Consistent viewing of The Piccadilly Female only really began in 2018 and it did not take long for her to creep into the hearts of all of those who had the privilege of viewing her. She was once a familiar presence to the north of our camps and occasionally extended her graceful prowls along the serene Sand River to the east of camp.
Piccadilly female sniffing a large buffalo skull.
Golden-coated of Sunsetbend lineage, this female is gradually expanding her presence south of the Sand River into Londolozi.
However, she gradually faded from the spotlight after having seeded that portion of her territory to her daughter – The Ngungwe Female, leaving many to wonder if her reign in these parts had come to an end. After hearing of the incredible sightings of the Piccadilly Female that some of the more of the senior guides had shared with their guests, I was incredibly intrigued and dreamt of the day that I too could view her as she once was.
The Piccadilly Female finds a comfortable and shady spot in this jackal berry where she rests for the day.
The wait was long anticipated and now after a number of sightings of her along the Sand River and to the east of the camp, could this dream become a realization? And could we potentially be seeing the return of the Piccadilly Female?
The Piccadilly Female is seen patrolling along the banks of the Sand River to the east of camp.
The tragic death of the Plaque Rock Female, who held her domain south of the river east of camps, has left a significant territorial vacancy. This sudden and unexpected change in the landscape has sparked some speculation and curiosity regarding the next dominant female in the area. Much to many of our opinions, we thought that the young and promising Xinkhova Female was poised to take over. Stemming from the lineage of the renowned Nkoveni Female, the potential ascension of the Xinkhova Female sparked hope for a continuation of the Plaque Rock Female’s legacy.
Could we see the Xinkhova Female, continue the legacy of the Nkoveni Female by claiming the territory left vacant after the tragic death of yet another of the Nkoveni Female’s kin – The Plaque Rock Female?
A stunning young female with a very similar spot pattern to her mother, the Nkoveni Female. Litter still completely intact March 2022.
Yet, amidst this unfolding saga, recent and increasingly frequent sightings suggest that the Piccadilly Female, armed with age and experience, might not be ready to relinquish her influence just yet. Could it be that she is eyeing this newly open territory, ready to pressure the younger Xinkhova Female and stake her claim? It wouldn’t be the first time that a seasoned leopard has shaken the equilibrium with such manoeuvres.
The life of a leopard is a constant dance with change, and territories are often subject to shifts as newcomers and new challenges emerge. While the Piccadilly Female might seem like the one applying pressure on the Xinkhova Female, she is not immune to competing forces from other leopards in the northern and eastern parts of her existing territory. Her strategic moves may well be a defensive strategy to fortify her position against potential threats.
Adding yet another layer of intrigue is her elusive quest to mate with the impressive Maxim’s Male. After two occasions whereby she was seen mating with this imposing male as far as south as the Maxabene River bed, the possibility of her venturing into this area seeking the protection of the Maxim’s Male cannot be dismissed. His impressive genes and sheer size are likely to be one of the main factors that are pulling her further south of the Sand River.
A rare photograph capturing the elusive Maxim’s Male and the Piccadilly Female during one of their recent bouts of mating interactions.
Fairly skittish male that is presumed to have come from the Kruger National Park.
As the saga of leopard dynamics continues, the potential return of the Piccadilly Female stirs excitement and interest among Londolozi guides, trackers and guests alike. Will she emerge victorious and what could this mean for the Xinkhova Female? Or will the Xinkhova Female hold her ground and carry the Sunsetbend legacy forward?
Only time will tell…
Fascinating to follow, Reece, thanks for the update.
Thanks for the update, Reece. I’ve never seen the Piccadilly female in all my visits, (or her daughter) and would love to. However, I’m a huge fan of Xinkhova so I’m torn!
Hi, I was pleasantly surprised to read news and see pictures of the Piccadilly female, she’s very beautiful, with a dense colour on her face and many spots. Different from the Xinkova female that’s immediately recognisable as a Nkoveni ‘s daughter. I was curious about who would take the territory of the poor Plaque Rock female, another beauty typical “Nkoveni style”. It seems that they were all made almost the same… I was thinking of the Thunbela female. She stole my heart in some way. Does anyone have got any news on her? A very exciting time head, with legendary and new female leopard possibly falling pregnant to very fit males… waiting for any development, thank you sooo much for any update
Who ever stakes the Plague rock Female’s territory will have a beautiful huge rock that she always used to ly on. Maybe the Piccadilly female will as I think she is older than the Xinkhova female and maybe also a little bit bigger. Hope they don’t come to blows as they are both beautiful leopardessess and we would not want either one getting injured. The Maxim’s male was mating with the Piccadilly female and if she is pregnant then that territory would be ideal for her. Isn’t that Maxim’s a stunning specimen of a leopard. So huge and absolutely beautiful.
Thanks for this update on the Piccadilly Female, Reece.
I love hearing about the manouvers and whereabouts of Londolozi’s leopards – they are my favorite animals.
It would be wonderful to have Piccadilly female back in Londolozi, patrolling her own territory. It’s been three plus years since I spent a morning with her, finding her in the dewey grass not long after our drive began. After that it was two blissful hours watching and following her as she wound her way through her territory, finally settling her lithesome body along the fallen over trunk of a dead tree, closing her eyes to us for a nap. It’s a morning I’ll never forget and I hope that you will have the same opportunity one day soon.
Interesting turn of events. Is there anything that’s happened at the neighbor’s that may be pushing her westward?
I do wonder if, in addition to ceding a portion of her territory to the Ngungwe Female, that she has been raising a male cub (the n0w-named Matumi Male) further east is the reason for her prolonged absence from Londolozi soil. While the Maxims Male is a prospective father of the Matumi Male, the Flat Rock Male also believes himself to be the father of the cub (they’ve been seen together numerous times). Perhaps she felt he was most secure that side?