It was an elephant-heavy week, with young ones galore and breeding herds surrounding the Londolozi Camps practically every day.
Lions have also been plentiful of late, with both Nkuhuma and Ntsevu prides roaming the north- and south-eastern regions of the reserve respectively. The Tsalala female was seen briefly by rangers on a bush walk, but she had moved off by the afternoon and we were unable to find her to take some photos.
Late rains last night mean we will probably get a green flush over the next week, but the bulk of our rains are most likely done until October, so expect to see a gradual browning of the background in the photos over the coming months…
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
A young lion from the Nkuhuma pride drinks from the Manyelethi Riverbed. As great as it is for our lion viewing to have this large pride being seen more regularly to the north of the Sand River, it doesn’t bode well for the Tsalala pride, who are being seen less and less.
The Nkuhuma lions prostrate themselves in the sands of the Manyelethi.
This week was about elephants, and this calf was only a few days old. Here she was encountering mud for probably the first time, and didn’t quite know what to make of it.
An Ntsevu young male, making full use of his long tongue as a cleaning agent.
White-fronted bee-eaters gather en masse to dust bathe near the Sand River.
Photographically this sighting was nothing special, but if you look closely you’ll see the enormously long eye-lashes of this elephant cow. They were certainly the longest I’ve ever seen and are probably the result of some kind of genetic anomaly.
These two dwarf mongooses were being harassed by young lions from the Ntsevu pride, and had to wait quite a while before it was safe to come out of their log home.
The Othawa male is without doubt the most magnificent male lion we are currently viewing on Londolozi.
Rangers out on drive, listening intently to a story being told by Shaun D’Araujo (out of frame). Nick Sims is on the left and Josh Attenborough on the right.
Another tiny elephant calf, testing its trunk out. Young calves like this are all flailing limbs and trunk, still not having complete control of everything.
We stumbled on this crash of young rhinos on a cool morning just as they had come out of a mud wallow. Even on cloudy days rhinos will still take to the mud as it serves as a parasite repellant as well as a thermoregulatory mechanism.
Most impala lambs are born in November and December, but we found this very late one up by the airstrip this week. Having missed the mass influx of lambs into the system, it is incredibly vulnerable as its much smaller stature makes it an instant target for predators.
We lucked out, arriving at Finfoot Crossing just as this breeding herd arrived to drink, and they walked across the river shortly afterwards.
Unfortunately I only had a 300mm lens with me so was unable to capture a wide scene of the crossing, which would have been better, but still managed to snap a few of this calf, which was safely nestled in the middle of the herd as they surged through the water.
The Mawelawela male is not seen that often, and when he is, he is generally quite skittish. Here he had killed and hoisted a young zebra, but was watching warily from 100 metres away as we approached. Not wanting to spook him, this long-distance view was the only one we were afforded.
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Great photos. The Othawa male certainly is a very impressive lion, real majesty.
And the young elephants are just so cute.
The portrait of The Othawa Male photo is magnificent . It would go on my wall on day
Cracking photo James
James, I loved especially Lion🤗
Hi James. Thanks for the lovely pics above and your article with them. James, something different. My sister-in-law was visiting a neighbour recently and they discovered a very beautiful white moth which no-one can identify. I have twice send through this pic to Londolozi for help, but am probably sending it to the wrong email address. Can you help me please? If Londolozi don’t do this sort of thing, I understand, but then please don’t leave us stranded. Pse give us an email address we ARE allowed to write to for information of this sort. OK? It would be so appreciated. Sincerely Wendy M
Do we know the lineage of the Othawa male who is truly magnificent?
Great week of photos! The young elephants were the highlight for me, but the continual diversity is selecting image is always as informative as it is delightful! Thanks James!!
Love the baby elephant photos! We so enjoy TWIP and your virtual safaris! May the world reopen ASAP!
Absolutely wonderful pictures! Elephant calves take the accolade they are irresistibile! But also young animals of other species. I loved the impala lamb with its mum. The Otawa male is spectacular and the Mawelawela male looks elusive snd mysterious. Really love them all.
What an impressive week of photos- especially the elephants. So looking forward to arriving there soon!
Really interesting shot of the dust bathing bee eaters. Thank you.
James, It’s been a busy week for me so the pleasure of seeing your photos of the week have been extra special indeed! The Othawa male is just magnificent …. as are those gorgeous baby Eli’s. Gosh, as we go back into lockdown I hope that come the autumn, we will be able to visit for a breath of fresh air and the sounds of nature instead of ambulances
Both the lion prides are impressive. I Loved the elephant calves, they are so sweet and not knowing what to do with their trunks makes them so cute. Quit interesting to see the bee-eters having a dust bathe, never seen that before. Such a magnificent lion he is,the othawa male. He stares so intense and that makes him even more impressive. Lovely to see the two rhino’s after their mud wallow. Good foto’s, thanks James.
Awesome pics James! Absolutely LOVE the stunning pic of the Othawa male, such a beautiful boy. Couldn’t believe the eyelashes on the female elephant too! Thank you for sharing these amazing pics.
Yes, the Othawa male is certainly stunning, but surely his days are numbered as a single male? I’ve completely lost track of which males cover which prides, perhaps an update on this at some point? – but I gather the lion dynamics are constantly changing. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo before of a zebra hoisted in a tree, shows just how opportunistic leopards are!
That photo of Mawelawela is simply stunning! Love those long range landscape views…..especially of beautiful leopards in trees!
Such an emotive photo James of the Ottawa male. His eyes a haunting. Is it a look of despair or is he pleading for the protection of his environment and our planet? That photo should be the cover photo of a world-wide environmental protection petition. The look of hope and wonder of the faces of the elephant calves is such a contrast. Thank you for sharing those images.
For whatever my phone would not connect with Londolozi. We looked at everything and finally gave up so today it was a thrill to find I am once again connected. So I was able to connect with the March 16 and now I am happily catching up!!! thank you Victoria