Involved Leopards

Mashaba 3:3 Female

Mashaba 3:3 Female

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Tortoise Pan 4:3 Male

Tortoise Pan 4:3 Male

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About the Author

James Tyrrell

Alumni

James had hardly touched a camera when he came to Londolozi, but his writing skills that complemented his Honours degree in Zoology meant that he was quickly snapped up by the Londolozi blog team. An environment rich in photographers helped him develop the ...

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12 Comments

on Introducing the Tortoise Pan Male Leopard

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Darlene Knott
Master Tracker

Beautiful photos of leopards! I think Tortoise Pan male is a perfect name for this leopard. Thanks for sharing the name creation process, James.

Marinda Drake
Master Tracker

Sad news about the Ximungwe cub. It seems as if it always the male cub that get killed. Is it to eliminate competition from another potential male?

Callum Evans
Guest contributor

Nice that he has an official name now. I actually forgot how much damage he’s been doing to cubs in the area! And I didn’t think vagrant male leopards would be a bigger threat to cubs than lions or spotted hyena!

Bob and Lucie Fjeldstad
Guest contributor

Love these stories of the evolution of territories and names. Excellent photo of your “new” addition by Alex! And we are very jealous of the pic of three leopards!

Joan Schmiidt
Master Tracker

James, what a wonderful explanation of how you name the leopards. I love the photo of Tortoise Pan drinking. We were lucky enough to see leopard drinking on our last trip (2018)

Suzanne Gibson
Guest contributor

Well hello Tortoise Pan male, are you ready to continue the Mother Leopard’s dynasty? Is there any news on his mother’s latest litter, James? – and would any cubs of hers be safe from him?

James Tyrrell
Alumni

Hi Suzanne,
Yes her mother’s latest litter (single cub) is alive and well. I certainly hope it would be safe from this male should they meet, and genetically it would make sense, but with young male leopards one never can tell.

Victoria Auchincloss
Master Tracker

What a great way to identify the leopards for the guests who can’t quite the spots. Fingers crossed for all the cubs!! Victoria

Denise Vouri
Guest contributor

The lead photo of the newly named Tortoise Dam leopard is stunning. Congratulations to whoever took it. I read this with such interest as this is the only male I spent time with last year – at the hippo mud wallow so to speak. I think I posted a couple in my blog but I went back to look again, and fell in love with him all over again. I know he’s not a fan of cubs, eliminating them when he can but perhaps this is how he will establish a significant territory like his father did. How ironic to father cubs by the leopardess who lost all her cubs to him. I’ll be keen to continue to learn more about him as time goes on. Hopefully I’ll see him again, larger and more stately, during my trip next March.

Wendy Macnicol
Digital Tracker

Dear James. I have taken both the photos of the newly named “Tortoise Pan Male” as screensavers! So interesting.
Good pics too. Thank you and Alex for them. Wendy M

Mary Beth Wheeler
Guest contributor

We spent time with him last year and loved his hutzpah, snarling and growling at a hyena circling a tree in which his mother was feeding on an impala carcass. But he soon leapt into nearby marula and just posed for us in the morning sun. It’ll be fun n to watch his life line….

Michael and Terri Klauber
Guest contributor

James, as you know we are avid leopard trackers and always enjoy your detailed updates. As always we pray for the little ones. It is wonderful that you can track the lineage so clearly, even though figuring out who is the father can be a challenge!

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