One of the more prominent leopards on Londolozi over the last year has been the Mashaba young female. Prominent not so much from a dominance standpoint but more from sheer viewing pleasure. Her youthful charisma has delighted guests, rangers and trackers alike. Slowly but surely though, youthful exuberance has faded and a more calculated side has begun to shine through. One so true to all leopards, a side that allows them to remain the mysterious ghosts of the Lowveld and completely dominate the shadows. These recent developments have prompted a coming of age, possibly only through our eyes but worthy of recognition nonetheless. The changing of her name, The Nkoveni female.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
Her golden coat and the green of summer contrast beautifully, not to mention her memorising eyes.
A name change, as discussed on the blog before, is not something affectionate but more a point of reference, a prominent feature within a certain leopard’s territory. There were a few names thrown around amongst the rangers and trackers but the Nkoveni female was decided upon. “Nkoveni” in the local Shangaan language means ‘at the river’ and her fondness of the river cannot be denied. The abundance of prey taking refuge in the thickets allows countless hunting opportunities. This is not the first time a leopard at Londolozi has been named after one of the largest rivers in the region. Some early visitors and past guides may remember the old Sand River female, born to the Mother Leopard and viewed in the mid 80s.
Viewing of the current Nkoveni female is usually good if she is not sliding through the shadows created by the palms that line the banks of the river. She was in fact the first leopard I saw at Londolozi. A hot summer’s afternoon led us into a drainage line not far from camp. We rounded a corner and saw her drinking from a small pool of water. She lifted her head, water dripping slowly off her hair-covered chin, and pointed her ears to the top of the donga. We eventually caught up to her on the banks of the drainage line and found her frozen staring into the grass. A squeal, a leap and the grass all around us erupted into chaos. At ground level an entire colony of banded mongoose exploded in different directions. The leopard’s movements were so fluid it almost looked as if she was moving in slow motion, but as she came to a standstill, she looked at us as if seeking recognition, and in her jaws was clamped the inert body of a mongoose. She settled down to consume her meal with the sound of the shrilly squealing mongoose troop emanating from the bushes all around her..
The Nkoveni Female’s territory. One can see just how much river frontage she has; prime territory for a leopard in this area.
That sighting will be etched in my mind for the rest of my days. That was almost two years ago and she has matured a considerable amount since. Now, not only hunting consumes her time but the instinctive urge to mate has forced her to make contact with the dominant male in the area. The 4:4 male and the Nkoveni female have been seen together on multiple occasions, each meeting lasting a few days at a time. She has been very persistent, sometimes maybe a little too much so. For her efforts she now has a prominent notch in each ear, more than likely inflicted by the 4:4 male in one of many mating bouts. Her initial advances towards the 4:4 male were met with vehement rejection; most likely the male sensed that she was too young to reproduce. However, over the months his attitude towards her has relaxed and he has been far more receptive. Proper mating bouts have been witnessed.
The debate is whether or not the female is too young to reproduce or not. Leopards have been recorded birthing at around three years of age, although it is typically after they are four years old that they will have their first litter. The Nkoveni Female was three years old as of the end of August, so it is theoretically possible for her to fall pregnant.
Ever alert. As a young leopard she has remained incredibly aware of her surrounding, even at her most playful she still stops to inspect suspicious noises.
A step ahead, she was able to outsmart 3 hyenas on the occasion on which this photo was taken; not by much but the branches of this fallen tree were enough to evade their snatching jaws.
Reaching the age of three she has come a long way since August 2012. She was born in the Sand River close to Plaque Rock, about two kilometres downstream from the Londolozi Camps. Daughter of the Mashaba female and fathered by, we believe, the Marthly male. Both of these extremely relaxed leopards have more than likely led to her amazing temperament. One which affords us the calibre of sighting we have been accustomed to while in the presence of this energetic individual. I look forward to following her progress and development for years to come. Long may she thrive in this piece of African paradise.
Written and photographed by Simon Smit (Londolozi Ranger)
Lovely blog Simon. She is a beautiful leopard.
Stunning creature, wow. Thanks for sharing.
I have to ask though memorising eyes or Mesmerizing eyes? Both work in a way as those are eyes one will not easily forget 🙂
Finally, young Mashaba has her own name. What a beauty. We saw her with her mama in Sept. ’12 & I am looking at them on my living room wall. Can’t wait to see her next year. Thank you for the update.
She is as beautiful as her mother – we saw her as a cub – if you run up YouTube and look under sheena@insull.com there is a Londolozi Clip with her in a fallen tree with Mashaba – cute and playful then.
Great blog! It is always satisfying when a young leopard gets her/his territorial name. It signifies the rangers’ belief that the young cat is firmly in charge of her own distinct territory. We have been very fortunate to watch the Sand River female (former Mashaba Young female) grow from cub to confidant young adult. It will be very interesting to see her raise her first litter.
Looking forward to reading even more about her.
Beautifully written Simon and stunning pictures of this very beautiful Leopard. I hope she has a long and healthy lifetime and I look forward to seeing her cubs in perhaps the very near future.
Great to hear she finally has her own name. It will take me some time to get used to it. She was the first female leopard we ever saw in the wild. I hope she has a long life.
She is a gorgeous cat and we are so thrilled she has her own name. Her poise and presence are a thrill to enjoy. She is photogenic and graceful. Thank you for the lovely pictures and commentary.