Now photographically, it doesn’t get much better than this! The Ximungwe Female had caught another impala yearling and hoisted it into a marula tree. This time when we arrived the cubs were confident enough to climb into the tree and feed on the carcass. So we sat back and enjoyed hours of the cubs just going back and forth between their mother and the carcass, traipsing along the large horizontal boughs of this sizable marula tree, checking in with Mum before venturing back to the carcass.
A large elephant didn’t want to miss out on some of the limelight and came right up to the vehicle while feeding, before looping around and walking directly underneath the Ximungwe Female in the tree. At this stage, the cubs had run down out of the tree and were hiding nearby. Once the coast was clear and the elephant had continued on its way, the cubs scaled the tree again and resumed feeding and playing.
So all in all this was truly a phenomenal sighting and one for the record books.
Enjoy this Virtual Safari…
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
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Oh my, I could watch that all day – those cubs might not be fast climbers yet, but they’re certainly confident and very determined! Adding an ellie and a woodland kingfisher makes for a very happy Sunday, thank you Sean.
Sean, thank you for the wonderful video. The cubs are growing up and the experience with the elephant will be just another part of the lives,
beautiful video! good job!
Superb.
You DO get some amazing moving, and motion pictures.
The behavioral traits of the cubs and the mother are so fascinating to watch with each involved with distinct personalities.
Leopards always elated me, but a mum with cubs… superb, the Ximungwe and her twins! The elephant bull is a bonus, what a video!
What a wonderful virtual safari, Sean. To be so close to these cubs feeding and playing, just great!
It’s amazing that the elephant didn’t react to the Ximungwe up in the tree. Is it true that they sometimes shake a tree to annoy the leopards or is this just a story?
Hi Sean,
Fantastic Virtual Safari! ✨
It was wonderful to see the mother and her two cubs in their daily life… and the big elephant in action.
Thank you for sharing!
Well Sean, once again your virtual safari broke the cuteness meter whilst showcasing Ximunge’s two cubs. I love that she is so relaxed, letting her cubs eat while running back and forth on the large Marula branches. One cub does seem to be more gregarious, certainly not interested in sharing the juicy bit of meat. Watching them carefully ascend the tree, paw placement sometimes random, is interesting to watch, but the best part is their descent – seemingly flying off the trunk into the grasses. Added entertainment came in the form of the bull elephant who didn’t seem to spook Ximungwe. Nice capture of the Woodland Kingfisher as well. Watching this was so much fun and now I can get on with my day.
Incredible footage and interactions captured, thanks for sharing this Sean. Amazing.
Hi Sean, I got the video from You Tube because I did not get it on the email. Nevertheless the video is absolutely astounding with the Ximungwe female and her cubs high up in the tree feeding. One cub is more confident than the other one. So beautiful to see the elephant bull walk right under the tree where she was lying. It wasn’t long before the cubs climbed right back up the tree to go and feed again. Truly a wonderful video, thanks Sean.
Phenomenal is really the only appropriate word I can come up with to describe this sighting. The elephant walking beneath her and the siblings arguing over the carcass–it really doesn’t get better than that! How incredible that you were there to witness this moment and how fortunate that we can follow along.
What a breathtaking sighting! Truly beautiful in so many ways. The cubs inherited the famous Sunsetbend lineage coat from mom! Sean, who do you suspect is the father of the cubs? Wasn’t she seen mating with the Nsuku Male at one point or would that have been too long ago to be in consideration for this litter?
Just fabulous! Thank you for sharing with us all.
omygoodness! could watch them all day! how do you tear yourself away?! funny how they are up and down and up and down…true toddlers! I would think they would have wanted to stay in the tree when that gorgeous bull came by and not chance getting stepped on! but guess they don’t know any better either. what a fantastic virtual safari! love.
Well that was wild, literally and figuratively! Watching the agility of the cubs climbing as pretty amazing – they develop very quickly!
That was very fun viewing, especially seeing the contrast of size of the elephant and the leopard – wow! Also loved the close up focus on the trunk, I could really appreciate the folds and textures. Thank you Sean – incredible footage!
Sean, truly a phenomenal sighting and video. I am looking forward to viewing more in the lives of the Ximungwe female and her cubs.
This really was such an amazing sighting of these cubs.
Pure incredible magic with those cubs! What a fantastic afternoon.
It really was a game drive filled with magic.