It has been a few months since the last update on the Nkuwa Female leopard and her two male cubs. Her two sons are approaching an important milestone in their young lives, so I thought it would be equally important to look at what’s next for this trio of leopards.
It is no easy feat raising two young males. The Nkuwa Female attempting to cool herself and catch her breath in the shade of a marula tree with one of her cubs watching over her waiting for his sibling to join them.
One of two sisters born to the Nhlanguleni Female, both of whom made it to independence, the first intact litter to do so in 7 years.
The Last Few Months
Our sightings of the three leopards have been few and far between. This in part is due to the area that their territory lies that is quite thick but also I think that they have been spending more time further west of our boundary into our neighbour’s property. That being said when we have seen them it has been very noticeable that these two young males are about the same size as their mother now and one can only imagine the pressures that this now places on their mother to provide for them.
A glimpse into the Sand River. This is right in the heart of the Nkuwa Female’s territory showing how dense the vegetation around the river is and one of the reasons it is quite difficult to find her.
Maternal Success Amidst Adversity
At just six years old, the Nkuwa Female has defied the odds by successfully raising a litter of two male cubs. Even though leopards will have two or three cubs per litter it is not that common for them to be able to raise more than one to independence. Her cubs, now approximately 14 months old, continue to thrive under her watchful eye.
Observing the Cubs’ Growth and Independence
The two cubs are spending more time apart from their mother, exploring their surroundings and honing their hunting skills, as well as more time apart from each other. Up until now, they have been almost fully dependent on her for food only catching some small prey while she is out hunting. This gradual shift towards independence is a natural progression for young leopards as they prepare to fend for themselves. Independence doesn’t happen overnight and their mother will slowly spend less and less time with them.
The Nkuwa 3:3 Young Male is now the same size as his mother and spending more time alone and away from his brother.
Encounters with Rival Leopards
As the cubs grow older, they face new challenges, including competition from other leopards vying for territory. The presence of the Ntomi Male, a young male leopard with familial ties to the two cubs, adds an intriguing dynamic to the situation. The Ntomi Male shares the same father as the two cubs of the Nkuwa Female and he has been moving further and further west right into the heart of the Nkuwa Female’s territory. Although not yet a fully territorial leopard he certainly still poses somewhat of a threat to the two younger cubs.
The Ntomi Male is now fully independent from his mother, the Ximungwe Female, and is moving further and further west into the heart of the Nkuwa Female’s territory.
Looking Towards the Future
Usually, male leopards become independent a little later than female leopards. What I have observed in my time here at Londololzi is that at only around two years old will the sub-adult males gain full independence whereas their female counterparts are closer to 18 months. I think, however, that with the Nkuwa Female having two male cubs that are already her size, if not bigger, they will most likely be forced into an earlier independence which would mark an important milestone in their lives. Post-independence they will most likely disperse into new areas far afield from where they have been raised. This is a natural move to ensure genetic diversity within the population combined with the fact that their father, the Senegal Bush Male, and the Ntomi Male are already laying claim to the territory west of our camps.
The Next Steps for the Nkuwa Female
The Nkuwa Female still has a few more months to ensure that all of her hard work and effort in raising her two sons will come to fruition. Post her sons’ independence she will more than likely continue to hold her current territory as her sons move off. What we always hope for is that a female leopard will successfully raise at least one daughter to independence for her lineage to continue at Londolozi. Only time will tell but at only six years old the odds are certainly in her favour.
Thanks for the update. Interesting times, ahead of the leopard dynamics. Any update on the Tsalala females pregnancy?
Barry, more or less – how old is the Ntomi Male at the moment?
These story of the Nkuwa’s love, instruction, and maturation of her cubs is so very cool. Hoping her female cub is to follow
Great to hear both her cubs are doing well. We met them in June but only saw them from a distance as there was a hyena close by and all three (mom and cubs) were in different trees.
Great update Barry, thank you.
Is this her first litter? So great she did so well with these two! Do you think the dense area they call home helped more so than other spots or are some leopards just better moms (like people)?!
On August 18 2023 we saw the following: Nkuwa with scrub hare in her mouth on a march. As we follow her (to Sand River!) she calls her cubs. Catch up to her on a sand spit sans hare. Finally catch sight of one cub as it finished munching. — from my journal
First of all Barry, thanks for the update. I had been thinking about these two male cubs of Nkuwa and hoping they were both alive and well. It’s obvious she’s been a fantastic mother to these two, judging their size and body mass. That first image of her, tongue out, looks like a tired mother. Who knows where their future lies, but given their great lineage , I’m sure they’ll find a territory and continue to thrive.
This is one of the most intriguing article I’ve read! Have you observed the relationship between the two male cubs? Are they very alike the females ‘ or are they more independent? Incredibile what this mother has done! They are all so handsome. The pink nose is so in contrast with the Ntomi’s male dark nose … looking forward to reading the following steps of this family!
Incredible, thanks for the updates and for keeping us on safari even though we are so far away!
Great update, Barry! I’m looking forward to seeing the 3 of them in September as we were unsuccessful sighting them last July, despite days of searching with Ross and Life. Here’s hoping they stay safe!
Hi Barry, I am very excited to see these two sons of the Nkuwa female and it seems to they are going to be two stunning leopards. She is an excellent mother and as you say Barry, they might be moving on ealier than there two year stay with mom. It was good to see them again, thanks for the update. Nkuwa female is still young, she can easily have a few more litters of cubs.
Great to hear that the Nkuwa and her adolescent cubs are in such good shape. It is certainly a big achievement of her that she has been able to raise two male cubs. I would love to see them one day as fully grown, beautiful male leopards. Who knows?
Thanks for the beautiful photos and the great blog, Barry
Thank you Barry, I’d completely forgotten about these 3! Provided the cubs make it to independence, will that be the 1st time that has happened with 2 brothers? It’s rare enough to achieve this with 2 sisters – of course Nhlanguleni and Nkoveni have done it, which was exceptional.
Mom looks like I feel in this heat.
I didn’t realize they were already 14 months old. She’s done an incredible job. I can’t remember–is this her first litter? Or at least the first to survive? Wishing them all well.