More often than not, when we talk about the lineages of leopards, we focus on the female leopards that inhabit Londolozi and their offspring. This focus is understandable for reasons we’ll explore later. However, something that has dawned on me recently is the legacy that the Maxim’s Male is creating. I recently wrote about him and how his expanding territory affects the leopards who used to patrol these areas. From a different perspective, though, the cubs he has already sired—and the future cubs he will sire—may leave a far greater mark on the future leopards of Londolozi than we initially realize.
The size and stature of the Maxims Male are on full display out in the open.
Fairly skittish male that is presumed to have come from the Kruger National Park.
A Rare Leopard with Growing Influence
When I first arrived at Londolozi at the beginning of 2020, the Maxim’s Male was a seldom-seen leopard whose territory lay mainly to the east of our boundary. As the years have passed, his territory has shifted westward, and we’ve begun to see him more frequently. Typically, it can be tricky to definitively say who the father of a leopard cub is, as female leopards try to mate with as many males close to their territory as possible. While the mother’s identity is certain—since she has raised the cubs for about two years—the father can often remain uncertain.
The Maxim’s Male and His Expanding Territory
However, given the current landscape of male leopards at Londolozi, we can safely assume that the Maxim’s Male is the father of many cubs we have seen raised over the last few years, or are currently being raised. His territory is vast, fully encompassing several female leopard territories. For these females to find another mate, they would have to travel a significant distance outside their territories, making the Maxim’s Male the dominant fathering candidate.
The Maxims Male and Piccadilly Female have been seen mating recently.
This female is most often encountered near the Sand River to the east of the Londolozi camps.
A Successful Progenitor
Leopards have two primary objectives: survival and procreation. Passing on their genes to the next generation is a central goal of their existence. One of our most successful female leopards, the Nkoveni Female, has raised three cubs to independence, and she is currently raising a litter of two more cubs. If these cubs survive to independence, her tally will reach five. Now, comparing this to the Maxim’s Male, who began siring cubs around the time Nkoveni’s first independent cub—the Plaque Rock Female—was born in March 2018, we see that he is on track to surpass her in terms of passing on his genes.
Seen here mating with the Nkoveni Female, the Maxims Male is the father of her last successful litter as well as her current litter of 2.
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.
To our knowledge, the Maxim’s Male has sired the Nsuku Male, Xinkhova Female, Stonedrift Female, and the current litters of the Nkoveni and Three Rivers females. This is a total of six cubs, the oldest of which was born in February 2021.
A Future of Growing Influence
As the Maxim’s Male remains in his prime and his territory continues to expand, we have observed him mating with more females, increasing his potential for fathering even more cubs. Recently, we have seen him mate with the Ximungwe Female and the Piccadilly Female. I also suspect that the elusive Nhlanguleni Female is likely mating with him as well. With the Nkuwa Female having recently raised her two young males to independence—and with his territory now overlapping hers—it seems inevitable that he will sire cubs with at least six females in the coming years.
The Maxims Male is also the father of the Three Rivers Female’s last and current litter.
The Legacy in Years to Come
An independent research organization, Panthera, along with reserves like Londolozi in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, has been collecting scat from individual leopards to analyze their DNA. This will soon allow us to confirm paternity with certainty. However, even without this technology, I believe that in a few years, we will look back in awe at the legacy left by this dominant male leopard. Only time will tell how the Maxim’s Male will continue to shape the future generations of leopards at Londolozi.
Wonderful blog Barry. Analysing the scat of the leopards will be so useful. What a brilliant idea.
Hi, this big male leopard has a contemplative look that looks so alike his youngest daughter, the Three Rivers females cub. He lacks that safe-assured and dominant look of males like the Flat Rock Male or the Senegal Bush male…. he is that big, of course life is easier for him. How wonderful all pictures, the Piccadilly female is exquisite. The Nkoveni ‘s twins look very alike their mother. So glad to read about the success of this big dad with his offspring!