Having received a decent amount of rain last week, my hopes were high that we’d start to see an end to the dry season. However, a week-long spell of sweltering, dry weather which we are still experiencing now has begun to scorch what moisture might have settled on the land. This year’s dry season still seems to have a firm grip over Londolozi as we patiently wait to break through towards more consistent rains. This is no cause for concern at this point as these dry spells prove to be cyclical and I have no doubt the rains will cover us in the next short while.
Despite the extended dry conditions, the game viewing has still been fantastic. While elephants have in fact proven quite difficult to find, we were lucky that our only two sightings of them were rather picturesque in the late afternoon light in the Sand River. The Mother Cheetah and her cubs continue to be a highlight both for our guests and us as guides and trackers. Those of you who have spent any time here will know how few and far between cheetah sightings can be let alone the regular views we’ve been lucky to get of these young cubs.
Leopard viewing, as always, has been great. The Nkoveni Female and her remaining young male that she’s raising still make up the bulk of our leopard sightings. A couple brief views of the colossal Maxims Male last week were a reminder of not only his impressive size but how wide his territory really extends and continues to grow. An interesting find, which Kirst and I both unfortunately missed, was a trio of leopards found in the deep southern corner of Londolozi; the Nweti Male was mating with both the Mashaba Female and Ndzanzeni Female at the same time! Rather interesting behaviour that I haven’t heard of before (blog on this to follow soon). Lions have been a bit more scarce than their spotted relatives. The Kambula Pride were only seen less than a handful of times over the last 10 days or so while the Ndzhenga Males proved to be even more elusive with only one appearance.
We wait with bated breath for this heat wave to pass and the rains to settle in. But, in the meantime, here are a few snapshots of the last week through the lens of Kirst Joscelyne and myself.
Let us know your favourites in the comment section below.
Enjoy this week in pictures…
The mother cheetah is still doing well raising her three young cubs in the western reaches of the reserve. While walking through the open grasslands she ran up onto this rock as a vantage point to scan her surroundings. Fortunately for us, there was a dazzle of zebra behind us which caught her attention briefly to capture both her ears and eyes pointing directly towards the camera.
Sean Zeederberg positions himself for the perfect shot of a pair of elephants crossing the Sand River one afternoon. Despite the recent rains we’ve had, the elephants are still largely concentrated around the river.
This picture doesn’t quite convey the feeling of having a lion roar towards you – however, it certainly allows you to imagine it. The two Ndzhenga Males are still doing well in securing the territory of the Ntsevu and Kambula Prides and keeping rival males at bay.
This very full hyena walked towards us early one morning. We were still coming up the crest so was able to capture her at eye level. The scars on her face certainly tell a story.
A mother elephant pauses for a drink in the Sand River while her calf nurses. While elephants have appeared to be few and far between over the last while, the river is always a reliable spot to search for them.
The silhouette of a Saddle-billed Stork after the sun had set. You can just see the gap in the storks bill.
The return of the migrant Wahlberg’s Eagle is also an exciting time in the summer months as breeding pairs return to previous nesting sites to raise offspring once more.
The Maxims Male marches his way past us on a territorial patrol. He’s an incredible specimen of a leopard and certainly in his prime, holding one of the largest territories I’ve seen in the Sabi Sand.
Fairly skittish male that is presumed to have come from the Kruger National Park.
The Nkoveni Female has certainly been through some challenges while raising her latest litter. Here on a bank while backlit she turned towards where her remaining cub played. You can see the wound on her back leg from her altercation with the Kambula Pride where unfortunately her one cub was killed. Fortunately for her, the Young Male and she managed to escape. The wound is superficial and is healing well.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
Lion vs buffalo in a sighting is often an adrenaline-filled sighting. This very large herd of buffalo came across the sleeping Kambula Pride and soon formed a wall as they approached them. With little chat of hunting them by the sheer numbers of the buffalo united together they eventually chased off the lions.
One of the oldest female leopards that we currently view. The Nhlanguleni Female now 13 and a half years of age rests on a termite mound. The characteristic pink nose with dark spots makes her easily recognisable.
Initially skittish female who transformed into a regular presence. Made history by raising first intact litter since her own generation.
A peaceful scene on the banks of the Sand River one afternoon. Take a closer look at how small the elephant calf is, next to the adult in the bottom left. I’d estimate that calf to be no more than 6 weeks old.
The characteristic red eye of the Reed Cormorant captures the morning sun
One of the cheetah cubs perched itself on this boulder. I love the lichen on the rock before with the soft winter tones of the grass behind it.
While walking through an open area the Nkoveni Female and her son flushed out a small scrub hare from the cover of a guarri bush. Suddenly, the two of them ran after it. The young male managed to catch it (briefly) before dropping it and the scrub hare managing to run off to safety.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
Vibrant photos, Chris. I found the cormorant and cheetah especially appealing.
Wonderful photos, Chris, with these soft colors and the bush slowly awakening to summer coloring.
I really love the one with the scrub hare caught by the young male. And I’m also glad for this tiny animal that it was able to escape… Sorry for the leopards.
Chris, my favorite picture this week is the cheetah cub standing on the rock. Thanks for sharing.
Love all the ellie pics…the one in particular it appears mom is ‘waving’ to Sean 🙂 They always make me smile. The close up of the cheetah cub super special too! Hope you all get your rain soon!
In spite of the lack of rain, the photos presented by you and Kirst are bright and varied in their character. There are so many favorites but I’ve narrowed it to a few. Firstly, the silhouette of the Saddle-billed stork is elegant in its simplicity followed by the pastoral view of the Sand River including the mother elephant and her tiny calf. Makhatini and her cubs are always a pleasure to see as well as the b/w portrait of Nhlanguleni. Finally, it was good to see the young Nkoveni male with the small hare, albeit typical for a cub to lose it after the initial catch……
Dear Chris, thanks for those special different shots, love the cheetahs
Hi Chris, such good photos this week. My favorite for this week is the Maxim’s male leopard. Such a huge leopard and he will surely sire a lot of cubs.
All pictures are all so nice as always and give an image of the season. The picture of the Nhlanguleni female is so beautiful, impressive. The cubs are adorable, both cheetah and leopard. I was struck also by the buffalo wall, they are like tanks. I remember the Mapogo as cubs when buffalos killed most cubs and attacked seriously the adult lions. Everyone has its mortal rival. The red cormorant is interesting, I like cormorants and their relatives, I was after Mediterranean shags for three years to complete a complex ethogram on them. The story’s picture is very beautiful, the cheetah cub sitting is lovely and the Nkoveni Female with her son are always spectacular. Great Ndzenga males, that managed to keep their prides safe.
Look at the size of the wings on the Wahlberg’s Eagle. One could almost think it can fly!
Although it’s hard to choose, my favourites this week are of the ellies in the Sand river.
Chris and Kirst, Sorry you are having to get through extended heat. Your images are beautiful! We especially love the one of the young Cheetah on its own!