Wildlife Diary

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, [...]

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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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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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 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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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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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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The North

by James Tyrrell April 23, 2013

Variety is the spice of life, so they say, and nowhere on Londolozi will you find a greater variety of habitats than in the area north of the Sand River known as Marthly. Few roads traverse this wild area and sightings of unknown leopards are not infrequent. Aardvark tracks and the fresh diggings of the [...]

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Earth Day 2013

by Dave Varty April 22, 2013

Londolozi means “the protector of all living things” and consequently conservation has always been deep in our DNA. Upon the return of the family to Londolozi in 2007, we renewed our intentions, as part of our daily operations, to contribute to wise earth stewardship. The following commitments were made at the time: To continue to [...]

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Meet the trackers – Bennet on the Bonnet

by Helen Young April 21, 2013

Bennet Mthonsi, more affectionately known as Stikenyawo, or Bennet on the bonnet! After growing up in the Timbavati area in the Kruger National Park, Bennet trained as a ranger at Phinda Game reserve in 2001 and was a valuble member of the guiding team for many years. However, his love and true talent for tracking soon had [...]

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The Month in Pictures #1

by Mike Sutherland April 19, 2013

Mike Sutherland recently joined the Londolozi guiding team. With two years guiding experience already behind him – a year at Kwandwe in the Eastern Cape and another year at Phinda in Kwazulu Natal – it was not long before he was up and running as a fully fledged Londolozi ranger. New to the Lowveld, Mike [...]

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The Iron Lady

by Tom Imrie April 18, 2013

In a place where the contest between life and death is so keen, it seems ironic that the passing of a Londolozi lioness should draw much attention in the greater scheme of living and dying. For all of the reasons that make the wildlife of Londolozi so special it is with great sadness that we [...]

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Mashaba Female and her Cub

by James Tyrrell April 17, 2013

The Sparta pride was somewhere deep in the far end of Londolozi. The hideously thick section to the south of the Tugwaan drainage, where scarcely a game trail is to be found winding through the chest-high grass, sickle-bush and acacia thickets for which the block is known. A tracker’s kryptonite, we knew it was going [...]

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Meet the kitchen – Connie Mthabini

by Anna Ridgewell April 16, 2013

To have the title of ‘Matriarch of the kitchen’ provides extremely big shoes to fill although, in meeting Connie, one can understand why she fulfills this role so well. She is a larger than life woman who has an incredibly warm smile and welcoming demeanor. Connie started at Londolozi in 1994 as a Pastry Chef [...]

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Tutlwa Fights with Mashaba Female

by Mike Sutherland April 15, 2013

It was in the heart of the Mashaba female leopard’s territory that the Marthly male leopard and the Tutlwa female leopard were mating. As dusk set in the mating pair of leopards disappeared into the darkness whilst a short distance away the Mashaba female and her cub fed on an impala. Early the next morning, [...]

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The Week in Pictures #74

by James Tyrrell April 12, 2013

The South Pride is back! Conflict between the Kruger Male and the Sparta Males in the Sabi Sands’ southern reaches has resulted in the older South Pride females bringing the young members of the pride to unfamiliar territory. Unfamiliar territory for them means unfamiliar lions as well, and the potential for further trouble. Will they [...]

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Hyenas Steal from Gowrie Male Leopard

by Mike Sutherland April 11, 2013

There is nothing more appealing to me personally than waking up early on a cold Winter’s morning with the mist still hovering above the Sand River and the golden and pink sun breaking the morning chill. The morning chorus has begun and a feeling of excitement and adventure is oozing out of each guest on [...]

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New Tsalala Lion Cub

by James Tyrrell April 9, 2013

The middle of 2011 was a wonderful period for the Tsalala Pride. With the two daughters of the older tailless lioness each giving birth to a litter of 4 early on in the year, a total of 8 cubs were regularly seen prowling around Marthly. Spending a lot of their time around Ximpalapala koppie and [...]

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Tutlwa Young Male Leopard vs Tsalala Young Lioness

by James Tyrrell April 8, 2013

A remarkable scene unfolded here at Londolozi on the 22nd of March. It was during morning game drive in the North, that the young Tutlwa male leopard was located while bringing down a full grown impala ram. The impala had only just taken it’s last breath when all of a sudden two females of the [...]

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The Week in Pictures # 73

by James Tyrrell April 5, 2013

The rain returned for a day or two, giving the Lowveld a late gift as the dry season bears down upon it. Apart from the rain, the real concern this week was three of the Majingilane mating with the three adult Tsalala lionesses. If the lionesses are thus involved, where is the little cub that [...]

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Mashaba and Cub Evade Hyena

by James Tyrrell April 4, 2013

We left camp early to see if there would be any feeding activity of either the Mashaba female or her cub. Talley Smith and Freddy Ngobeni had tracked the female the previous evening to where she had the remains of an impala kill stashed, but the cub was relatively unrelaxed whilst they were there, and [...]

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Female cheetah kill

by Kate Neill April 3, 2013

The life of a cheetah is not an easy one. This is why when one is seen on Londolozi, the rangers, staff and guests alike all get extremely excited. After a morning game drive last week, it was reported that a female cheetah and her two cubs of between five to six months old were [...]

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The Best Tiger Viewing in India

by Rich Laburn April 2, 2013

India is a remarkable country and home to arguably the most iconic Big Cat in the world. Amidst almost daily reports of declining Tiger populations and reductions of national parks, it was with much interest that I visited the country to witness for myself just what a Tiger Safari in India is actually like. Previous [...]

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The Scrub Hare of Easter

by Kate Neill April 1, 2013

The Scrub hare gets its name from the fairly obvious fact that their preferred habitat is in scrubs, grasslands and savannah. They are usually nocturnal animals but are also seen from time to time on an overcast day. Yesterday morning was a particularly cool and overcast morning. Back at the lodge I got a radio call saying that [...]

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True Facts about the Dung Beetle

by Rich Laburn March 31, 2013

Ze Frank features footage of Dung Beetles at Londolozi in one of his latest and very amusing ‘True Facts about the Dung Beetle”…

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Life’s Photographic Moments

by Londolozi Guest March 30, 2013

Wildlife and photography go together like peas and carrots. It just works. This is the reason that a vast majority of guides either have a serious interest in photography or at the very least develop a keen interest the more time they spend in the field. But have you ever thought about the trackers? Have [...]

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The Week in Pictures #72

by James Tyrrell March 29, 2013

The game viewing at Londolozi has been nothing short of spectacular these last few weeks. We have been visited by at least two different wild dog packs and the leopards have been doing their usual thing, but the really huge news was the discovery of a female cheetah with two cubs. Reports have been filtering [...]

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Anthony Goldman at Londolozi

by Londolozi Guest March 27, 2013

Anthony Goldman recently returned to Londolozi and is coming back again in August this year. Once the bug bites, it bites hard! Driving with ranger Alfie Mathebula and tracker Bennet Mathonsi on his most recent visit, Anthony was placed in some wonderful positions to capture what he saw on camera. Leopards with cubs, lions and [...]

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Close Encounters of the Spotted Variety

by Londolozi Guest March 25, 2013

Sunday morning’s game drive was so spectacular, we couldn’t expect it could be topped. Boy were we wrong! We mustered at the truck at 4:30 following afternoon tea. Michael and I were seated on the top seats of the vehicle, with what I think are the best panoramic views. Our first sighting was the [...]

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The Week in Pictures # 71

by James Tyrrell March 22, 2013

The Dry season is steadily approaching. We have not had any significant rainfall for some weeks now, and with the sun still delivering some summer heat, the bushveld has been drying up. Browning grasses and marula trees with fewer leaves are providing a slightly more monotone backdrop, whereas one month ago the verdant landscape was [...]

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It’s not just about the Leopards

by Londolozi Guest March 21, 2013

We recently had the great pleasure of hosting 4 members of the Wild Eye Team at Londolozi to experience a little bit of what we do here. Gerry, Jono, Andrew and Penny headed to the lowveld for a few days of photographic fun, having a love for photography myself i was most excited about their [...]

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It’s Dark at 5:00 am

by Londolozi Guest March 20, 2013

When you turn out the lights in the African bush it is very dark! We couldn’t even see our hands in front of our faces. And it’s still dark at 5:00 a.m. when you get the knock on the door accompanied by juice, coffee, fruit and yoghurt. Bleary-eyed, we stumbled to the bathroom, pulled ourselves [...]

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The Dudley Riverbank Cub

by James Tyrrell March 18, 2013

Leopard cubs are fragile little animals. We hesitate to publicise the birth of a new litter as, sadly, the chances of them surviving to even a month old are slim. Such a high level of parental care is required in the first weeks of these cat’s lives that more often than not they are simply [...]

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In and Out of Africa

by Londolozi Guest March 16, 2013

A one hour drive from Franschhoek, a two hour wait at the Cape Town airport, a two and a half hour flight to Nelspruit (Kruger National Park), a one hour drive on hard top and a one hour drive on a dirt road, but we finally arrived at Londolozi, our first safari stop, located in the [...]

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