Involved Leopards

Ximungwe 5:3 Female

Ximungwe 5:3 Female

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About the Author

Dan Hirschowitz

Ranger

Dan developed his love for the African bush whilst growing up on a family run farm in the Kwa-Zulu Natal midlands. Growing up in the bushveld he was surrounded by wildlife and finds his passion in what nature has to offer. After completing ...

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19 Comments

on The Start of Magical Sightings

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Francesca Doria
Master Tracker

I was driven to Londolozi after seeing the documentary by John Varty on the Mother Leopard. I was struck by the accuracy of the lineage tracking and the affection and deep knowledge of every single Leopard. I never saw anything alike. Motherhood is a favourite subject to me and to seeing the Ximungwe female with her cub is a dream come true. She carries on her lineage and her species which is dwindling elsewhere. Fantastic job and great intimate pictures!

Vin Beni
Master Tracker

Freddy is incredible!
Thanks for the chart–very helpful to refresh memory!

Christa Blessing
Master Tracker

The photos of this mother and her cub are just amazing! I love them. I also think that the relationships and the love between these leopard mothers and their cubs are so wonderful. And I do hope that the little one will make it to adulthood. It is really quite sad that so many of these cubs die prematurely.
And I would really love to track some leopard on foot one day. I always envy you guides and trackers when you leave the car to look for those wonderful animals.

Michael and Terri Klauber
Master Tracker

Thanks for the wonderful story and update on the Ximungwe Female and her cub. We are fascinated with the way that Londolozi has been able to track the lineage of these beautiful creatures! We’ve known her mother, the Mashaba, since she was Vomba’s young female back in 2011! It’s great to see the leopard lineage tracked and continue to expand!

Suzanne Gibson
Master Tracker

What a wonderful sighting, and what a lot of boxes ticked! – mother and cub playing, grooming, eating, drinking and the mother hoisting the kill. It must have been such a fantastic experience for you and your guests; I’m very jealous.

Leana Welgemoed
Explorer

How beautiful they are – thanks!

Bob and Lucie Fjeldstad
Master Tracker

Dan, with several young cubs failing to reach independence, what behavior changes do you see in their mothers when she either fails to find the cubs or realizes the cub has been killed? Can you detect sadness or remorse?

Valmai Vorster
Master Tracker

Absolutely stunning to see mom and son playing and grooming. His got so big and he is going to be a majestic cat in a few years. She is a wonderful mom and good roll model for him. Mashaba female is my favorite female and now her daughter the Ximungwe female is slowly becoming my second favorite female.

Cally Staniland
Master Tracker

What a tribute to the Ximungwe female with some superb photographs! She has proven to be an exceptional mum and we wish the cub a long and prosperous life ahead…as long as he doesn’t start stealing food from her in the future 😂 thanks Dan for a super blog 🙏❤️

William Paynter
Master Tracker

The leopards of Londolozi are truly spectacular. Thanks Dan for the family tree catching me up to date on the ancestry of the Ximungue female and her cub.

Leonie De Young
Master Tracker

A nice blog Dan and some great pics of the spotted cats. They really are beautiful animals. Loved the tender moments of mother and son. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

Moira McLachlan
Explorer

Wonderful photos, love the family tree.

Denise Vouri
Guest contributor

Thank you Dan for allowing us to view your drive with the Ximungwe female and her cub. He reminds me of her other grown male cub, but not quite as spunky, although he may save those moments for deep in the bush. When I saw her in April she’d given birth but the cub was hidden so…. I don’t know how many she had but thrilled this little guy has made it to six months. More please!

Lisa Antell
Master Tracker

Absolutely gorgeous photos!

Irene Henkes
Digital Tracker

It is always great to see the leopards. They really are my favorite cat. Now, is the Sunsetbend line connected to the mother line? Or not at all?

Karin Webber
Explorer

Great blog Dan – love learning more and especially liked the family tree!

Wendy Macnicol
Digital Tracker

Hi Dan. Thank you so much for the very interesting article and super pics to match! Keep them coming! Wendy M

Scar Mbiri
Explorer

Hi dan,how long was the biggest lion track you had seen?

Sean Zeederberg
Blog Editor

It was probably about 14-15cm long

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