Wildlife Diary

The Week in Pictures: Summer Birds

February 3, 2012

This Week in Pictures focuses on birds and it courtesy of the photographic talent of Ranger James Hobson. In particular the images below take a look at some of the more colorful, migratory Summer birds that frequent Londolozi in the warmer months. Let me know which is your favorite image in the comments section below [...]

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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The Lion Dynamics after the Flood

January 30, 2012

After a lengthy break from the bush it is wonderful to be back. I have returned to a very different landscape having missed the monumental floods nearly two weeks ago. I drove around yesterday and am simply amazed by how the area along the river has changed so dramatically. Over the next few days whilst [...]

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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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The Week in Pictures # 29

January 20, 2012

This week started off beautifully with some fantastic sightings of the Sparta Pride and their new cubs, a pack of Wild Dogs crossing the Sand River and an unknown Female Leopard in the North. The Majingilane Males were seen interacting with the Sparta Pride cubs which bodes well for the future considering the dynamic which [...]

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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 Week in Pictures # 28

January 13, 2012

Sometimes when guests ask, ‘When is the best time of the year to come to Londolozi?’, my response is that if you are a photographer, and interested in the big mammals, then winter is preferable. The dry weather provides clear skies, excellent light, and less dense vegetation to block the view. This week, however, I [...]

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The Leopards of Londolozi # 18

January 11, 2012

Love was in the air this week as the Camp Pan Male and Tamboti Female spent over five days together-hopefully creating a new set of cubs for a few months time. The Vomba Young Female was also prominent this week, spending a number of days feeding on a wildebeest calf that she managed to bring [...]

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Side-Striped Jackal : Monogamy is still alive

January 10, 2012

In the animal kingdom monogamy is the exception rather than the rule… One of the cutest of all the animals out here in the bushveld is the Side-Striped Jackal; being small and secretive they are often overlooked. They are delicate creatures; light on their feet as they dance through the grass. These animals are a [...]

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Animal Spirit Guide : African Elephant

January 7, 2012

Some of you may be aware of Dr Steven Farmer,the shamanic practitioner, psychotherapist and professional healer. Through his numerous texts and talks he aims to facilitate and inspire a deeper awareness and appreciation for our relationship with Spirit and the natural world. He speaks a lot about the use of Animal Spirit Guides. They show [...]

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The Week in Pictures #27

January 6, 2012

This week was abundant with leopard sightings, as David Dampier mentioned on Wednesday. There were many familiar faces, but perhaps what was most interesting for me was seeing some leopards new to the area. We are so fortunate at Londolozi to view leopards that are very relaxed with the game drive vehicles, and because of [...]

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A Once-in-a-Lifetime Sighting

January 5, 2012

Many people have a bucket list. Things to do and see or places to go before they die. Our sighting last week was something so rarely witnessed in the bush that nobody would sensibly put it on their list, knowing how remote their chances of seeing it to be: A lioness ferrying her newborn cubs [...]

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Leopards Of Londolozi #17

January 4, 2012

The past seven days have produced some amazing sightings of leopard and I was fortunate enough to witness quite a number of them. From a photographic point of view, they were extremely co-operative, going about their business in some beautiful light and surroundings. Hopefully some of the photos below do some justice to another fabulous [...]

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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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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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The Week in Pictures #26

December 30, 2011

This week, through the deluge of rain over Christmas and the hot, humid and termite-filled aftermath, the bush was full of diversity. We had some great highlights including some fantastic leopard sightings, but unfortunately also some lowlights with the most recent Tsalala Pride incident. My dear friend Shaun, who was a faithful follower and supporter [...]

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Tsalala Lion Cub killed by Majingilane Male Lions

December 29, 2011

It is with great sadness that we have to inform you of yet another loss to the Tsalala Pride. On the evening of the 26th December 2011 the Majingilanes were on a rampage. All four of them had grouped together and when a distant call of the Tsalala Pride could be heard it was a [...]

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Leopards of Londolozi #16

December 28, 2011

This week saw a number of interesting happenings on the leopard front. The Tutlwa Female was seen hunting and killing an impala lamb and the Vomba Female keeps returning to the same inaccessible area in the Sand River, reinforcing our suspicions that she may have cubs. The sighting of the week, however had to go [...]

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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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The Week in Pictures # 25

December 23, 2011

This week brought slightly less ‘kill’ action but more diversity amongst the species, and interesting behaviors. We are still embracing summer with all the youngsters, migratory birds, and reptiles around every corner. We saw a few familiar faces amongst the predators, and also had a few return visits from some long lost friends. Enjoy this [...]

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Unusual Nyala Colour morph

December 22, 2011

The Nyala is one of the most beautiful antelope you will see at Londolozi. What stands out with the Nyala is the extreme sexual dimorphism, with the two sexes looking completely different. You could even be excused for thinking that they are two different animals entirely. Both sexes have a white chevron between the eyes, [...]

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The Leopards of Londolozi # 15

December 21, 2011

The summer heat is building as we fast approach Christmas, but that hasn’t stopped the leopards from putting another great showing-this despite the lions doing their best to overshadow their feline counterparts for the second week in a row. Once again, enjoy this next installment on the Leopards of Londolozi…

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Four Majingilane Males together with Sparta Pride cubs

December 20, 2011

As mentioned a short while back the Sparta Pride appears to be on the mend. The one lioness has two cubs that are thought to have been born around September this year…they are incredibly cute. They play around with not a care in the world, oblivious to the chaos that surrounds them. Two days ago [...]

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Rangers and Trackers Teambuilding

December 19, 2011

The Rangers and Trackers were randomly divided into two teams; these teams would compete against each other in the inaugural ‘Boerewors Week‘. A week set aside in the busy calendar year to strengthen partnerships, morale, improve skills, increase banter and have great fun amongst work colleagues. All done to shape this already superb field guiding [...]

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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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The Week in Pictures # 24

December 16, 2011

This week was action-packed, and I suppose if there was to be a general theme, it would be the circle of life. We continued to see babies and even witnessed the birth of a wildebeest (sorry no photos as we were walking at the time!). We saw animals mating as well as birds in full [...]

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The Hyenas vs the Leopards

December 15, 2011

In mid December each year a Soccer match is played as a curtain raiser to the Staff Christmas Party. The well know Londolozi Leopards; our very own established football team consisting of butlers, gardeners, and trackers take on the make-shift team nicknamed the Londolozi Hyenas… to call the Hyenas a Soccer/Football team is a huge [...]

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5 month old lion cub survives 5 weeks alone!

December 12, 2011

This is a story so unbelievable that only Nature could have the creativity and courage to let it play out. This is a story that shows the fighting spirit, resilience and the complexity of Africa’s most revered mammal…the Lion. The star of the show is a member of the Tsalala Pride. This time, however, the [...]

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The Week in Pictures # 23

December 9, 2011

Summer is now in full swing at Londolozi. As Adam mentioned on Wednesday, there are babies everywhere hiding amongst the thick green vegetation. The cascading call of the Woodlands kingfisher competes with the shrill Red-chested cuckoo’s song with the constant buzz of Christmas beetles during the day, and at night a chorus of frogs emanates [...]

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Impala and Wildebeest Babies

December 7, 2011

This is one of my favourite times of the year to be in the lowveld…the lush green grass, dry heat, late afternoon thunderstorms and most of all the babies…Impala and Wildebeest newly borns running around the bush make for a magical season of joy and festivity. I trust you will enjoy this very small collection [...]

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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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New Lion Cubs at Londolozi

December 5, 2011

It is with much excitement that we can confirm that there are two new additions to the Lions of Londolozi. In the last 3 weeks we have started seeing two cubs belonging to one of the Sparta Pride lionesses. Although we can not be completely sure as to a date of birth we speculate it [...]

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Jerry Hambana gets into photography!

December 2, 2011

The photography bug really has taken hold of everyone here at Londolozi. Here we feature something a little bit different from pictures taken by our talented guiding team. Instead we show off some of the work taken by our newest up and coming photographer…one of our most talented trackers Jerry Hambana…

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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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Christmas Newsletter 2011

November 28, 2011

It’s been 5 years and at last we are DONE! Every camp at Londolozi has been refurbished, with the final phase being the complete overhaul of Varty Camp, whose roots go back as far as 1926. Reintroducing this “grand old lady” to our guests in March this year was a huge privilege. Varty Camp has enjoyed remarkable occupancies, tremendous support and amazing feed back from our industry partners, who seem to have really embraced the simplicity, tradition and return to old bushveld elegance that this Original Londolozi Camp offers…

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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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The Week in Pictures # 22

November 25, 2011

This week I have been (unfortunately) out of the bush, so have put together another installment of some of the bird shots I have taken over the past six weeks. People often ask when is the ‘best time’ to come to the bush, and if you have any interest in birds, that time is definitely [...]

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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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Nyeleti Young Female Leopard

November 22, 2011

One has to page through the Londolozi sightings book all the way back to 13 March 2011 so as to find the last confirmed sighting of the Nyeleti 4:4 Female… since then she has all but disappeared. Now we as Rangers are very hesitant to declare an animal as dead but one has to think [...]

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Current composition of the Tsalala Pride

November 21, 2011

After a difficult couple of weeks for this pride they at long last managed to make a substantial kill, pulling down a large Buffalo cow not far from the Londolozi Camps. It was an absolute delight to see these lions with fat bellies after what can only be described as a nightmare period in their [...]

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Freakquencies

November 19, 2011

On my death bed I will tell those, assuming there is anyone listening, that walking in the bush with Jerry Hambana has been some of the most ‘alive time’ of my life. Not fun time, memorable time or unforgettable time – but alive time… moments when the heart beats a little quicker, the eyes were keener and the footsteps more measured. Walking in the proximity of lion and leopard can do that to you and if you are a natural at it (and there are many on the team) then you probably move beyond the excitement phase of tracking to the business end of it…

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The Week in Pictures # 21

November 18, 2011

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any hotter, this week brought daily temperatures well into the forties. Despite having to wake up earlier in the mornings to beat the heat, this meant we got to see some unique adaptations of the animals, and of course the warmer weather brought out more flowers and we’re [...]

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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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The Leopards of Londolozi # 13

November 16, 2011

As promised last week, this week is purely black and white shots. Many people are of the opinion that a leopard should never be displayed in black and white, as their coat is simply too beautiful for that. For the most part, this is probably correct. However in certain situations a photo that is quite [...]

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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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Hyena bites Lioness’ Tail off

November 12, 2011

The last 10 days have provided some fascinating developments for Londolozi’s Tsalala Pride. I need to wind back the clock to the night of the 1 November. That night the 2 sisters managed to kill a zebra in a region that historically is some distance south of their territory. At this stage the Tailless Female [...]

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