It’s always quite refreshing seeing a new leopard, and better yet one that remains unidentified. This young male has been seen on the odd occasion over the last 6 weeks in northern Londolozi and after sending some identifying photos to the neighbouring reserves I still don’t have any idea who he might be. Any guesses? Seems to be a 3:2 spot pattern.

We had an incredible two days of having the Toulon pack of wild dogs hunting across all corners of Londolozi. We spend an afternoon with them in the north where, at one point, they crossed through the dry Manyelethi riverbed in the golden glow of late afternoon.

This was my first time seeing the Avoca Male in a good few months. He’s looking stronger than what I expected and was patrolling through the open crests after being drawn into the area the night before, responding to the calls of the Skorro Male.

The last remaining northern Avoca Male wanders his way over Ximpalapala crest in northwestern Londolozi.

A Saddle-billed Stork lands at a small waterhole, wings out-stretched, making for a great reflection on the glassy water.

While climbing onto the vehicle for our morning game drive, we heard a bushbuck alarm calling just outside the camp. We got ourselves ready and raced over to see what was lurking in the area and shortly found the Senegal Bush Male. He was moving fast and scent-marking along the way, taking us through some thick terrain. What a way to start the day.

Kyle Gordon and his guests enjoy front-row seats to a marching Ndzenga Male in the early morning. Few things can top a male lion moving with purpose. He had just had a run-in with the Skorro Male near the airstrip and was ushering him out of his territory.

A buffalo cow stares us down over the rest of the herd. This was taken just after sunrise on a bitterly cold morning. The herd was tightly packed together for warmth.

The Ntsevu Breakaways are becoming a dominant force in the central and western parts of the reserve. They have developed a strong taste for buffalo and essentially spend their days now trailing behind the herd, picking off the young, weak and stranded. Long may they prosper.

Jerry Sibiya lined up for a fantastic view of the wild dogs as they trotted towards him and his guests. We followed this pack together for the better part of the afternoon until they eventually caught an impala just a few feet away from our vehicle.

The Xinzele Young Female, now approaching a year and a half, is growing into a beautiful young leopard. She and her mother had just finished an impala kill on a rainy afternoon in the north.

The cheetah viewing has been exceptional of late. I haven’t formally tallied things up but I would go as far as to say that we have had more cheetah sightings in the last two weeks than in the last year put together. Here, a young male scans the open crests on a dark and moody morning.

The paws of the Ntomi Male. Entering what will properly be the most challenging stage of his life as young nomadic male, it will be interesting to see where these paws lead him in years to come.

It’s anyone’s guess how this hyena lost a portion of its upper lip. It was more than likely another predator that would have nipped it off during a battle over food. It’s healed well but makes this particular hyena a very recognisable and somewhat intimidating one.

A Water Monitor, catches the last of the sun’s rays on an exposed boulder in the Sand River.

Although it might not look like it, this was an affectionate greeting between a Ntsevu lioness and her cub. We have consistently been seeing nine cubs moving with the bulk of the pride but I believe there are a few more youngsters that are still being stashed away, not yet introduced to the other lionesses.

Spot the Klipspinger. These small antelope species are very specialised rock-dwellers and seldom come down from their rocky refuges other than to occasionally drink or find a mate. This individual was positioned perfectly for a silhouette shot against the backdrop of a cloudy sky.

A gentle greeting between two of the Talamati lionesses. For a pride that seemed young and somewhat disjointed upon arriving here about a year ago, these lionesses have settled down rather well and have been seen mating with several males across the reserve. Hopefully, they settle with their future cubs in our area.

A Talamati lioness glances over towards another pride member. Taken just before sunrise, I was putting the camera’s capabilities to the test but I think the the skies came out beautifully.

A few minutes after the last photo was taken, the two lionesses joined each other in the same frame. This was the start of an incredible morning which I plan to write a separate blog on altogether… stay tuned.