Some of you may have noticed a new name appearing in the Weekly sightings list, and in his post The Life of a Young Male Leopard, Mike Sutherland mentioned an unknown male that has been viewed around the Nyamakunze area of central Londolozi over the past few weeks.
We can officially introduce him as the Torchwood Male, a young nomadic male that has drifted in from the north of the Sabi Sands.
The Torchwood male holds territory falling mostly to the west of Londolozi and is infrequently seen.
Born in November or December 2010 (so Mike Sutherland’s estimate of around 3 years old was spot on!) on the Torchwood property, he is now at an age at which his father would most likely have put pressure on him to move out of his territory. His father is the Mvula male (aka Leadwood Male) who is territorial to the north of us, and who we don’t see on Londolozi.
His spot pattern is 3:#, although on his left side, visible here, a fourth, much smaller spot can be made out just in front of the three prominent ones.
Male leopards typically disperse at around two-and-a-half years, and this is mirrored exactly in the Torchwood male, as the last photo taken of him in the North was round about June of this year. Since then he has moved around the Sabi Sands extensively, being seen in the southern, western, and now central sectors.
First seen on Londolozi a couple of weeks ago to the South of the Maxabene drainage line with two impala kills, he has not strayed very far since then, with the most distant sighting from his original location being roughly a kilometre away, when Melvin Sambo found him on a hoisted Warthog kill just north of the Tugwaan Drainage last week. He is risking incurring the wrath of the dominant territorial leopards in the area, namely the Makhotini and Camp Pan males, but no interaction has been observed between him and the two bigger leopards, and indeed neither of these two significantly larger males have been seen in that area since the Torchwood male appeared on the scene.
Interestingly enough, he seems to have found a companion in the aged Nottens female, as the two have been seen together on at least three occasions.
It’s not often you will see two kills hoisted in the same tree. In this instance the Torchwood male had made one of his own, and stolen a second from the mother cheetah and her two offspring.
Proof of his youth was given recently when he stole a kill from the female cheetah and her two youngsters, but was subsequently chased up a nearby Marula tree by the furious mother. An older and bigger leopard would probably not have allowed itself to be ignominiously sent packing like that. Nor would the cheetah have had a run at a leopard unless it was a young one, I don’t think. I think she had also just had one too many kills robbed from her. This incident took place on Nyamakunze Crest, which has not been a happy hunting ground for the cheetahs in terms of keeping their kills out of sight of other predators.
After sitting with him for half an hour or so, he decided to climb the tree, partly we think in an effort to escape the flies that were pestering him, and came and lay on a branch of the marula tree extending out towards us. Just then the sun broke through a cloudbank in the west, bathing him in golden light.
We hope the Torchwood male hangs around for a bit, but he will have to wait a couple of years at least before he is big enough to properly establish himself in a territory.
Sincere thanks to Claire-M Lepage, for identifying and providing the history of the Torchwood male.
Written and Photographed by James Tyrrell
The last photo is a wonderful use of light and patience -waiting for the golden 15 minutes -only 10 months to go (and counting!)
I hope he stays around for a while. I would love to meet him next year.
Thank you for this great blog!
So great that he found an “companion” with the Nottins female.
Hope he is “nice” to that old lady and give her what she want. 🙂
And I hope that he stays in the area, is not “afraid” of cheetahs anymore, and that one day he will be as “mighty” as his awesome father, Mvula, who is and will always be my favorite leopard of all! 🙂
His gorgeous parents where the first wild leopards I saw, so that boy grow to my heart too.
Thank you for the update, The Torchwood Male, is quite handsome. Hope he stays safe until her
can find his own patch of paradise.
Wonderful blog James. Loved the last photo, what a handsome young leopard.
Has he mated with the nottens female? And does he have no whisker spots on his right side since you mentioned his spot pattern as 3:#?
Beautiful thanks James. Always great to read about these magnificent cats <3
Awesome photos and updates about the Vomba Young Male and Torchwood Male. It is good to see these young leopards try to establish themselves. Funny that Torchwood has struck up a relationship with Nottens— that amazing old lady leopard! The Torchwood Male does look like his father…
Is Torchwood the same son of Mvula known as Wabayiza futher north? Or am I mixing up different sons of Mvula?
Also, while I am thinking about it, is the independent son of Tutwla still on Londolozi? He must be similar in age to the Torchwood Male.
Hi Brian
You mix Wabayiza and the Torchwood male up.
Wabayiza is the Son Mvula have with Thandi and the Torchwood male is the son he have with Inkanyeni.
Mvula have sired 5 sons. Wabayiza and Torchwood male.
2, who are not named yet, he have with Karula, and Wabayizas younger brother Buhuti. 🙂
Busy boy. Hope he`ll sire a daughter, that will make it into independence too.
Thanks Rudolf! Now I am clear on Mvula’s offspring. It is always easier for me to keep track of leopard mothers than the fathers.
Seems like Mvula has been very successful parent with Karula and Thandi. Would like to see him have a daughter with the lovely Nanga female (Moya), Ostrich Koppies or Campbell Koppies Young Daughter (Kwatile). Lamula (Gowrie male) might not be pleased about that!
LOvely to read this wonderful story.He is handsome for sure.Thanks Mike for sharing this lovely story with us.