It was not long after sunrise and a male lion was already bellowing close to camp.
We spent time with him as he roared into the crisp morning air, when suddenly impalas began alarming in a thicket only a few hundred metres away. John Varty was in the area and radioed us to say that he had found the Nkoveni female leopard. She was so close to the Birmingham male lion that we could see John’s Land Rover moving through the bushes. He said that the leopard had a kill up in a marula tree. Swivelling in our seats and grabbing our binoculars, we could see her sprawled out on a limb, belly plump from having fed on the young impala draped over the branch above her.
We had to wait a while before the female decided to feed.
One cans see how full the leopard’s belly is here.
As the male lion lay down to sleep we decided to drive the short distance over to the leopard to see if she would become active. Before long she got up, took a leisurely stretch and swiftly moved up the tree to her meal, where she fed for a short time, frequently looking around for any trouble on the horizon. After all, we weren’t all that far away from the male lion and she would certainly have heard him roaring! Although the kill was quite high in the tree, lions are well known to climb in order to steal a kill from a leopard, so I’m sure she was hoping he wouldn’t see her.
A step up onto the higher branch is a simple matter for the most agile of the big cats.
A quick glance in the direction of the lion.
To our surprise, she then began to tug at the carcass from beneath it as she started to back down the limb and trunk of the tree – she was pulling it out of the tree! She managed to twist herself and the impala around so she that was facing downwards and stopped to take a breather at the crotch of the tree.
One can clearly see the bite mark on the impala’s neck where it would have been asphyxiated. Also evident are where tufts of fur have been plucked off its sides.
A head-first descent like this while carrying a deadweight in your mouth is no easy feat, even for a leopard.
Strength gathered, she gave another quick look around for danger, before heading down the tree and onto the ground, the kill clamped firmly between her teeth.
Once on the ground she dragged the carcass through the bushes and grass, stopping often to catch her breath, reposition her prize in her mouth and check for danger.
If a leopard feels a kill is too exposed up in a tree the leopard may well bring it to earth and move it to somewhere more concealed.
A quick pause to catch her breath.
We watched her tug that carcass a quarter of a mile or more, eventually heading down into a drainage where she hid it behind a tangle of downed tree branches and other debris. She was out of sight for some time, and may even have fed a little bit, but before long we spotted her emerging from the drainage again and out into the open. Grant our guide and Jerry Hambana our tracker, speculated that she was headed to where she’d stashed her cub and so we followed her. She moved through thickets and trees and over termite mounds, and Grant and Jerry did a great job at keeping up with her.
Once far from the kill and where the lion was sleeping, she seemed more comfortable being out in the open.
She seemed to know exactly where the lion had moved to, as she didn’t take a direct line back to her cub, but made a slight detour, keeping in the thicker vegetation most of the way.
Almost an hour after leaving the kill, she finally began calling for her cub, sounding the distinctive gruff-sounding chuff of a mother leopard’s. She started circling and doubling back in one area, doing more looking than walking.
The female knew exatly where she had left her cub.
After what seemed a worrisome long time, her little cub appeared, meeting up with its mother in a thick bush that made viewing pretty tough. The Nkoveni female appeared to be all business however, immediately setting off in the direction of the drainage line where she had stashed the kill. The little cub ran quickly, its short legs taking much smaller strides than its mother which made keeping up a struggle for it.
The mother and cub meet for the first time that morning.
Immediately after this the Nkoveni female led the cub straight back to the kill.
The whole experience made for an unforgettable morning and left us realizing again that the life of a mother leopard is a difficult one in so many ways. To bring a cub to maturity – providing it with food, water, training, safety – is no small task and the opportunity for a glimpse into her life that day was an awesome one!
Lovely blog Mary Beth. Beautifully written. Amazing sighting.
Thank you, Marinda! It was a very special morning.
What a great sighting – these mother leopards are awesome
They are awesome – and we first saw Nkoveni when she herself was a little cub with HER mother!
Mary Beth, this was a fascinating article on a day in the life of a mama leopard! The leopard is my favorite animal. Your story illustrates so many positive attributes of the female leopard. Thanks for sharing. Well done!
Thanks for the nice comments, Darlene! Leopards are my favorites too, especially the Londolozi leopards!
Thank you Mary Beth for that rich account of “a morning in the life of” the Nkoveni female (and her cub). I keep looking out for posts on these two because we had the privilege of watching the Nkoveni female carry her cub a good distance, when it was very tiny, back in May. It is growing beautifully and of course it owes much,if not everything, to its mother, in that regard.
We have yet to see a leopard carrying a cub – what an awesome experience that must be! Next trip, maybe!!
I hope you shall. Our tracker, Terrence had been tracking for something like 13 years and never seen a mother leopard carrying her cub before then …
That’s a lovely story in pictures, James! Yes. Moms so often have a hard time raising children of all kinds and species including the human kind! Wendy M
Thanks, Wendy!
Excellent piece and enjoyable pictures. Felt like I was there and part of the moment
Thanks, Andrew and Daniel! It was a truly amazing morning!
What a wonderful story about Nkoveni and her cub. Thanks to see her in your pictures again.
You’re welcome, Jutta! I do think she’s pretty special…!
What an incredible morning! Your photos illustrate your story perfectly and will provide you with great memories. I’m leaving from SFO in November for a stay at Londolozi and so looking forward to many adventures (hopefully including leopards!).
I’m so jealous of your upcoming trip, Denise! I’ll meet you at SFO as I live in Marin! I know you’ll have a fantastic trip – and see plenty of leopards!
Would love to catch up with you and ask some questions. My email is traveldv@yahoo.com
Leaving November 2 for Johannesburg and then on to Botswana for a week, prior to Sabi Sand.
Thank you!
You’re so welcome!
Great write up (and photos too). You really brought the story to life. Thanks!
Thanks, Lachlan! It was an amazing morning!
That is amazing! She is an incredible Mama! I love the pictures and the way she instinctively knew to stay away from that lion! Remarkable!!! Your writing skills are exceptional!!! Seeing that little cub, melts my heart ♥️! I so hope and pray little one makes it to adulthood and with an amazing Mom like her, chances look good!!!
Hard work being a caring mother. I presume Dad was off at the Leopard pub with his mates, taking piles of no notice!
Wow what a great story with some beautiful pics. Really fantastic to have your first hand encouter on the blog. Hope to receive more stories from you in the future 🙂
Thanks, Rich! I really appreciate the nice comments and there may even be a few more ‘stories ‘ to tell!
I just love all your photo’s. You are so blessed to see such beautiful cats.
Thank you, Constance!
Such an incredible encounter!!
Great photos & story, can’t see that in SF huh? lol Awesome!
Thanks, Trish!