propensity for making fortunate discoveries while looking for something unrelated….and there has been a lot of it raining down on Londolozi as of late…

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The Battle of the Beasts

September 2, 2010

A herd of buffalo is hunted by the Southern Pride at Londolozi Game Reserve. After a lengthy battle, the buffalo seem to gain an advantage until the lions play their final card: the water….

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Vomba Female Hunts Scrub Hare

August 23, 2010

We were barely out of camp on the morning of 14 August, when a distinctive white-tipped tail-belonging to an animal crossing the road about 100m ahead of us appeared in the half light. On closer inspection we saw it was the Vomba female leopard, whose territory completely surrounds camp.

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A Ranger Remembers – Part 5

July 29, 2010

Part 5 of our series featuring former Londolozi Game Ranger Peter Pyburn. Peter arrived in the early 1980′s and began work as a ranger. These are some of the stories that he remembers with fondness. To view the full post click on the heading above.

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Camp Pan Leopard Kills Again

July 26, 2010

A few days ago, one of Londolozi’s guests, Nic Lacgalvis was fortunate enough to witness the Camp Pan male making a spectacular kill in broad daylight.

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A Ranger Remembers – Part 4

June 20, 2010

Part 4 of our series featuring former Londolozi Game Ranger Peter Pyburn. Peter arrived in the early 1980′s and began work as a ranger. These are some of the stories that he remembers with fondness. To view the full post click on the heading above.

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A Ranger Remembers – Part 3

June 7, 2010

Part 3 of our series featuring former Londolozi Game Ranger Peter Pyburn. Peter arrived in the early 1980′s and began work as a ranger. These are some of the stories that he remembers with fondness. To view the full post click on the heading above.

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A Ranger Remembers – Part 2

May 27, 2010

Part 2 of our series featuring former Londolozi Game Ranger Peter Pyburn. Peter arrived in the early 1980′s and began work as a ranger. These are some of the stories that he remembers with fondness. To view the full post click on the heading above.

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