The Sabi Sands is world-renowned for its incredible leopard viewing, and undoubtedly the Leopards of Londolozi are a highlight for guests and guides alike. Rising before dawn to set out on a game drive in search of these elusive cats has always been my favourite way to begin the day.
An iconic shot of a leopard in a tree at Londolozi.
A stunning young female with a very similar spot pattern to her mother, the Nkoveni Female. Litter still completely intact March 2022.
One morning recently, as the first light crept over the bushveld, an update crackled over the radio. Three leopards had been spotted together in the deep south of the reserve. With a sense of excitement, Tracker Joy and I decided it was going to be the perfect plan for that afternoon game drive. This would be an opportunity to track them down and possibly show our guests something incredible.
Tracking a leopard is a skilful art and the trackers at Londolozi are incredible at this!
After driving through the southern part of the reserve, we arrived in the area where the leopards were seen earlier that day. There was a set of tracks crossing the road. We chose to leave the Land Rover and follow the leopard’s tracks on foot. Ten minutes passed before we heard it—a low growl from the bushes ahead. Adrenaline surged through my veins as we cautiously approached, hearts racing knowing the leopards were close. Then, out of the grass, three leopard heads emerged, golden eyes locking onto us.
Royal descendant of Mother Leopard lineage. Remarkable single cub success story who overcame injury to continue the royal bloodline.
It was a moment of pure exhilaration. Finding one leopard is always rewarding, but three? And on foot? It was a discovery to remember. After retreating back to the vehicle, we shared the good news with our guests and manoeuvred the Land Rover into a position for a closer look.
He is a large, tall, and long male that has an incredible coat and a tuft of hair on his neck
Londolozi's oldest territorial female. Distinguished by her nose spot, this Sunsetbend matriarch's legacy lives on through her daughters.
As we settled into the sighting, we identified the leopards: two older and highly regarded females—one being the famous Mashaba Female and the other, Londolozi Royalty- the Ndzanzeni Female. And the enormous Nweti Male. What unfolded next was beyond anything I had ever witnessed in my years at Londolozi.
The Nweti Male and Mashaba Female mating.
The Mashaba Female and Nweti Male mating right in front of the Ndzanzeni Female.
The Mashaba Female, true to her confident nature, slinked toward the male, inviting him to mount. Within seconds, the pair was engaged in a mating display, a rare privilege to observe on its own. But the astonishment didn’t end there. Minutes later, the Ndzanzeni Female followed suit, initiating her own interaction with the Nweti Male.
For the next hour, we watched as the two females alternated mating with the male at five-minute intervals. To witness this among any leopards would be remarkable, but to see such a display between three old, well-established individuals was utterly astonishing.
How rare is it to see two females mating with one male at the same time?
Based on some research, as well as many discussions with fellow guides and trackers, with extensive experience in the Sabi Sands, this type of behaviour is very rarely observed. There has been a handful of sightings at Londolozi of two male leopards, a father and son, seen mating with a female. But two females in the presence of one male has not been seen for a very long time.
So Why Is This Highly Unusual?
Territorial Behavior of Females:
Female leopards are territorial and are known to move far distances away from their core territory to seek out a male. They seldom interact peacefully, especially during oestrus, when competition for mating rights could arise. The Mashaba Female and Ndzanzeni Female likely had overlapping oestrus (heat) cycles and likely happened to be in the same area as the Nweti Male when they united for the first time.
Courtship and copulation:
Once a male and a female link up, the male will quickly determine that she is in heat and it’s only a matter of time until the first copulation. The female will engage ina process or behaviour known as lordosis whereby she entices the male, brushing up against him and somewhat flirting with him by presenting herself for him to mount her. Growling from both individuals during this entire process is common, once the male mounts her and the mating process is underway, he will often bite her on the nape of her neck. It is a fairly aggressive and noisy affair. Leopards mate as often as lions with more sound effects. Copulation can occur up to four times an hour on average and can continue for up to four or five days.
![Three Rivers Young Male And Ximungwe Female Fighting (5) [rcb]](https://media.londolozi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/14140906/Three-Rivers-Young-Male-and-Ximungwe-Female-Fighting-5-RCB-1598x1389.jpg)
Extraction is the most dramatic period of mating as the sharp, barbed tip to the males penis cause pain for both animals
Male Mating Behavior:
Male leopards typically monopolize a female during her estrus cycle, staying with her for one to four days to ensure multiple copulations, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful fertilization. If another female enters the scene, conflict is generally more likely than cooperation. However, apart from a few growls and hisses, the two females in this sighting did not engage in any aggressive altercations—at least not in our presence
Competition Among Females:
A female leopard’s estrus lasts for 5 to 13 days and recurs every 2 to 3 months until conception. As a result, the two females would typically compete for access to the same male rather than share him. Even when their territories overlap, interactions between females are usually antagonistic.
Aside from rare instances of unusual leopard behaviour, such as food sharing or brief interactions between mothers and their grown cubs, observing two territorial female leopards sharing a male during their estrus is exceptionally rare. The likelihood of their territories overlapping, combined with synchronized heat cycles, were incredibly slim—making this sighting all the more special.
Witnessing such a rare and intimate interaction will go down as one of the most extraordinary leopard sightings of my guiding career, so far. Encounters like these remind me of why Londolozi is so special and the wildness of the leopards who call it home.
No one saw that coming! I’m surprised that the Mashaba female is still cycling in her advanced age. If she does become pregnant, she’d have to live another two years for her cubs to survive. I wonder if, like humans, leopard egg quality declines with age, and if they go into the equivalent of leopard menopause. Regardless of any potential results, this is a fascinating scenario.
Leopards are able to fall pregnant throughout their life, however it is likely that their egg quality may decline in their later life. There was a female leopard at Londolozi called the Xidulu Female who gave birth at the age of 16 years and sadly was killed by lions at 17 yrs and 3 months when her cub was just 11 months old. That cub survived and is the Three Rivers Female. Therefore, it is likely that the Mashaba Female will have another litter of cubs soon.
Wow, Nick, what a fantastically rare sighting you had!! Your lucky guests!
I have never ever seen two female leopards mating with the same male at the same time and spot.
You were so lucky, indeed.
This male must be really fit that he can do this mating with two ladies in such a short time.
Hi Christa! Yes very lucky indeed, it was a once in a life time sighting. The Nweti male is indeed very fit and in his prime at 9 years old.
This is incredible on so many levels…..would you expect Mashaba, at 16 years old, to still be in estrus at all? I bet the look on your’s and Joy’s faces when you saw 3 leopards was a sight to behold, and I’m sure the faces of your guests when you told them was also a picture – lucky guests!
I’m sure I remember seeing recently on a blog that Ndzanzeni had been seen with suckle marks. I guess that means she’s lost yet another litter?
Hi Suzanne, yes it was an amazing experience! Sadly, the Ndzanzeni’s cubs were never located and presumed lost.
Hi, I was waiting for this blog edition! It is rare indeed, but the characters involved are legendary! I guess their experience made things easier, I’m so pleased to see the Mashaba female in such wonderful conditions, I love her face looking at the camera and then the Ndzanzeni female turning on to her, they are almost one on the other, the pictures of one of their tail on another leopards body is fantastic! Fate has reunited these legendary females as if they were old friends, I remember well a video of the Mashaba female attacking the considerably smaller Ndzanzeni female… Just amazing! Thank you
Thanks for the comment Francesca. The trials and tribulations of all the Leopards of Londolozi are so exciting to follow particularly the legendary characters in this very unique and rare scenario ! We a wishing both the females are able to fall pregnant from this interaction and continue their incredible legacies.
My word Nick this is something out of the ordinary to hear of two females and one male mating. But as you say Nick, this could be that both females coming in heat at the same time. But this just goes to show that this is possible. Let’s hope that both females will fall pregnant and give birth to beautiful cubs. Thanks for sharing this very rare behavior of the leopards.
Firstly, thanks for sharing the information about the sighting you all experienced, further enhanced by the inclusion of the photos and video. It is curious that the two females were not aggressive towards one another, but perhaps it’s because they are older females and reticent about possibly getting hurt by the other female. I guess it remains to be seen if either of these older females fall pregnant during that bout of mating with Nweti, so now we wait…..
Thanks for the comment Denise, Yes we are hopeful they will fall pregnant based on their age and the amount of mating that went on. Time will tell and we will keep you updated!
Wow Nick, it looks like Londolozi is going to have a lot more leopards in the future.
What a thrilling sighting, Nick! I can only imagine the accompanying sound!
It was incredible to witness!
Incredible and once in a lifetime!
Absolutely Lisa!
Crazy cool sighting Nick, and wonderful accompanying photos! I love that the two females involved were the legendary Mashaba and Ndzanzeni female leopards – just incredible! It will be interesting to see if one or both of them become pregnant, and if so, how they fare going forward as they try to bring any cubs to adulthood. Looking forward to any updates as you all have them!!
Thanks Paul! We will keep you updated in the future!
Cricket, I am getting even more excited about my impending April trip!!!! Maybe there will be new cubs!