When it comes to finding leopards, there is always an element of luck. There are times when you drive around the corner and there is a leopard walking down the road towards you. While these ‘lucky’ sightings are not uncommon, the bulk of the leopard sightings that we enjoy here at Londolozi come as a result of persistent tracking, good teamwork, boat-loads of patience and, as always, a dash of luck. I am a firm believer that understanding the process of tracking and finding a leopard provides deeper insight into the life of a leopard and it is that understanding that makes leopard sightings so amazing.
The Ximungwe Female leopard’s cub gazes into the tree canopy.
Recently I was fortunate enough to a drive frequent visitor, Ted Swindon, who also happens to share the afore mentioned belief. Ted was staying at Londolozi for a fortnight and he was hoping to find certain leopards that he had seen many times before on previous visits as well as any new individuals. With a solid plan and the luxury of time, we set off into the bush for twelve days of looking for leopards.
The Ximungwe Young Male leopard has now entered independence and is in a nomadic phase of life as he searches for a territory of his own. Watching him grow from a small cub into a big male has been special. Although he is no longer a leopard we regularly see at Londolozi, everyone who saw him as a cub follows his story and hopes that he will succeed wherever he ends up.
An inquisitive young male that has been pushed further north by the Senegal Bush Male.
Leopards are beautiful creatures and there is something very alluring about these elusive animals. While they are amazing merely to look at, I believe it is also the leopard’s solitary lifestyle and secretive habits that attract us to them. People come to Londolozi from all over the world to get a chance to see a leopard in the wild and we as guides do our best to oblige. For many of our repeat guests, it is the stories and lineages of the individual leopards that keep them coming back to Londolozi year after year.
During our twelve days of searching for leopards we were able to focus our efforts on tracking specific leopards. Our methodology was simple; head into the leopard’s territory and begin tracking. There were days when we found fresh tracks straight away that lead us to the desired leopard and then there were times when we spent hours tracking without any luck. Time spent in the bush is never wasted and it was on these days that we returned back to camp empty-handed that we could reflect on the things we learned while being out tracking in the bush.
The Nkuwa Female leopard stares off into the distance. We found her after tracking her for three hours. We were treated to a special sighting that would not have come about had we given up.
One of two sisters born to the Nhlanguleni Female, both of whom made it to independence, the first intact litter to do so in 7 years.
Of the many small lessons I’ve learned whilst out tracking in the bush, there were three in particular that stood out to me more than ever:
1. Enjoy Nature’s Many Offerings
The pursuit of leopards cannot be practiced without observing the bush in its entirety. Everything in the environment around can provide a clue as to the whereabouts of the leopard in question. The process of stopping and meticulously scanning the surrounding area, listening to the sounds of the bush and allowing yourself to be still in the natural environment helps you to fully appreciate how amazing it is to be in such a unique wild place. Not only will you find more leopards this way but you may also catch sight of a rare bird or discover a newfound appreciation for a simple tree or even just enjoy a moment of tranquility in nature.
The Piccadilly Female’s year old cub looks over it’s shoulder towards us. We found her as a result of stopping to observe the ubiquitous hyena. The hyena lead us to a kill where we found the pair of leopards lazing in the dry sand of the Manyelethi River.
2. Realising That The Life Of A Leopard Is Tough
Tracking a specific leopard is different to just seeing one. The task of finding a certain leopard involves spending meaningful time exploring that leopard’s territory, following the very same paths that the leopard walks. After a while you become immersed in the story of the leopard and you can begin to imagine what it might feel like to have to fend for oneself in the unforgiving wilderness. Should you eventually spot this elusive leopard you would have cultivated a deeper level of appreciation for it having spent time searching for it.
The Ndzandzeni Female’s cub pauses for a moment. It took us four game drives to find the mother and cubs and that made the seeing them together even more special.
3. Intimate Leopard Sightings
Having gone through the hard work of tracking a leopard, you would have undoubtedly picked up some clues as to what the leopard was up to over the last few days. The feeling you get when you eventually find the leopard that you have been searching for is immensely satisfying. Viewing a leopard that you have toiled hard to find connects you to that animal. As you watch the leopard go about its daily life, you feel privileged that this animal has allowed you to be near to it. The knowledge of how difficult it is to find a leopard forces you to appreciate just how special these secretive creatures really are.
The Ndzandzeni Female walks down the road towards us – a rich reward at the end of a long day’s tracking.
This female is a success story all in herself, being born as a single cub to the Riverbank 3:3 female in early 2012.
By the time Ted left Londolozi, we had tracked and found 17 leopards – almost all the leopards that he had hoped to find. This experience proved to us once again that not only is tracking a very effective way of finding leopards, it also undoubtedly enhances each and every leopard sighting. In conclusion, I’ll leave you with this – it is better to have tracked and failed, then never to have tracked at all.
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This is one of the best pieces I’ve ever read. Leopards are undoubtedly wonderful but they are also the epitome of freedom, facing hard times and solving difficult tasks all by themselves, untamed creatures. Because of their lonely life, I find incredible every time they leave humans approaching them, as they are no source of food or have anything they need. The pictures are of incomparable beauty and poetry.
Thanks very much Francesca, I’m glad you enjoyed reading it.
What an Epic journey Nick. Thanks for your amazing blogs.
Thanks Senior! Smitty told me you’ve been reading the blogs, I’m glad you like them! Please let me know if there are any subjects you’d like me to cover. Please send my regards to Maria
Wonder storytelling Nic!!! We were with Kyle while you were with Ted. Really enjoyed meeting both of you. And we completely agree with your comment “ The knowledge of how difficult it is to find a leopard forces you to appreciate just how special these secretive creatures really are.” 17 … WOW!
Oh yes, how could I forget – we had a great breakfast at Pive Pan. I’m really pleased you agree with me and I’m sure you have enjoyed many great leopard sightings as a result!
In 2017, Bob and I tracked 19 different leopards in 14 days with ranger Nick Kleer, an amazing experience that we shared with Ted Swindon when we met him the following year. It’s great to hear he’s still ‘on the hunt!’ We hope to do the same next April!
Hi Mary Beth, it’s good to hear that you’ve also had great success in this regard. I’m sure you must be excited for next April already.
Okay, great Nick!!
That’s exactly how I want to spend my next visit to Londolozi: tracking (and finding – thanks to trackers and guides) 17 leopards in 12 days.
You have proved and shown that this is possible and I am looking forward to it.
No pressure! Hopefully, the tracking leads to the finding!
I would love to know if Hosana and Thamba were on that list! Loved the story and love meeting new leopards that may show up one day on a virtual drive or WE. I live vicariously through your videos and stories… Thank you
Hi Noele, unfortunately neither the Hosana nor the Thambe males made it onto the list. Hopefully we get them next time.
Wow Nick, 17 leopards in 12 days! Back in April I was thrilled with seeing 8 different leopards in 7 days, although we did see a few of those more than once. I thought your blog was on target – it’s not easy to track a leopard due to their elusive nature, but searching their territory can oftentimes bring the reward of a sighting. This was a lesson I took away from my trip. I will also mention that the longer one stays, the more likely you’ll find leopards. My first stay was three days-not enough to fully enjoy all of the reserve and its many inhabitants besides leopards. I now know a week is minimum! So, next year, with a “new” shoulder, I look forward to at least a week’s worth of glorious viewing – leopards, lions, elephants, buffalos, rhinos, trees, birds….. anything that moves or grows.
Hi Denise, spot on! A long stay does improve your chances of finding animals and clearly you appreciate all the animals which also contributes hugely to your enjoyment of this amazing place.
Hi Nick, what an exceptional blog and experience you ,your tracker and Ted had tracking these illusive leopards. Once a person starts you cannot stop until you have found the leopard you were looking for. What a privilege and experience to be able to do just that. How gratifying and satisfying you feel once you have accomplished what you came to do, tracking your favorite leopards, all 17 of them.
Thanks Valmai, you’re exactly right – it is an immensely satisfying job indeed!
Nick, What an amazing experience 12 days of tracking Leopards must have been! Your guests must have been able to check off almost all the Leopards in the region! Well done!
Thanks Mike and Terri!
Great article Nick! Any updates or sightings of the Ndzanzeni Female and her cubs recently? Also has the Piccadilly Female’s daughter relaxed any further with the game drive vehicles?
Hi Michael, we suspect that the Ndzanzeni female may have lost one of her cubs but we still need to confirm this. She was found with one of the cubs yesterday morning. The Piccadilly Young Female has relaxed a bit but still can be nervous when away from her mother.
A really nice and informative blog Nick. Leopards are truly magificent animals and amazingly adept at surviving alone. Their hunting skils need to be perfect in order to survive – they don’t have the luxury of numbers to assist like lions have. I am glad you were able to find a great number of the leopards you were searching for. Thanks for sharing – thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Thanks Leonie!
Couldnt think of anything nicer to do for 12 days ❤️ Well done for the huge effort in making Ted’s stay so memorable and for a great blog Nick !
The best way to spend 12 days!
Hi Nick, Great piece….indeed the tracking of specific leopards is not for the impatient! We tracked Hosana in Othawa for 5 full drives last July, all the while trying to get inside his head to predict his movements and motivations! In the process, we also discovered a young cub that we think could be his offspring, although we never did see the cub’s assumed mother, who is known to be a very skittish leopard. Regardless, it was an emotional moment to find Hosana and a big big reward for some hard hours of tracking and searching!
Yes indeed Lisa, the feeling you get when you finally crack the code and find the leopard you’ve been tracking is incredibly rewarding.