A little over three months ago a few of the rangers, trackers and their very fortunate guests at Londolozi witnessed an epic territory battle between the Three Rivers Female and The Nkoveni Female. If you happened to miss this titanic scrimmage, watch this very detailed video by Sean Zeederberg, which brilliantly recaps the moments leading up to and the enthralling action that unfolded between these two fierce leopardesses.
The Three Rivers Female’s condition looked precarious immediately after the fight and a few questioned whether she would even survive. What is phenomenal out in the wilderness is the resilience of the animals and how they manage to bounce back after the most intense mishaps or life-threatening situations.
![Nkoveni And Three Rivers Females Walking In Clearing [rcb]](https://media.londolozi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/22105738/Nkoveni-and-Three-Rivers-Females-Walking-in-Clearing-RCB-scaled.jpg)
Two days before the incident, The Three Rivers and Nkoveni Females walk alongside each other, scent marking, rasping and displaying behaviour typical of sizing up potential territorial boundaries as they move through an area bordering their respective territories.
Forced into early independence as her mother was killed by the Southern Avoca Males.
A gorgeous female who is found to the east of camp. Easily recognised by her 2:2 spot pattern she is often to be found in Marula trees.
A Brief Recap:
The Nkoveni Female could no longer tolerate The Three Rivers Female after many days of squaring off and sizing each other up. To make matters worse, the Three Rivers Female was responsible for killing one of the Nkoveni Female’s cubs four days before and as a result, it came down to fighting tooth and claw to establish supremacy.
While difficult to witness, it is exceptionally rare to see two adult female leopards engage in such an intense and potentially fatal confrontation.
Although these two leopards know each other well and have bordering territories, the heartbreaking tragedy lies in the fact that the Nkoveni Female sacrificed both her cubs in her pursuit of a larger territory and in doing so nearly killed the Three Rivers Female. Having witnessed this intense battle, I was convinced that the Three Rivers Female suffered a fatal wound to her neck and head and as a result would not see out the rest of the day.
The Three Rivers Female appears defeated, bearing evident signs of a severe injury to her neck. There was significant bleeding from a gash beneath her throat, accompanied by cuts on her ears and head.
Upon closer inspection, the inflicted damage by the Nkoveni Female is revealed. Despite the injury initially appearing superficial, the profuse bleeding from the gash and the demeanour of the Three Rivers Female suggested a more severe impact.
Disappeared or Dead?
Following the intense altercation and enduring a severe beating, the Three Rivers Female vanished for several weeks. Our concern for her well-being deepened, as uncertainty surrounded the extent of her injuries. The severity of the situation raised questions about whether she had sustained injuries that might compromise her ability to hunt. For a leopard, this scenario could be catastrophic. If she was unable to hunt, then her condition would deteriorate quickly and the stark reality of scavenging for food could’ve become a reality.
An Encouraging Development
In October 2023, after more than a month since the altercation with Nkoveni Female, the Three Rivers Female was spotted on Londolozi with a kill in the Tugwaan Drainage. It seems she might have been spending more to the east of the Sand River, where encounters with the Nkoveni Female would be less frequent. During this sighting, her battle scars from the fight had healed, bringing relief to many who were pleased to see her having recovered and back to her normal self.
The Three Rivers Female is unusually small for an adult leopard, but that doesn’t hinder her from taking down prey much larger than herself.
Mating with the Maxim’s Male:
Jumping back in time to the lead-up to the significant confrontation, the Three Rivers Female and Nkoveni Female were in the Maxabeni, engaging in a dispute over an impala carcass presumed to have been killed by the Three Rivers Female. The disagreement was resolved with minimal conflict on this occasion.
After the palaver of the Three Rivers Female and the Nkoveni Female, the Maxim’s Male then moved in and claimed the remains of the carcass.
Fairly skittish male that is presumed to have come from the Kruger National Park.
Meanwhile, the Maxim’s Male cleverly took advantage of the situation, dominating the females and claiming the carcass for himself. Subsequently, the guiding team observed the Three Rivers Female and the Maxim’s Male mating for a couple of days. This sequence of events raises the possibility that Three Rivers may have fallen pregnant between the episode involving Nkoveni Female’s Cub and her own precarious encounter.
A New Litter is Confirmed!
On the last day of October this year, we had a phenomenal sighting of the Three Rivers Female climbing into a big beautiful leadwood tree. After spending 20 minutes tracking her down on foot, Joy and I found her staring down at us from above. We were ecstatic because it was the first instance we had seen her since the big fight with the Nkoveni Female in August.
Three Rivers Female descending a leadwood tree with difficulty because the bark is very hard and even the sharpest of leopard claws struggle to penetrate the leadwood.
It is difficult to tell in the image, but she had a very full stomach indicating the possibility of her being pregnant with her next litter of cubs.
It was a true spectacle watching her manoeuvre through the branches of a very large leadwood and then descend the tree before us. As she leaped from branch to branch I noticed that she could be pregnant. Her stomach was very full, and although she had been feeding on a kill, it appeared she was hiding more than just her recent meal.
We believe she is denning in the Maxabene Riverbed right in the core of her territory in the southeastern parts of the reserve. Though it’s early days, the prospect of her denning again is incredibly exciting. The specifics—like the exact den location and the number of cubs she’s birthed—are yet unknown. The responsibility now falls on the guiding team to uncover these crucial details.
The stunning Three Rivers Female gracefully perches on a fallen marula tree. Witnessing her back in action, fully recovered, brings us immense joy. She’s an exceptional leopard, and we eagerly anticipate witnessing her flourish in the upcoming summer months.
Three months down the line, her recovery from the fight with the Nkoveni Female has been remarkable, to say the least – she’s thriving. Her wounds have healed remarkably well, leaving little trace of the violent encounter. Now we hope she can successfully raise another litter of cubs. It’s truly awe-inspiring to witness the resilience of wild animals, especially solitary predators like leopards.
Wow! such a wonderful post to read! I’m thrilled to hear of her survival and thriving! I’ve become very partial to the Three Rivers Female, given her survival story after losing her mother too soon. Not only is she a beautiful leopard, she is truly resilient. Wonderful – looking forward to the updates on the possibility of her having cubs!! thank you!
Hi Kylea. I’m also very fond of her and her resilience. She was not in my good books after killing the Nkoveni Females cub however, It was out of pure necessity to defend her territory which the Nkoveni female was encroaching. We suspect that her litter has been lost as she was mating with the Maxims male again this week. So We will have to provide an update in the next three months or so.
Nick, thanks for bringing me up to date. I hope she is successful in raising her cubs. She is a remarkable leopard.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the blog, William.
She’s an exceptionally beautiful leopard with a peculiar exquisite eye shape and marking. She’s a natural history of survival and resilience. The Maxime male is a good partner, I am so glad that she is fine and eagerly look forward to read all about this precious secretive family
Hi Francesca! I agree, she is a wonderful Leopardess. We suspect that her litter has been lost as she was mating with the Maxims male again this week. So We will have to provide an update in the next three months or so.
Oh my word, I don’t remember seeing those close-up shots of her wounds before, no wonder you were concerned. I was fortunate enough to see her mid-November and she looked in wonderful condition – as you say, their resilience is astonishing. It was a strange sighting, in that she was in the same area as we’d seen the Xinkhova female just that morning. Let’s hope she can stay clear of any more territorial battles in the future.
Hi Suzanne, Yes I know they are quite shocking, however I was pleased to share them given she has made such a remarkable recovery. It was a very intense sighting at the time and Joy, my tracker, thought she wasn’t going to survive the day! Its tough to predict the dynamics of the female leopards but one thing is for sure that they are always shifting.
Ps I see that she descends from the royal family through her father, the Piva male! Even more exciting! She got her unique marking on the forehead from him. ..
I meant to write looking forward to reading sorry sometimes the automatic correction goes crazy…
Nick, so wonderful to read about the comeback of the Three Rivers female. After witmessing her epic battle with Nkoveni. I was unsure about her survival. To learn that she is thriving is wonderful news. Happy that it was you and Joy who discovered her.
We look forward to seeing her and, perhaps, her cubs when we return in August. (Also, seeing you & Joy!)
Thanks for the comment Vin! What an incredible sighting it was to share with you guys. We are thrilled that she has made a comeback and back to full health.
Looking forward to seeing you guys next year!
Nick, Thanks for the great update on Three Rivers! So exciting that she may have cubs. It was incredible to be riding with you and Joy during her encounter with Nkoveni. We all thought she would not make it. The dynamics between the Leopards can be surprising and sometimes distressing for us to digest, but that is their real world!
Hello Guys! Indeed it can be a rollercoaster ride following the highs and lows of these amazing creatures but they continue to surprise us everyday. Thanks for the comment.
The Three Rivers female is a survivor, an exceedingly feisty leopardess. From her youth, when she had to survive on her own after her mother’s demise, she’s managed to stake out a territory, raise a son to independence and survive her battle with Nkoveni. What a girl!
WOW Nick!! What an incredible story of resilience and recovery for the Three Rivers Female. Very much looking forward to hearing about her new litter as she continues to thrive!
How great that the Three Rivers female may have cubs!
By the way, We saw her during my stay at the end of August, about two weeks after her fight with the Nkoveni female twice. Once resting in some bushes and only two or three days later up on a big branch of a tree, next to an Impala kill.
Hi Christa, We suspect that her litter has been lost as she was mating with the Maxims male again this week. So We will have to provide an update in the next three months or so.
Thanks for sharing, I must have missed those sightings! its appears that she had a very speedy recovery then. This is understandable as Leopards will need to feed often especially if they are recovering from a nasty injury. What a show of resilience.
Hi Nick, that is such good news that the Three Rivers female has healed from her altercation with the Nkoveni female. She is so much smaller than the other female leopards. Well know we can just wait and see if she is pregnant and we know that you Rangers will do everything to look for her den. So very relieved that she is well and alive and even maybe pregnant. Thanks for the update on her.
Thanks Valmai, We never located her den and We suspect that her litter has been lost as she was mating with the Maxims male again this week. So We will have to provide an update in the next three months or so.
So happy to hear this! I don’t recall after watching her altercation w/ the Nkoveni female she was that severely injured! Poor girl! Great news she’s thriving and now has babies of her own (hopefully there will be no revenge from Nkoveni) 🙁
Hi Anita, Agreed ! lets hope the big bust up settled their territory dispute for good. We suspect that her litter has been lost as she was mating with the Maxims male again this week. So We will have to provide an update in the next three months or so. We never discovered the den so its a mystery of the whereabouts of her latest litter.
Thanks so much for this follow-up Nick. I went back and watched the video again, but seeing your closeup photos of her injuries, had no idea how badly her neck was lacerated in viewing that virtual safari. She appears remarkably healthy now which is a testament to the resilience of these animals that sustain serious injuries. There’s something to be said for the natural world in healing wounds, and even broken bones. Does their diet contribute to this power of healing: the protein based consumption of food, or their saliva whilst cleaning wounds or are there plants involved? I like to think that Mother Nature takes care of its own, and leave the mystery of healing to just that – a mystery!
Hi Denise! Thanks for the comment and I would agree with you comment in that Mother Nature has a remarkable way of taking care of its own.
Nick, I’m so relieved to hear that the Three Rivers female has fully recovered. It’s amazing that she could go through such a stressful event and then become pregnant. I suppose that’s the beauty of wild animals–they reset their nervous systems and carry on as opposed to ruminating and wallowing in mostly self-induced chronic stress (affecting their health and condition) like humans who haven’t yet learned the tools for how to do the same. I’m glad she’s doing well. Can’t wait to hear any updates about potential cubs!
Hi Chelsea, Thanks for the comment. It is truly astonishing how they are able to shrug off any big setbacks and reset themselves. If they don’t then they will never be able to survive. She is a fighter and has proven why she is one of the most formidable leopards regardless of her size. We suspect that her litter has been lost as she was mating with the Maxims male again this week. So We will have to provide an update in the next three months or so.
I am happy to know that Three Rivers has fully recovered from her altercation with Nkoveni. Three Rivers and her brother always had a special place in my heart as they had to be on their own so early in their lives. I too hope she can raise another litter of cubs to independence. Thank you for sharing. I have to say cat fights (no matter what breed) are vicious
Thanks for the comment MJ. I also have a very special place for the Three Rivers Female. She has endured a lot through her life and continues to surprise us.