The rain last week might have dampened the reserve, but it in no way dampened spirits or the wildlife sightings. On the first proper rainy day, the Ximungwe female was found by Ranger Jess Shillaw with a newly caught impala lamb very close to camp. Jess followed her, and the female leopard led her straight to her cub. The cub fed briefly on the lamb before the Flat Rock male arrived and stole it.
Our vehicle arrived quite a while after this had happened, thinking we might have missed the best of the action.
Far from it…
This is the sight that greeted us as we arrived. The cub was hiding in the thickets somewhere nearby, and the mother was draped over a fallen marula with some zebras eyeing her warily from close by.
She had chosen a very elegant position on the dead tree. The rain actually played very much into our hands here; the wet ground would have made a far less comfortable place for the leopard to lie, so she opted for the slightly drier and elevated position of the tree branch.
After a few minutes the cub approached from out of the thicket, but one of the zebras took exception to its arrival, and can just be seen behind the Ximungwe female, running in to frighten the cub, which immediately leapt up into the fallen marula.
The movement of the leopard scared the rest of the zebras, and they all broke away.
The adult female seemed relatively unconcerned with the goings on, and the cub seemed content to remain up in the branches until the zebras had moved off a little way.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
Over the next hour, I probably watched more leopards climbing trees than I had seen in all the rest of the year. The cub would attempt to stalk the zebras and they would chase him off, sending him scampering up another tree. More often than not, the zebras rushing in would get close enough to also scare the Ximungwe female, and she would have to seek refuge in the branches with her cub. It was a wonderful game of cat-and-mouse between the two species, which continued until well after dark, at which point both the adult leopard and her cub were holed up in a particularly big Marula, with the female’s patience apparently wearing thin, as she would snarl aggressively at her cub every time he approached.
The low clouds and rain unfortunately meant that the light faded quickly, but there were still opportunities for some backlighting as more drizzle fell.
Our last close-up of the leopards before they were chased way up into a large Marula tree close by.
The last view we had of the Ximungwe female, content to rest in the relative shelter of a Marula canopy.
I doubt I’ll have a sighting like that for awhile, but I’m not too worried, as the thrill of that hour in the rain spent watching the antics of both zebra and leopard will probably stay with me for a good few months.
A single cub of the Ximungwe Female's second litter. Initially rather skittish but is very relaxed now. Birth mark in his left eye.
Nice story and nice photos
Great photos. Wish I was there right now
7 letters- amazing!! That would register as a supreme Safari sighting. Looking forward to more adventures as the rains continue to nourish everything in the veld.
James, what a wonderful blog – I have never seen zebras chasing leopards!
I so enjoyed the photos of the leopards and zebra! Beautifully captured! So glad to hear that y’all (I am from Texas, can you tell??) have had rain.
James, What an awesome sighting! The cub is getting pretty big too! When will the cub get pushed out on it’s own?
Hi Michael and Terri. It’ll probably still be around for 6 months or so with its mother. Males tend to stay with their mothers longer than females…
Hi James, what a sighting this must have been to experience! A couple quick questions regarding the leopard dynamics and the Leopards of Londolozi
1. Is the Ximhungwe Female and her cub under any threat from the influx of new males pushing into the territories of the resident Londolozi males?
2. How far has the Senegal Bush Male/Kunyuma been seen inside of Londolozi compared to the Mala Mala boundary
3. Do you know if the Ndzandzeni Female is possibly pregnant or denning?
4. Regarding the male dynamics, would it be possible for you to do a post highlighting where the males are moving in relation to one another on a map? I know you are probably busy with guests and other duties, so understand if you aren’t able to do so.
Hi Michael.
Good Questions…
1. So far they seem ok. We’re fairly confident that it was either the Flat Rock or Inyathini male that fathered the cub and the Ximungwe female is confining her movements to close to the Londoz Camps – maybe because of the arrival of new males.
2. He’s been seen all the way to the centre of the reserve, ie. halfway to Singita.
3. We think she is pregnant, but hasn’t dropped yet. (The Nkoveni female also looks pregnant)
4. Absolutely, I’ll put one out soon.
Best regards
Thanks James! Appreciate the replies!
What an incredible day of watching this game of tag!! Glad everyone escaped but am sad I didn’t get to see it live. Victoria
As always, great photos, especially the backlit leopard, capturing the raindrops.
Also interested in the movement of the Senegal Bush Male.
What an incredible sighting!!
Surprised to see zebras and leopards challenge one another for so long! I’ve never thought of a zebra being that aggressive. Interesting images of the sighting.