Leopards – and animals in general – don’t always do what the books say, and in such a dense population as Londolozi, we are bound to start seeing behaviours as yet unrecorded.
Father and son duos mating with the same female, different females vying simultaneously for attention from the same male, tolerance when there should be aggression, aggression when there should be tolerance… We’re kept guessing all the time.
The dynamics that are currently playing out between the two Nhlanguleni leopard sisters are remarkably resemblant of those between cheetah siblings.
Initially skittish she spent a lot of time in the Sand River, now relaxed she makes up the majority of leopard viewing west of camp.
When sub-adult cheetahs become independent – be they sisters, brothers or mixed – they generally stick together for a couple of months before going their separate ways. Brothers will usually remain permanently together in a coalition but females will split, being solitary and relatively nomadic. Leopards on the other hand separate pretty much immediately.
But the Nhlanguleni sisters, although it seems fairly evident they have finally been pushed firmly into independence by their mother, are still spending an inordinate amount of time together. They are repeatedly found sharing kills that one or the other has made, and invariably when one is tracked and found, the other won’t be far away.
To be fair, this is the first time I’ve properly witnessed an intact leopard litter make it to independence. The Nhlanguleni female herself was the last leopard to be successfully raised with her sibling, but she and her brother (who dispersed very quickly) were so skittish when they were young that we never really got to observe their behaviour. Maybe this sticking together thing is more common than I thought. For their early months as would-be solitary animals maybe it is the best way to ride out the hardships. One feeds off the other’s kill and vice versa. A certain level of tolerance makes perfect sense, when genetically it is in both of their interests that the other survives.
I imagine the territory they are in has a lot to do with it; both young leopards have been highly localised within the Sand River, upstream from camp, and with the proliferation of prey and ample cover that the area provides, they are more than simply surviving, they are thriving!
Three days ago they were found together on a fresh nyala kill (an adult ewe). They were sadly robbed by hyenas as the kill was probably too big for such small leopards to think about hoisting straight away, but within 36 hours they were again found together, this time on a bushbuck lamb, hoisted and safely out of reach from hyenas.
Most drives along the Sand River to the west of camp feature the bark of a bushbuck or nyala from the Phragmites thickets in the riverbed, and invariably it will be one or both of the cubs that has/have surprised the antelope or botched a hunting attempt. More often than not they are in areas unaccessible to the Land Rovers, but we seldom have to wait too long though before they are found once again.
Ultimately I think the rarity here is not their behaviour, but the fact that both these young leopards have survived. I haven’t gone over the exact numbers, but I’m willing to bet that somewhere in the order of 50 cubs have been born on Londolozi since the Nhlanguleni female left her mother, and her two daughters are the first since then not to lose a sibling.
Their relationship aside, the fact that they are both still here is what we should really be celebrating!
It is wonderful that the two sisters both survived. I sometimes think that if it is a brother and sister that the male is first killed by another predator. We probably observe only a small part of a leopard’s life and more young leopards might live together that we are just not aware of.
I do celebrate them both and am glad they are peacefully together. Sweet and encouraging to see. As time passes they will part ways. Until then, enjoy!
Such beautiful leopardesses!
I once stopped with someone who now runs a tracking school in East Africa and a quarter of a century later I can still remember him telling me exactly what James has said and word for word it was “Lions don’t always do what the books say” especially when there are other pressures . Sadly the other pressures in this case was man, specifically trophy hunting in an area adjacent to a national park
Such beautiful young leopards. Interesting, informative and thought provoking commentary coupled with stunning visuals makes this video an absolute delight. Mind you, I enjoy and appreciate all of the uploads. Many thanks.
What a great story! It will be interesting to see if they stay together. Wonder how the mating will go? Could be challenging when they are ready!
That photo of the two leopards is almost worth framing.
James, great that the 2 sisters survived – I hope they are still around when we come in Sept 2020. I agree with Marina Drake, we probably observe only small part of a leopard’s life!
Good report as usual. Beautiful girls. Hope they can make it to full adulthood.
The only constant in studying wildlife is that there are always surprises and behavior that deviates from the expected norm. I would think this is what makes your job so fascinating – certainly never a boring moment. Hopefully the sisters will continue to thrive like their mother.
They are absolutely adorable. The pictures are wonderful. Hope they continue to prosper. Victoria
Interesting behaviour, I definitely haven’t heard of this happening with leopards before but then again, as you said, many litters don’t make it to independence intact.
This is wonderful for them both. Would be great if they continued to not read the book. The first leopard coalition or I guess we should say pride. 🙂
Well said … a wealth of riches (leopard-wise). We’re just thankful that they’ve made Londolozi their home because photographing them is a real treat!!!
Anyone who knows me, knows how passionate I am about this big cats. Notwithstanding their incredible beauty, I find their behavior mesmerizing. Having seen these two females earlier this year and being privileged to see some incredible interaction between them and their mother, I get goose bumps reading your blog. Clearly there is so much more to Leopard behavior that isn’t covered in the text books. I’m hoping the authors penning the next generation of books will not classify these cats as “solitary” and include some of the incredible interactions being witnessed in the Sands. I’m not sure if it is the density that is driving the behavioral “change” or the fact that these cats are so comfortable being observed and as a result, their secretive life is now being exposed – probably both and a host of other factors.
They are the most beautiful of creatures. Thank you, for the photos.
Great to learn these about these two gorgeous sisters.
Hope they continue to be in each other’s company for some more time before establishing their own territories. 🙂
So cool!!