As rain clouds filled the sky, rolling in from an almost unreachable horizon, they reminded us that summer is here. A change in season and scenery transporting us to a time of plenty. Impala ewes on the verge of bursting await the looming flush of greenery. Soon, hundreds of miniature impala will demand attention and the “ooh”s and “aah”s of onlookers will dominate conversation.
Speaking of dominance, continued presence of the Matimba coalition has finally been acknowledged by the Tsalala pride, more specifically the two tailed lionesses. The two separate pairs of lions were seen mating in the Sand River, which made viewing tricky, close to camp for a total of 5 days before going their separate ways. Is this mating a sign that the Matimba males are here to stay? Their constant presence was a stark contrast to that of the leopards over the last few days, who were conspicuous by their absence.
The unfolding story continues and as we try and keep up we are drawn ever deeper into the amazing lives of the inhabitants of Londolozi. Here are a few moments in time, enjoy this Week in Pictures!
One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen…
The tailed Tsalala lioness has bred successfully in the past. Is it almost time for her to put her mothering skills to the test under a new reign?
The sun sets on winter and the dawn of a new generation of impala looms.
A young vervet monkey playfully hangs from a Jackalberry tree after gorging itself on the abundance of fruit.
The Mashaba female’s cub climbs with intent en route to a hoisted bushbuck kill.
Incoming! An oxpecker lifts its head off of a tick-ridden buffalo to see more of its kind join in the buffet.
The most beautiful tail of all the big cats, with a mind of its ow; a leopard’s tail enthrals onlookers.
The sun had set and the soft lingering colours helped give a gentle feel to a somewhat dark and mysterious bush character.
I love the texture of an elephant, there is so much detail to behold.
One of the extremely impressive Matimba coalition, standing proud in the morning sun, overlooking his potential new kingdom.
Rounding the corner this scene was overwhelming. I have hoped to see lions cross the causeway since my arrival at Londolozi almost 2 years ago: was this finally the moment? My hopes were soon shattered as the two sought some privacy and half way across the the causeway turned upstream and melted into the reeds.
One of the most quintessential of all African moments, a picture from a few weeks ago that I couldn’t leave out of the lineup.
Written and photographed by Simon Smit (Londolozi Ranger)
Stunning pics Simon. Love the rainbow.
So sorry to be sitting here in this office instead of there in a jeep. Stunning photos, thank you!
Amazing!
Fantastic pictures Simon! The double rainbow is spectacular! Thank you for sharing your beautiful images and another great week in pictures.
Awesome pics Simon! Any update on Mashabas cub/cubs, has the other been seen recently or should we assume the worst?
Great pics as always. Any news on the Mangheni pride lately? Thnks
WOW !!!!
I have been reading these posts for some time and am always impressed, moved, and often astounded by the stories and the quality of the writing. Each writer captures so much more than just the recounting of sightings, and always gives food for thought. And the photos!!! …. each posting has photos that are “my favorite ever.” I really think the giraffe and rainbow should somehow be used in a national campaign to save Africa’s treasures –
it is one of those photos with depth of cultural meaning as well as being incredibly beautiful – the rainbow, symbol of hope, and the realization that Africa is the proverbial ark carrying the animals that must be saved from humankind’s (not a very true word sometimes) greed. The giraffe – not the most well-known victim of poaching, trophy-killing, and habitat loss, but still an animal at severe risk, as are so many of the lesser-publicized animals, birds, insects, plants. Your readers from far parts of the world, look back with gratitude at our times spent at Londolozi – gratitude for the personal experiences you shared with us, and unending gratitude for the work you are doing to ensure that Africa’s animals and communities have a bright future under the huge African sky.
Fabulous photos and stories to go with them really make feel in some way almost there.
Great photos as always Simon.
That giraffe/rainbow pic is quite simply stunning! A great selection as usual Si.
You continue to raise the bar. Well done!
Great Photo’s. Any possibility you could do a blog on the most beautiful area on the londolozi property? Would be great to see more of the property.
Yes the overwhelming choice is the Rainbow & the Giraffe & Impala Sunsets, but we can’t leave out the cute little face of the Vervet Monkey 🙂 Thank you once again
Really love viewing the different photos.
Of course my favourite is leopards, but am envious of the results and I try to do the same.