Celebrating the arrival of the new year with a Virtual Safari is an amazing way to settle us all into what 2022 has in store for us. We closed out the end of last year eluding to a sighting of the Tsalala Female and a close call. Within this week’s Virtual Safari, we actually get to enjoy two different sightings of the Tsalala Female, the first being a very placid afternoon where she rests in the shade right on the edge of a waterhole near camp. A belly full of wildebeest, she appears to not be able to find a comfortable position to lie in.
We then enjoy an afternoon with the Ximungwe Female and get a true sense of just how big her young male cub is or we should rather refer to him as the Ximungwe Young Male now. Following them as they mill about seeking out the shade to escape the warm afternoon sun, we get to admire the affection and close bonds between the two leopards.
We then end off with a sighting of three Ntsevu Sub-adults as they lazily rest on a cool drizzly morning. A herd of wildebeest and impala erupt into chaos and alarm calls a few hundred meters away. It isn’t long before the Sub-adults are on their way to investigate. Meanwhile, oblivious to the Sub-adults’ presence the Tsalala Female chases the herd of wildebeest directly towards them.
Enjoy this Week in Video…
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
To view the YouTube link, click here.
Wow, what a way to start the New Year! – thanks, Sean.
Thank you so much, Suzanne. It was a lovely way to start the new year.
Awakening to 30F this morning, I was eager to join you on the virtual safari. It was terrific to see the Tsalala Lioness with a full belly, although she did appear to be quite uncomfortable. I love looking at her face and her stunning orangish hue eyes. I do hope she is more careful while hunting considering how many Ntsevu sub adults there are within the territory. She deserves a good, long life!
The Ximungwe duo are so close in size that it’s difficult to determine which one is the sub adult. She’s so impressive considering she’s raised one son to adulthood and is on her way to sending another one off on his own. I’m still rooting for Ndzanzeni to raise cubs to adulthood! It seems Nkoveni is doing well with her two daughters and the Piccadilly female’s cub is approaching sub adult stage.
Thank you for this week’s safari Sean,as I heard from my friends rain has been falling during this past week. Tis the season….
Spending time with the Tsalala Female is always amazing, even if she does not get up to much. It is going to be a long road ahead of her but she will learn from all these experiences and that will set her up for a good long future. I agree that the Ximungwe Female and her Young Male are so similar in size that it takes a moment or two to work out which one is which. But she is a very impressive mother. Most leopards are doing well. We are rooting for the Ndzandzeni to hopefully raise a litter herself.
Wow! It was a nail biter for sure. Very happy Landy Tsalala made her escape. Although unlikely, it wold be nice if the Ntsevu ( from Mhangeni/Tsalala Breakaway Pride > Tlsalala Marthly Pride) would come together. The Xinhungwe female & son are gorgeous as always. Thank you for the wonderful video!
We were very happy too that she managed to get away from the Nstevu Sub-adults. It is highly unlikely but not impossible, so let’s live in hope that she does. The Ximungwe Duo are stunning and so affection towards each other.
Hi Sean, so glad the Tsalala female is feeding well and she is looking good. Good to know that there are wildebeest calves and impala lambs that she can feed on. The Ximungwe female and her sub adult cub are special and the bond they have is even more special. The lioness and Tsalala female are both safe and hope it stays that way for their own sakes.
I think the Tsalala Female will be fine. It isn’t going to be easy but she is doing so well so far.
Fantastic start for the new year, I always look forward to hearing about the Tsalala female! Thank you
Thank you, Francesca. It was a lovely virtual safari. I am glad you enjoyed it.
The love you have for the Tsalala lioness comes through so strong in your voice. Nice to hear 🙂 Great footage of everyone, especially the lovely Ximungwe female and her gorgeous cub.
Thank you so much, Johanna. It is such an incredible success story of the Tsalala Pride, so we are desperate for her to survive and boost the pride numbers back up to what they once were.