And so another week passes us by, one of only roughly four thousand that we get to experience in this life! This Week in Pictures is a reminder of the fragility of life, and as such we must strive to make the most of this one go (depending on your point of view) that we have at it. This week, the Nkuwa female took down an impala yearling right before our eyes. At another point we found the Ntsevu males and their sister feasting on the remains of a giraffe calf that, based on the size of the legs, could only have been a few days old at most. The Senegal Bush male stashed another impala kill in a Marula tree and showed off that most imposing stare of his. The Ndhzenga males and Ntsevu females and cubs feasted on the remains of an elephant that they had found that had perished of natural causes but moved off after about 3 days, the meat just being too tough even for these brutes.
Amongst it all we have a very relaxed giraffe, a posing purple roller, a few more leopards, a curious baby monkey that almost climbed into our landrover, mating lions and more!
Let me know your favourites in the comments section below.
Enjoy This Week in Pictures…
A somewhat grumpy-looking Yellow-billed Hornbill.
The lights fade.
Raised as an intact litter, first in 7 years, who has now made her own history by raising two males to independence as an intact litter.
The Nkuwa Female did not end up hoisting this kill and unfortunately lost it to a hyena about two hours after this moment.
A very relaxed female giraffe sits in a clearing awaiting the emergence of the sun from behind the clouds.
The Senegal bush male stares off into the distance, scanning for any unwanted intruders.
Initially seen as a young male in 2016, this leopard only properly established territory on Londolozi in mid-2019
The Ntsevu Males march through a dry island in the Sand River.
The regal Xinzele Female.
Initially seen as a young male in 2016, this leopard only properly established territory on Londolozi in mid-2019
the Skorro male and the Tsalala female have been mating, a very exciting story could be unfolding as these two loners find eachother.
The Ximugwe Female eyes her kill from the base of a Cassia tree.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
After spying an impala from the vantage of a Marula tree the Nkuwa Female springs into action.
Curiosity.
The Nottens Male is being seen more and more in the deep south.
A White-fronted Bee-eater takes a butterfly that it has just hawked back to its nest.
A misty sunrise. After a bout of cold weather and rain, the skies opened up again and we were fortunate enough to behold this gorgeous sunrise.
A White-fronted bee-eater scans for a passing insect.
A Big yawn from the Xinkhova Female.
A stunning young female with a very similar spot pattern to her mother, the Nkoveni Female. Litter still completely intact March 2022.
Watching a passing bird.
A bloody-faced stare from one of the Ndhzenga Males.
A Scrub hare, out too early, freezes as we spot it next to our vehicle. Look at the detail in the eye!
The Senegal Bush male drinks from a duckweed-coated pool.
Innocent eyes on an animal you don’t want to encounter on foot in. the early morning.
A White-tailed mongoose pauses in its foraging to glance backwards.
A Purple Roller, common in the South Western reaches of the reserve, makes for a beautiful subject.
The Nkuwa Female’s cub watches over his mother’s tail.
Absolutely beautiful cats… just stunning!
So hoping they are able to grow to maturity…
Please give Mom all the strength she needs to keep these young cubs fed & out of harms way
I’m just thrilled about the Tsalala lioness omg hopefully she’ll get a lifelong partner
Kyle I am thrilled to bits to see the Tsalala female and the stunning Skorro male mating. Hopefully she will be able to build her own family and have a few litters of cubs. I have never seen this Nottens male before. My favorite foto this week is the relaxed giraffe, stunning to see her in that position. Cute monkey but oh so naughty.
Cool pictures really, tysm.
I forgot whose son the Nottens is.
Will the Skorro lion protect the Tsalala queen? And their cubs, just in case. Guess he is looking for a pride, not a single lioness, in the first place… We are gonna see.
Kyle, amazing pictures this week. I particularly like the head on curiosity picture of the monkey. Great shot! A very close second is the white breasted bee eater in flight with the butterfly in its mouth. Thanks for sharing TWIP.
I love all your pictures, Kyle.
What fantastic news about the Tsalala lioness! Only yesterday I added the last photos I had taken of her to my album and wrote “I wonder when she will become pregnant”.
Stunning photos of birds, cats and also smaller animals like the hare or the white tailed mongoose. I have never been able to take a photo of one. Still on my list…
Busy week! Love the shot of the Tsalala lioness and the Skorro male! I sure hope they continue to keep each other company 🙂 The baby monkey is a precious shot. And the giraffe resting is a rare one, no?!
What an awesome group of images, Kyle! Obviously a wonderful week! A fav – maybe the bloody-muzzled Ndhzenga..but how to choose!?
Thank you Kyle for your special collection of images this week, especially those including the big cats. However, the most exciting photo for me included the Skorro male and Tsalala female, presumably after mating. In my humble opinion, this is the perfect match for each of them, even though both come without pride support, but I believe the indomitable spirit of Tsalala’s legacy will continue to help her survive and thrive. As for Skorro, he definitely needs a male partner if he plans to stay around the reserve.
Aside from the Tsalala news, I’ve found it curious lately that the female leopards have done well hunting lately, but have lost their kills to the hyenas as they haven’t been able to hoist them into trees quickly enough. It seems the larger the prey, the more difficulty they have if they can’t eat quickly enough to lighten the weight. Or maybe it’s just bad timing…..
Look forward to seeing This Week in Pictures. The Senegal Bush male could use an update on his bio. he was born November 2012 (11 yrs old this month!) in the Northern Sabi Sand (Djuma) his mother was Karula .. it would be nice to see this information added. Gorgeous photos, especially the cats. Thank you for sharing
I’m curious as to whether the Tsalala lioness has been seen mating with any other males to help protect her cubs.
Such a varied collection this week, Kyle. The blood covered face of the lion was very intense, so perhaps that was my favorite image of the week. I also loved the look on the face of the monkey, and the hippo portrait was a nice surprise too. You don’t see them photographed in such detail outside of water that often. Like everyone else, I’m thrilled the Tsalala female has been seen mating with the Skorro male. I can not wait to see how this next chapter of hers unfolds.
This week the hare caught my attention and I thought of it thereafter. So that’s my emotional choice. The hippo nr2 and the giraffe nr3. The big cats are awesome. My sister’s choice is the hornbill. It stroke her she finds it nice and funny. So glad for the Tsalala female! Hurrah! If the Nkuhuma female would join them… that might be a small pride to start. I don’t think the Skorro male has a lot of room in Londolozi. Maybe if he’s wise as a lion can be he keeps a low profile for now…
My favourite has to be the Xinkhova female yawning, Kyle. Thanks very much for printing my canvas of her so quickly on Saturday.
Bring on the leopards! Always the best most beautiful views!
Superb pictures , hoping the Skorro male and Tsalala female form the basis of a new pride
Amazing TWIP Kyle! So many great images, and many of them saved. But the news and photos of the Tsalala female and Skorro male, presumably mating, takes the cake this week! I really hope this helps them both in their quest for longevity on Londolozi!!