Browsing the archives as I like to do, I recently came across photos of a sighting of a mother leopard and her cub from yesteryear. One of Londolozi’s newer rangers was standing near me, and I called him over and out of interest asked if he could recognise which cub it was. He got it right fairly easily, but given that his job involves differentiating between individuals, that wasn’t too surprising. What I would be interested in is how many people who visit our blog on a regular basis would be able to recognise the current adult leopards from pictures of them as cubs.
So over the next couple of months we will be dropping in an occasional test to see how good everyone’s skills are at telling leopards apart.
Who will be able to recognise the Nhlanguleni cubs from pictures of them as adults in 5 years time?
A leopard genuinely doesn’t change its spots, so that’s the obvious way to go when trying to identify one. Don’t get too caught up in the spot pattern on the cheeks either. Although those are the standard markings we use to differentiate between individuals, it often happens that a photo of the leopard in question has the spot pattern obscured, so we are forced to look at other areas of its body to compare the spots. The face is a fairly typical place to start, but it doesn’t have to be limited to head spots.
During camera trap surveys for example, researchers use flank spot patterns to differentiate between individuals. This is largely due to photographic restrictions, in that the leopard is usually only going to be photographed walking past a camera trap, so a picture of its facial spots isn’t guaranteed, but it does go to show that it doesn’t really matter where you are comparing the spots, so long as you are getting a good comparison.
The spots on his front right leg were used to identify the Ndzanzeni young male in this camera trap photo.
So to kick off the series, we’ll present three photos of the leopard we’d like you to identify. All the evidence you’ll need are in these photos so it should be fairly easy.
This sighting was the first proper one I had of the leopard in question. Ranger Mike Sutherland and tracker Life Sibuye had heard kudus barking near the airstrip, and knowing the antelopes must have seen a predator, we joined Mike and Life in the search.
Only a few moments after we got there, a female leopard stepped out into the road with her small cub in tow, and the following photos are of that sighting:
Our first view of the cub, moments after it stepped out of the thicket. It had hardly been viewed up to this point, so we were very surprised by how relaxed it was around the vehicles.
The cub didn’t want to follow its mother over the airstrip as it was scared of the squeaking noise the windsock was making.
Like most leopard cubs, it would take every opportunity it could find to climb a tree.
Have a look through those three photos. Try and establish the cub’s spot pattern, then compare it to notable adults currently featured on the blog. Then tell us which leopard you think it is. We’re giving you an easy one first up.
Answer to be revealed in tomorrow’s post…
I am sure that it is the Ximungwe female, or as a cub the Mashaba young female with a 5:3 spot pattern. Mashaba and the cub frequented the area around the airstrip when we viewed them. I can be totally wrong. This is an exciting challenge.
Is it the Nkoveni female?
Photo Number 1 would make my wall any day
Great idea James, we can all pretend we are rangers! I’ll give it a try: the Nkoveni female I guess
Ill throw down a guess and go with the Nkoveni female…the double lines under the right eye look kinda right if I imagine they stretched a bit to fit a bigger head.
Nkoveni female!
Nkoveni
I am guessing the Nkoveni female! No tail cut off here! 🤣 I just compared facial spots. The left side has some pretty distinctive markings. This is fun!
Perhaps Nkoveni female?
My immediate thought was the Ndzanzeni female, but looking closer I’m pretty sure it’s Nkoveni.
My guess is that she’s a young Nkoveni, daughter of Mashaba
Mashaba’s daughter – the Nkoveni.
Whenever I see a leopard now in a photo at Londolozi I start counting it’s cheek spots – and then I have a mental picture of one of them possibly attacking me – and I think to myself I just wouldn’t CARE how many spots and who it is – as long as I could fight him / her off! I certainly wouldn’t be counting spots at that point! Never having been to Londolozi to see your wonderful leopards, it is so interesting to see all these very good photos of them. Congratulations to all concerned. Wendy M
Our guess is also Nkoveni
Hello James. I was split between the Nkoveni and the Ximungwe. I’m going with Nkoveni.
Nkoveni female
She and her mom were the first leopards I saw in the wild. Saw her when she was 9 months. ☺️