Londolozi Blog

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…

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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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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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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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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The Week in Pictures # 20

November 11, 2011

If you’ve ever been on a game drive with Freddy and me, you’ll know that our favourite thing to do is find an individual animal, or a group of animals, and stay with them watching their behaviour for as long as possible. The ability to do this relatively often is one of the very special things about Londolozi. In my opinion, that is what being out here is all about: you can go down a checklist of animals at a zoo just to ‘see’ them, but to actually be a part of a wild animal’s life, watching how it goes about surviving every day in its own environment, is incredibly unique to coming on a safari. This week I’ve highlighted a few leopard sightings where we did just this: stayed with the animals for almost the entire game drive, witnessing behaviours both distinctive of the individual as well as a few patterns. Enjoy this Week in Pictures…

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My Friend Elmon

November 10, 2011

We have very little in common. Elmon is an elderly, wise, shangaan man who was born and bred on the land. As a young boy he was taught to track by his father while herding cattle amongst lions. I am half his age and have spent a lot of my life in cities. Yet, as different as we are, we choose to spend at least 8 hours of every day in each others company. The common denominator you may wonder? A profound love of the bush…

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The Leopards of Londolozi # 12

November 9, 2011

This week included yet more amazing leopard interactions, including kills, cubs and, as always, Camp Pan Male! Having spent a number of extra long days out in the field, I was lucky enough to witness and photograph quite a number of these. Enjoy this week’s installment!

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Two Incredible Snake Encounters

November 8, 2011

Londolozi is famous for many things, but not, as far as I am aware, snakes. In fact, many guests specifically request NOT to see snakes, and I have yet to hear a herpetologist speak of the fabled “Snakes of Londolozi”. Yes, there are plenty of them here, but despite their undeserved reputation, they tend to stick to themselves and are seldom seen. But after two sightings in two days recently, that may all be about to change…

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Leopards, Lions, Hyenas and Tree Climbing

November 7, 2011

What goes up must come down… The one thing I love about Leopards is that they can climb trees: and they make it look so easy. I have always loved to climb but I have certainly never managed the grace and agility of these spotted cats. When I’m up in a tree I feel free [...]

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Jaguars, Macaws and the Pantanal

November 5, 2011

Shan and I have just returned from an inspiring expedition to Caiman Ecological Refuge situated in Southern Pantanel, South America. We were kindly hosted by Roberto Klabin, the owner of this remarkable property and although for the past 250 years cattle has been the primary land use practice for the area, Roberto Klabin is a leading conservationist in Brazil has afforded absolute protection of wildlife on this ranch for the past 30 years. Proving that nature is an enduring partner, the proof of Klabin’s visionary work was there for us to see…

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The Week in Pictures # 19

November 4, 2011

This week, the rains really came. We had several days where there was little break in precipitation, resulting in thickening green growth, vibrant colours, a rising river and many animals refreshed by both the water and nutritious vegetation. Most evenings carried the soft lulls of thunder the whole night through, with lions roaring intermittently and the frogs competing for their calls to be heard. As David Dampier mentioned in his post this week, rain brings a challenge to photography… but we luckily had some breaks where we were able to capture a few shots. Enjoy this Week in Pictures…

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The Leopards of Londolozi # 11

November 2, 2011

As mentioned last week, the rains have well and truly arrived and the bush is quickly transforming itself. This can make tracking a little more difficult at times, and keeping your camera equipment dry while trying to get some good shots can also be a challenge! However there was still plenty to see in the [...]

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Wild Dogs and Wild Beasts

November 1, 2011

The khoikhoi called them “Gnou” after their unusual sound; the Afrikaners called them Wildebeest, or “Wild Beast,” for the menacing appearance presented by its large head, shaggy mane, pointed beard, and sharp, curved horns. They roam over much of the African grasslands, open plains and dry woodlands. Here at Londolozi they are a characteristic species [...]

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The Lodges of Londolozi by Ryan Graham

October 31, 2011

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Tailless Female is Mating…

October 29, 2011

Big news from Londolozi in terms of the lion dynamics is that in the last week the much loved Tailless Female of the Tsalala Pride has been seen a number of times with her 2 daughters and their cubs. There was even a special moment the other night when the 3 adults moved off and [...]

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The Week in Pictures # 18

October 28, 2011

This week the weather became significantly warmer, with the occasional unpredicted thunderstorm. Spring seems in the air more than ever, and I think the most appropriate theme for this week was the emergence of small things: birds, creepy crawlies as well as new arrivals. We had chicks, pups, cubs and calves, all of which of course made us very happy! Enjoy this week in pictures…

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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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The Leopards of Londolozi # 10

October 26, 2011

Although last week was always going to be tough to beat, there was still plenty of activity amongst the leopards these past few days, including an interesting interaction between the Camp Pan Male and his son, the Maxabene 3:2 Young Male. In addition, you will also notice the colours of the photos beginning to change, [...]

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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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Why the Giraffe has a Short Neck

October 24, 2011

The idea that the Giraffe got it’s long neck due to food shortages in the lower reaches of trees seems like a no brainer. The Giraffe is taller than all other mammals and so can feed on the leaves that no other animal can reach. For this reason it’s neck has grown longer and longer. [...]

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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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The Week in Pictures # 17

October 21, 2011

Last week I promised leopards for this week, and did they ever deliver! As the weather gets more unpredictable, the days mixed with thunderstorms and summer sunshine, the bush is getting greener and the variety of creatures big and small grows. We had a few truly memorable cat sightings and a highlight for me was discovering some very small hyenas. Enjoy this Week in Pictures…

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Tsalala Pride Steal Leopard kill

October 20, 2011

The Tsalala Pride never ceases to amaze! Following them move through the Sand River the other day the adult lioness with the older 4 cubs suddenly accelerated and ran forward. In seconds she scrambled up the main trunk of a large Weeping Boer Bean. It was anything but elegant! Hesitantly she began to scale the tree’s upper branches…she had found the remains of a young male bushbuck that had been hoisted by what we thought was a female leopard. Immediately she started feeding before the remaining pride members had even registered what was happening. The position of the kill was exceptionally difficult for a large lioness to maneuver around…I was sure that she would just try dislodge the kill and then feed on the more conventional terra firma. I was wrong…

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The Leopards of Londolozi # 9

October 19, 2011

This week was truly a bumper week for leopard sightings, and in particular, leopard on kills. It seems perhaps that with the onset of the first summer thunderstorms, the extra cover provided by the dark, cloudy skies, strong wind and thunder, has enabled slightly easier hunting conditions. As such, there were numerous sightings of various different leopard feeding on kills including impala,duiker, nyala and bushbuck. As always, enjoy…

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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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Camp Pan’s Still Got It!

October 17, 2011

It appears as if the Camp Pan Male Leopard has bounced back to his old majestic self. Over the last couple of months he had seemingly been deteriorating after his territory was rudely infiltrated by the much younger Dudley Riverbank 5:5 Male. Camp Pan is is a massive leopard and takes one’s breathe away when [...]

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A Night Time Safari Experience

October 15, 2011

A wonderful element of the Londolozi safari experience is the night drive! Once you have finished sipping on your gin and tonic having watched the sun sink below the Drakensberg Mountains it is time for us to turn on the spot light and drive around looking for the nocturnal creatures…

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The Week in Pictures # 16

October 14, 2011

Last week we had rain, and this week another crucial element of life in the bushveld – fire. Several controlled burns were conducted on Londolozi, which are essential to the nutrient cycle of the soil and making room for new, green growth. Fire is an important process which would naturally be created by lightning strikes. Post-fire, the burned areas brought us sightings with interesting colours as well as behaviours – the birds hunting on the exposed ground, and the herbivores feeding on the greenflush. I have purposefully left leopards out of this Week in Pictures (except for the Maxabene Young Male’s tail, below), mainly because David Dampier’s post earlier this week in Leopards of Londolozi contained such stunning images and the latest updates. More next week on leopards, but in the meantime, enjoy this Week in Pictures…

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Windy Afternoons at Londolozi

October 13, 2011

So it was another of those kite-windy afternoons at Londolozi that you sometimes get in September and we were out hunting Rhinoceros. Typically on your fourth evening with the same guests you wouldn’t be so desperate to see one, but we had skillfully evaded them for days and so were under pressure to find one…

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The Leopards of Londolozi #8

October 12, 2011

After a few weeks leave it was good to get back and catch up with some of Londolozi’s most famous residents. Despite a few quiet days during the middle of the week, it was another busy seven days on the leopard front. Camp Pan Male in particular was making his presence felt and was seen almost daily, patrolling all his favorite spots. Hope you enjoy the selection…

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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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Tsalala 8 Reunited

October 10, 2011

It played out like a scene from a Walt Disney movie…the Lion King has nothing on the current drama that is unfolding for the beloved Tsalala Pride. Tragic events in the last few days whittled them down to 8 and then a Majingilane moment of madness threw yet another spanner in the works. The Tsalala [...]

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Celebrating Water at Madlala

October 9, 2011

At the end of September, the GWF and Londolozi were part of a wonderful day of celebration in the Justicia community – the handing over of a healthy, flowing borehole at Madlala High School and Learning Centre…

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The Week in Pictures #15

October 7, 2011

Last week it became warmer, and with this week came another sign of summer… rain! Water is life, so we welcomed the storm clouds with open arms. Game viewing can be fantastic in the rain – after all, the animals are still here – and in particular, predators will sometimes use the rain to mask [...]

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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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Tsalala Lion Cubs Killed

October 5, 2011

It was with great sadness upon my return to Londolozi from a short break that I found out some bad news. The Tsalala sisters have a pride of ever-growing youngsters and hungry mouths to feed. A couple of weeks ago I started exploring their hunting techniques around the river bed, touching on how they would need to start hunting larger prey to satisfy the increasing demand of the cubs. Last week they paid the ultimate price…

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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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The Week in Pictures # 14

September 30, 2011

As mentioned in last week’s Week in Pictures, the usual suspects are back! This week we were treated to a wonderful variety of landscapes, and creatures big and small. I was also very lucky to have some visitors from my native Bermuda, who clearly brought some great bush energy! Particular mention must go to an interesting interaction between two leopards, as well as the birthday of a pachyderm. There was also no shortage of lions this week. Enjoy this Week in Pictures…

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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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The Week in Pictures # 13

September 23, 2011

I haven’t been in the bush for the past week so what I’ve decided to do is put up a series of my best bird shots over the past six weeks. Sometimes with the excitement of the big cats, birds often get overlooked. They are, however, a major part of a Londolozi safari nonetheless. Updates on the usual suspects will continue from next, however enjoy this week in pictures…

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