Driving out of camp is always exciting, but a few months ago, it was even more so as we frequently encountered the recently independent Xinkhova Female Leopard. Often found around the airstrip, she could be seen either perched on a termite mound or lounging on the branch of a beautiful marula tree. She was quickly becoming one of the more commonly sighted leopards here at Londolozi, with us presuming that she would eventually set up territory very close to camp.
The Xinkhova Female strategically sits on top of a termite mound to scan the impala herd to figure out the best route to ambush them.
A stunning young female with a very similar spot pattern to her mother, the Nkoveni Female. Litter still completely intact March 2022.
At just over three years of age, the Xinkhova Female is now at the stage where she’s looking to establish her own territory. Typically, female leopards receive a portion of their mother’s territory. However, the Nkoveni Female already raised the Plaque Rock Female to independence and now the two most recent offspring, the Xinkhova Female and her sister the Stone-drift Female, creating a complex situation. If she ceded territory to both daughters, her own territory would shrink significantly. Moreover, the area around the Nkoveni Female’s territory is already densely populated with female leopards, making it challenging for a young and inexperienced leopard like Xinkhova to establish herself.
The Xinkhova female resting in a Marula tree near the airstrip
Given these pressures, the Xinkhova Female may have been pushed to seek a territory beyond what her mother ceded to her. This could explain her movement towards the airstrip as she attempted to establish territory there. However, she faced further pressure from the Plaque Rock Female and Nhlanguleni Female, limiting sightings of her near the camp. We even went some time without seeing her at all, leading some to believe she may have ventured far beyond Londolozi’s reach to find a suitable territory.
A once-in-a-lifetime shot of the Xinkhova Female in a dead deadwood.
Fortunately, recent sightings have placed her further south on our property, close to the river. This area aligns with where the Three Rivers Female has settled, suggesting it may not be a long-term option for the Xinkhova Female. For a young leopard to take over another female’s territory is a daunting challenge. On several occasions, rangers have observed these two interact, as seen in the video below.
Forced into early independence as her mother was killed by the Southern Avoca Males.
Just the other day, my tracker Life Sibuyi and I witnessed such an encounter. Although they didn’t come into physical contact, the Xinkhova Female was chased away and retreated to the tops of a nearby tree. There was plenty of snarling between the two leopards, with the younger Xinkhova Female exhibiting fairly submissive behaviour.
The Xinkhova Female is nearing the age of being ready to start mating and thus needs a place to set up territory and only time will tell as to where this will be. I will keep you posted as to where she moves next but I do think that she will not hang around this area for much longer
It’s a feat for a leopard to survive to adulthood, only to find the territory in which they were raised, is no longer available nor safe to continue to call home. Hopefully she won’t move too far away from her natal area and you will continue to watch her thrive.
Hi, maybe there is room on the borders or in an old leopard’s territory? Hopefully all will adjust, of course the Three River Female is stronger and more experienced, so the Xinkova Female has to wait a bit longer to establish herself
I am looking forward to hearing more about the Xinkhova’s new territory.
With so many leopards around, it will certainly not be easy. Hopefully there will be no really too bad fights between these females.
Very interesting blog today about the territory disputes. It will be fascinating to see how it all turns out. Thank you for the update Ross.
So lucky so many leopards!!! I trust they will figure it out!
The Xinkhova Female is such a stunningly beautiful leopard! I hope she is able to establish a territory on Londolozi so that we can contunue to see her mature into full adulthood, mate, and raise offspring!
Didn’t the 3 Rivers female have a major fight with Nkoveni and kill her cubs last year? – Xinkhova certainly needs to keep well clear of her.
I hope that she stays safe, wherever she ends up…..and that it is an area that has enough tourism to keep track of her life through photos and sightings…