Marula trees, open clearings, impala lambs and year-old leopard cubs are just about as perfect a combination of things as you can get in the bush.
Impala lambs to provide the prey, the leopard cubs to do the hunting, the trees to hoist the kills into or just survey the ground from and the nice open areas from which we can view everything is a pretty accurate summary of what we have been finding on Ximpalapala crest in recent months.
Our first sightings of the cubs were long-distance views like this. A single cub (all three were alive at this time) can be seen descending the rocks to the right of the photo. f5.6, 1/500s, ISO 400, @ 200mm
The two remaining Ximpalapala leopard cubs (from an original litter of 3) and their mother have turned the crests around their namesake koppie into an impala killing zone, and never more than a week goes by without some evidence being found of another impala that has met its demise under their claws and canines.
I was on leave in I think May or June last year when ranger Dean Smithyman sent me a text message saying simply “Unidentified female +3 on Ximpalapala”. An unknown leopard is exciting enough in itself, but hearing about the 3 cubs I actually headed back to Londolozi early to try and catch a glimpse of them myself!
Nowadays the cubs pay us little attention. f2,8, 1/320s, ISO 640, @ 95mm
We think the Ximpalapala female moved into the area from west of our boundary, most likely to occupy territory left vacant by the deceased Nyelethi 4:4 female. Still nervous around vehicles, she has most likely grown up in an area where she didn’t see many Land Rovers.
Her cubs – we think fathered by the Marthly male – were also skittish at first, but the fact that they spent a large amount of time on Ximpalapala koppie itself, where the vehicles couldn’t go and where they could choose how closely they approached us where we were parked down at the base, meant that before long they had become significantly more habituated than their mother.
Fallen trees on the crest-line provide viewpoints for any leopard, not just the Ximpalapala cubs. f4, 1/640s, ISO 100, @ 200mm
Since then they have provided spectacular viewing, often to be found in marula or jackalberry trees and more often than not within a few hundred metres of each other.
Lambing season amongst the impala was just around the time when they were starting to hunt small mammals themselves, and the newborn impala made perfect targets in the long grass of Summer.
One of the cubs tentatively feels her way down a marula tree while her sister looks on from above. f5.6, 1/160s, ISO 100, @ 200mm
The two cubs are roughly a year old by now. Both females, they will most likely set up territories neighbouring their mother’s should they both survive, and as one year is roughly the age at which leopard cub mortality drops significantly, they have a good chance.
As the following photographs confirm, the cubs are partial to lying on marula branches, fallen or otherwise…
A beautiful evening shot as one of the cubs takes in the last of the day’s light. – Kate Neill
Photographed By Kate Neill – December 2012 f/5.6 1/160s ISO 640 70-300 lens/300mm
The Ximpalapala Cub in December 2012 – Photographed by Kate Neill f/5.6 1/320s ISO 640 70-300 Lens/300mm
Photographed by Kate Neill December 2012 f/5 1/250s ISO 640 70-300 Lens/ 170mm
Lying up at the base of Ximpalapala koppie; familiar ground for both cubs. – Bennet Mathonsi
I can’t imagine that any Londolozi rangers can remember a more consistent period of leopard-in-trees viewing than the current one of the Ximpalapala cubs… – Bennet Mathonsi
She was born to the Short Tailed female in 2002 in the same litter as the Tugwaan male.
Photographed by: James Tyrrell, Bennet Mathonsi and Kate Neill
Written by James Tyrrell
Phenomenal shots JT, Kate and Bennet. Great to see these cubs growing up!
Adorable! Thank you JT, Kate, and Bennet! So beautiful, I can not wait to see them but certainly your photos do just fine for now.
Wonderful pictures of beautiful cats! May they live long healthy lives and give you many more days of viewing pleasure.
Have you managed to get a good photograph of the mother of these cubs?
Hi Shardool,
I think there may be one or two photos of her floating around which I will try to find, but I don’t have one myself. She tends to keep her distance and gets nervous as soon as more than one vehicle approaches.
She is relaxing a bit and I will post a photo of her as soon as I have one.
James
Thanks a lot!!!!
James, very nice pictures ….. as always.
Have you ever chanced upon 2 leopards mating on a tree. I just saw a picture which belonged to Kabini forests in south India. If you did click such a picture, pls share. thanks
Hi Anil,
I have heard of this being recorded to the North of us in the Sabi Sand but have never seen it myself.
If I come across a shot I will post it.
James
wonderful shots, thank you.