There were a surplus of leopard and lion shots during April 2015.
This got me particularly excited as the whole point of this series was to highlight the changes in the popuations and attached dynamics of the big cats over a five year period.
Some of them are still around, many are not.
See which ones you recognize:
The Sparta pride is currently down to only one lioness, way in the south of the Sabi Sand Reserve. I seem to recall hearing that she was raising cubs as of a month or two ago cut I’ll need to confirm that. The pride was essentially pushed out by the Ntsevu lionesses, who now control almost the same territory their predecessors once did, so I guess in terms of lion viewing, it was an almost exact substitution.
The Nkoveni female was just starting to set up territory back in 2015. I seem to remember that this sighting was one of the first times I’d seen her actively scent marking.
The Nanga female featured far more prominently in our sightings database during 2015. The cub pictured here sadly didn’t survive, and we had to wait over a year for her to birth her first successful litter, the surviving female of which she has since ceded her territory to.
The current Tsalala lioness, aged almost two years old back in 2015.
Two of her brothers play in the Sand River in the same sighting.
The Nkoveni female again, who was featuring almost daily in Londolozi’s game drives. She has since dropped off the radar, having to all appearances ceded territory to her daughter the Plaque Rock female.
This was an infamous sighting for me. The Marthly male – pictured – was recently nomadic, having been ousted from his territory. From what we could tell, he had just killed the cubs of the Tutlwa female only minutes before, who was denning them up on a rocky outcrop just behind and to the left of where the male is coming from in this picture.
The Mhangeni pride at full size, with not all of its members pictured. Some of the young lions pictured hare are the current Ntsevu females.
Male lions come and go, and many only pass through for a couple of weeks. This was the Fourways coalition I think, one of successive pairs of males who attempted to fill the vacancy left by the Majingilane.
An obligatory non-big-cat shot to maintain diversity. An impala at a lower shutter speed.
Many of you may remember the Island female; the first daughter of the Tamboti female to survive. She subsequently moved/was forced out of the area and established territory to the east of Londolozi.
The Gowrie male was one I didn’t see all that often, as is the case with many males that inhabit the northern sector of Londolozi. Here he had been mating with the even more rarely seen Ximpalapala female, and had killed a warthog between mating bouts.
The Ximpalapala female herself, skittish at the best of times, was for some reason relaxed during this sighting. This was one of only a handful of photos I ever managed to take of her.
The Marthly male again. Ousted as a territorial male, he was forced to eat anything he could find, which included this buffalo carcass which he scavenged off before the Tsalala pride found it.
![Img 0606[1]](https://media.londolozi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/17172539/IMG_06061-280x178.jpg)
![Wild Dog Pups Stalking Each Other On Road (3) [rcb]](https://media.londolozi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/14135303/Wild-Dog-Pups-Stalking-each-other-on-Road-3-RCB-280x178.jpg)
Wonderful memories. I am today going through some of the photos that we took at Londolizi 10 years ago. It bring back wonderful memories and I realized that some if our best sightings in the bush were at Londolizi. It reminds me of all the great experiences we’ve had.
Fascinating the ebb and flow, or wax and wane of the predators .
It’s always interesting to read about what happened five years ago for those of us who have limited knowledge of those times. Knowing the Nkoveni female has ceded most of her territory to her daughter, is this typical behavior? It seems it doesn’t work that way if the surviving cub is a male who has to make his own way. Saying this, I recall the Finfoot female and her sister are struggling to maintain any type of territory as their mother has new cubs and is chasing them away. The dynamics are fascinating to say the least v
Nice look back James. While my first visit was in 2017 I have tried to get up to speed on the bloodlines. Seems one thing is clear. It’s always changing
James, loved all the photos – I even saved some to my favorites.
Hopefully we can come in 2020 we will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary on Sept 5
Such a wonderful collection and story to follow. I am wondering how old Nkoveni’s cub is now?
Also I remember being on drive with Trevor we saw Marthly male and the Tutlwa female was sitting on the rocks could be the same one pictured in this photo. I wonder if that was the same time. Trevor tracked marthly up onto an area in the dry river bed Sept/October 2015
Hi James. Do you happen to know why there was a Buffalo carcass in the river? Did something kill it? Or did it die from natural causes on its own? Wendy M
amazing how different and similar these sightings are. how marvelous that you can trace their ancestry and see how they are thriving!! leopards particularly are such a part of Londolozi, it is great to look back and learn a bit of history. Hope you are still safe and well, Victoria
Interesting times! It is really something the way the dynamics change over time. Thanks for sharing a little history!
I have many photos of the leopards of 2015. We were with you in November. Have plans to be there this November…now that’s up in the air although our place in Founders is confirmed. Be well.
Great memories, great times. The Piva Male was one of my favorites from 5 years ago.
So cool to learn this history and how things have progressed at Londolozi!!
Ah, love these walks down memory lane! The Marthly male, with his torn ear – and wasn’t he presumed to be Nkoveni’s father? And the Gowrie male, with his strikingly orange eyes. I saw the Island female at about 6 months old with her mother, hopefully she’s still well – don’t suppose you get much info on them , especially if they move east?
Nice photos!
Amazing how much the dynamics can change in just a few years!
Interesting how the female leopards seem to be ceding their core territories to their young daughters, instead of simply moving over a bit…..but it is nice to be able to see Finfoot and Nkuwa and Plaque Rock on Londolozi!
The Sparta pride currently has one old lioness and one cub, hope the cub could reach her adult and rebuild her pride!
James, Thanks for ride down memory lane! Loved seeing all the different leopards and shot action shot of the lions in the river is really great!