It’s been a very unseasonal week, with rain rolling in and dampening the reserve.
Wildlife activity was slowed as a result – at least the activity we could find – and leopard sightings in particular were hard to come by. Many predators use rainy conditions to their advantage; the extra noise and swirling wind render prey species’ senses moot, and it is much easier for an ambush predator to sneak close. As a result, many leopards are feeding on kills that they have secreted away, and we don’t see them for a couple of days.
The sun has come out now though, and we expect some bumper sightings heading into the weekend.
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
The Wild Dogs have moved dens again. This picture was one of the last taken at their old den, and unfortunately, the latest update is not what we were hoping for. The full story will be coming out tonight on our Instagram and Facebook feeds.
A herd of wildebeest stare at a secretary bid, probably not quite sure what it is, but seemingly content that it doesn’t pose a threat.
A Ntsevu lioness gets her evening going. Having mated with both Birmingham males AND the Othawa male and still not conceived, we are more convinced than ever that this lioness must be infertile.
Yellow -billed Oxpeckers are a lot more scarce than their red-billed counterparts which makes sightings of them quite special. They are often associated with large herds of buffalo, and the positive news for the species is that this particular herd had far of more yellow-billed in it than we are used to seeing…
A very amusing look from a buffalo cow who really seemed to be enjoying her swim.
The Three Rivers female seen here using the long grass to her advantage as she stalked a nearby herd of impala. Unfortunately for her the impalas spotted her as she got close and raised the alarm.
True Leadership. Head Ranger James Souchon showed the way when it comes to getting the shot, braving the freezing mud and goodness-knows-what parasites to subtly place his GoPro in a waterhole to capture some footage of an approaching buffalo herd.
We often only see Klipspringers from a distance as they spend most of their time atop rocky outcrops but I got lucky one morning and saw this one close to the road where I could get a good look at his specialized hooves that allow for better grip on the rocks he was moving over.
After first being quite nervous of vehicles these cheetah cubs have relaxed completely and we had an amazing sighting of them as they moved through the open grasslands.
After finishing off a wildebeest one evening the Ntsevu Pride of lions spent the whole of the next day sleeping it off.
The Senegal Bush male. Although not controlling a particularly large territory, his overlaps with a number of female territories, which ensures him prime mating opportunities, which is essentially the whole point of being a male leopard.
A Tawny Eagle looks up from the guineafowl kill it was feeding on. Tawnys are renowned for being scavenger eagles, often being seen at kill sites, but are certainly more than adept at hunting when they need to be.
The stunning plumage of a male African Paradise Flycatcher. Given the right habitat (they favour riparian vegetation), it is estimated that one can find a pair of these diminutive yet striking birds every 150 metres.
A flock of guineafowl come down for a morning drink. It is at times like this that they are most vulnerable, as evidenced by their conspecific to photos previously that payed the price of lowered vigilance.
A hippo emerges briefly onto the causeway as he moves from one pool in the river to another.
A spotted hyena looks up from drinking, water dripping from its chin and catching the morning sun. No matter what species, all animals are aware of their vulnerability when their head is lowered to the water, and any sudden sound nearby is likely to startle them. .
Impalas huddle together for safety as night time closes in on them.
Great pics this week. Love the yellow billed oxpecker and paradise flycatcher. Classic pic of James with his mud “boots”.
A pleasure, as always. Thank you for sharing your little piece of paradise!
Hoping the wild dog pups are ok
Whoa – you can’t leave me hanging like that about the Wild Dog puppies – I am freaking out now! What has happened??
What a beautiful bird, the African paradise flycatcher!
Thank you again for such great photos… this week there seems to be such a peace and calm that comes through… the season in changing..
The mother cheetah and her cub is beautiful and the wild dogs???? Hate the suspense… so hope they are all still with us…stay warm, healthy and safe…♥️
A really nice mix of pics for TWIP James. Hard to pick a favourite as they are all good. Interesting to see the hooves of the Klipspringer. Mother Nature surely did a great job when creating all animals. Thanks for sharing with us. Hope all at Londolozi are well and staying safe.
Beautiful African Paradise Flycatcher and the Klipspringers look like thy have ballerina shoes on!
great pictures!
Great selection of photos James! Am curious to know if you all know of any active hyena dens on Londolozi at the moment? Also very interesting that the one Ntsevu lioness hasn’t fallen pregnant. I know that one of the older Othawa Pride lionesses is now around 13-years old and has never produced cubs though still comes into estrus. Wonder what causes that?
Will the Ntsevu lioness be upside if she could not have cubs?
This weeks pictures are wonderful! (as usual!) They brought a smile to my day! Thank you!
Wonderful pictures again, all of them.
The light on the puppy is perfect and also on the oxpecker and the paradise flycatcher, I think.
I love the picture of the cheetah mom and cubs.
And James S’s muddy feet are quite impressive. Must have bee awfully cold…
Thanks you very much for the update and the great pictures as usual.
Kind regards, Tino Armando.
I’m fearful about the update for the Wild Dog pups…what is the news?
No matter the weather- you’ve posted some interesting and unique photos this week like Jame’s S Buffalo and your Klipspringer legs. I’m dreading reading your instagram feed tonight as I fear some pups are gone….. such is nature.
I just went to the Instagram feed and listened/watched your dismay to discover that 7 pups are missing. I know not to become attached but I was invested in this family’s success.. fingers crossed the three survive.
A wonderful week of photos; especially diverse in subject, content, and context! Lovely!
Hi there James T. A bunch of wonderful pics this week. I had a problem choosing which Wild Life pic to take as a screensaver. The one of the Paradise Flycatcher or the one of the Wild Life Home Sapiens sitting in the Landdrover with the muddy legs. Didn’t realize he was part of the Water Life at Londolozi. One lives and learns, doesn’t one? Wendy M
Thanks for another great week of pictures. The news about the wild dog pups is truly devastating, even though “it’s nature” I’m sure it doesn’t make it any easier no matter how hardened you may be to these types of situations.
..and what a week it’s been..great shots James! The paradise flycatcher so reminds me of my childhood in White River, we were blessed with many in the garden….haven’t seen them for years !
I’m glad I didn’t miss this week’s pictures. Wonderful! So many special captures.
My heart is broken…what happened to the wild dog pups?????There were three…now?? how many?
How cute to see James Souchon with mud stockings! The African Paradise Flycatcher and Klipspringer shots are really special!
The paradise fly catcher is beautifully coloured and we have a pair here in our garden. The senegal bush male leopard is one of my favourite leopards. Loved the foto of the buffalo cow having a swim. Beautiful foto of the klipspringers hooves, looks as if they jump on their toes from one rock to another.