The scar-nosed Majingilane mates with the Tailless Tsalala lioness while her sister looks on. This was just the beginning of an epic evening spent with the pride and the coalition. All four males were there, arriving one by one, and spent over an hour in pursuit of the young Tsalala female. f2.8, 1/800, ISO 1600

The Majingilane with the missing canine pause in his pursuit of the Tsalala sub-adult. All four of the males were on site this evening, and chased the poor young lioness back and forth across the river a number of times, just to the west of camp. f2.8, 1/320, ISO 1600

The female cheetah must be one of the most succesful hunters at Londolozi. Time and time again she has been witnessed taking down impala, and her injury, still visible in this picture, has not slowed her down in the slightest. Unfortunately for the family, they were robbed by the Camp Pan male leopard a few minutes after this photo was taken. f3.2, 1/640, ISO 640

The Tsalala tailed lioness and sub-adult. The Tailless female was off mating with the Majingilane, but the pride had reunited within 24 hours, we think robbing a zebra kill from the Munghen females near Nanga Pan. All the lions were subsequently chased off by two warring hyena clans. Ranger Rich Ferrier was at one point following 7 hyenas in pursuit of a further 9! f5, 1/2500, ISO 640

I included this photo to show what poor condition the sub-adult lioness was in. This was the day after her attack by the Majingilane. Stick-thin and limping, we were worried about her, but she had a full belly less than 36 hours later as the Tsalala Pride robbed the Munghen females of their zebra kill. f5, 1/2500, ISO 640

The same lionesses from a different angle. Tree Camp is in the background on the Southern Bank of the Sand River. f4, 1/2000, ISO 640

The back paws of the Tsalala tailed female. I love lion’s paws. The shape and texture evoke many responses in people. A mixture of grace, symmetry and raw power. Such lethal weapons yet such simply functional parts of their anatomy. f4, 1/1250, ISO 640

Evening light hits the tailed Tsalala lioness as she lies in the bed of the Sand River. f4, 1/2500, ISO 640

The notoriously shy Ximpalapala female, on the remains of an impala kill she had robbed from her daughter. There was not much meat left, so she fed for only a few minutes and then descended the tree to continue her morning prowl. We had to keep our distance so as not to make her nervous, but had a wonderful view of the whole scene unfolding, with the beautiful backdrop of the Western Sabi Sands behind the Marula tree. f3.2, 1/2000, ISO 800

It’s hard to believe there are 13 lions drinking in this photograph. Most of the little cubs are hidden behind the adult lionesses. The Munghen pride quenches their thirst the day after they had moved off a Zebra kill on our Northern boundary. f4, 1/500, ISO 640

Mother and cub share a drink of fresh rainwater from a boulder near the Manyelethi River. Lions and other animals would far rather drink from rainwater puddles where dung and other debris has not had time to accumulate, as it would have on more permanent waterholes. f6.3, 1/800, ISO 320

Two of the Munghen cubs in high spirits near the Manyelethi Riverbed. f5, 1/1600, ISO 320

Everyone’s new favourite pride, the four Munghen lionesses and their 9 tiny cubs head into the shade for the morning. f6.3, 1/640, ISO 800

There is an amazing world of smaller beings right under our noses. Flies, wasps, butterflies and countless others are going about their daily lives, mostly overlooked. This bottle-green fly was investigating the carcass of a wildebeest and is seen here perched on its horns. We are not sure of the exact cause of death to the wildebeest, but it was not a large predator, as the carcass was untouched. f8, 1/640, ISO 2000

Not everyone’s favourite organisms, ticks can nevertheless be beautiful if one examines them closely. This one was on the wildebeest carcass, and given the untimely demise of it’s host, I’m guessing it moved off in search of another animal to parasitize. f5.6, 1/500, ISO 2000