Autumn has settled gently over the African bush, bringing with it a welcome crispness to the air. As the landscape begins its quiet transformation, the light shifts, lower in the sky and tinged with warmth, it spills across the dry grasses and fallen leaves, casting long shadows and igniting colours that make every frame a masterpiece. For photographers, this season is pure magic – a time when the bush reveals its beauty in subtler, richer tones, and every game holds the promise of golden-hour perfection.
This Week In Pictures sees the Leopards of Londolozi taking centre stage with some remarkable sightings of some familiar faces. The Nkoveni Female and her ever-growing young male have been moving confidently through their territory, while the Three Rivers Female and her young daughter have been a constant presence in the heart of their territory. The Ximungwe Female’s young male cub is becoming increasingly comfortable and bold – an absolute joy to watch. And a personal first for me: a sighting of the Thamba Male patrolling the far western reaches of the reserve.
The Gijima Males made two noteworthy appearances – first poaching a buffalo carcass in the deep south, and not long after, were seen marching further north than ever before on Londolozi. The Tsalala Female continues to thrive, seemingly in search of mating opportunities in the northern stretches of the property. The Nkuhuma Pride has been a regular feature along the northern boundary, offering frequent sightings of the young males within the pride.
Despite all of this, it’s been the gentle giants – the elephants – that have truly captured my attention this week. They’ve graced the prominent waterholes with their presence, offering exceptional viewing as the bush begins to dry and the journey toward winter quietly begins.
This is easily one of my favourite times of the year to be in the bush – the golden light, the shifting patterns of wildlife movement, and the ever-changing palette of the land make it a paradise for photographers. I look forward to the coming weeks and months as the season unfolds further.
Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
The Tsalala Female pauses for a drink at the base of Ximpalapala Koppie after responding to the distant roars of the Plains Camp Males.
There are surely not many better feelings in the world than locking eyes with these mesmerising predators as they march directly towards you. The Ximungwe Female moves with purpose through an open clearing as she makes her way back toward her young male cub.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
A small herd of elephants stopping by Shingi Dam for a drink never fails to produce the most picturesque scenes.
The golden morning light just manages to catch the glinting amber coloured eyes of this beautiful elephant bull as he pauses to feed.
A flash of movement caught my eye as we were driving past when discovered this rather inquisitive Coqui Francolin scurrying from beneath the brush.
The most magical morning spent following the Three Rivers Female and the playful Young Female. Ranger Kelsey and Shadrack are enjoying the scene from a different perspective.
Forced into early independence at 11 months. Despite her small size, she's proven resilient, currently raising a cub in SE Londolozi.
Who is the true king of the African bush? The Black Dam Male needed very little convincing from this large elephant bull to make way for this giant of the bushveld.
Locked in a gaze with the Nkoveni Young Male in the soft light of the late afternoon. He continues to grow in both size and confidence, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this imposing young leopard.
The beastly Gijima Males march southwards after having ventured the furthest north on Londolozi’s land than ever before. What will the future hold for these formidable boys?
Shortly after stopping for coffee at Makhotini Dam, we were joined by some unexpected guests. What a privilege it was to safely enjoy the company of these giants from the other side of the waterhole.
The dark-maned Gijima Male stands proudly over the remains of his prized meal that he had stolen from the Styx Male and Kambula Breakaway Lioness.
I have recently been loving darker and more underexposed black and white edits. An afternoon spent with the Ximungwe Female provided ample opportunities to play around with these types of edits.
The vibrant colours of a White-fronted Bee-eater never fail to catch one’s eye whilst exploring on safari.
Gazing towards us, the Ximungwe Female pauses for a long drink at Tatowa Dam after having spent the entire day searching for her next meal.
Perhaps one of my favourite darker black and white edits, as the piercing afternoon light catches the Ximungwe Female as she quenches her thirst.
My first ever sighting of this rather large and seldom seen male. The Thamba Male confidently marches towards us as he sets off for his evening patrol.
The Thamba Male has been pushing further and further east towards our eastern boundary. What will the future hold for this impressive male and the ever-changing leopard dynamics on Londolozi?
I have always been so fascinated by the unique textures and patterns displayed by the moon during its different lunar phases. Here the moon is seen during waxing gibbous as it approaches its full moon state.
The Nkoveni Female provides the perfect opportunity for a walk by our vehicle during ‘golden hour’.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
A herd of Elephants graciously feed along the northern edge of the airstrip. The overcast conditions provided the perfect opportunity for a moody backdrop and black and white edit.
One of the Nkuhuma Young Males from the Nkuhuma Pride poses as he contemplates returning to the remains of the giraffe carcass that the pride had been feeding on. He is continuing to grow in both size and confidence, but how much longer will he remain with the pride before being forced out?
The Ximungwe Young Male rests along the sandy riverbed of the Tugwaan drainage. One of his major characteristics is his incredibly large ears that he will have to grow into one day. Here he was seen twitching his ears as he frustratingly attempted to get rid of the flies that were bothering him.
The Coqui francolin is perfectly framed and striking. But who wouldn’t select the Tsalala photo as #1?
Thank you, Willa. She certainly is a fan favourite!
Nice pictures! Has the Tsalala lioness been seen since she had an altercation with Ridge Nose Nkuhuma’s sub-adults? There are a lot of concerned fans.
Thank you, Lisa! Yes, she was seen this morning actually. She is alive and well and has a very full belly.
Thank you for the update. Can breathe now : )
The Thamba male looks as though he’s seen some battles. The first image of him caught my attention, as the fur on his ears made it look like he had two ears on each side of his head. Took my mind a second to sort that out. 😂 How wonderful to stop for a break and to be joined by elephants.
Thank you, Chelsea. He truly is a battle worn warrior of the bush!
Well, I decided this time I couldn’t choose a favourite, as there were many favourite subjects and light and shades playing, black and white lights, the moon and so on… until I saw the last one. Like the introduction it made me immediately smile, as you caught the cub in an absolutely perfect timing as he grims and seems almost smiling, with those big ears like a cartoon character. Just fantastic! I see the Three Rivers young female is still very attached to her mother… very nice gallery!
Thank you, Francesca. I am so pleased that you enjoyed viewing this collection as much as I did gathering it together!
My favorites are the Ximungwe Young Male rests along the sandy riverbed and the White-fronted Bee-eater
Hi Sandra! So lovely to hear from you! Those images were certainly up there with my favourites too! Looking forward to your next visit!
Reece, We love the B&W images – very cool! It was interesting to meet some new cats too! Where did the Gijima Males come from? Our favorite shot this week is the one of the Thamba Male – hoping to see him on our upcoming visit!
Hi Michael and Terri. I am so pleased that you enjoyed this TWIP. The Gijima Males come from the South (around Lion Sands/Sabi Sabi area). With the Thamba Male pushing further and further east I’ll be holding thumbs for you to see him.
My fav this week is the simply lively image of Nkoveni walking toward you in the golden light. Stunning! But the Ximungwe young male male me laugh – those ears!!
Thank you, Mary Beth. It is always to difficult to choose a favourite however, the Nkoveni Female and any cubs are never far from the top of the list.
Great photos this week Reece, especially your dramatic b/w which happen to be favorites of mine, especially in tricky light situations. My number one favorite course is the lovely Tsalala, looking good after her escape from the Nkuhumas. Your image of the large eared Ximungwe young male cub most likely is a clue to his future size, given his paternity, and the other siblings in his family tree. The Thamba male on patrol is also stunning I’ll look forward to more information about this new male on the property.
A wonderful collection of photos this week, Reece. I love that funny looking little chap, i.e. the Ximungwe’s young cub with his big ears. All the leopards are stunningly beautiful animals. And, wow, the young Three Rivers’ cub has grown, as big, or nearly as big as her mother. I also love especially the photo of the White-fronted Bee- eater; the colors of these birds are amazing, so beautiful! And the Coqui Francolin looks especially great in your photo.
Thanks again for sharing these photos.
Hi Christa. Thank you very much. I am so pleased that you enjoyed this TWIP!
And nearly forgotten: Great to see a photo of the Tsalala lioness again; and of all the other lions and the wonderful elephants. I love the photo of that majestic guy walking towards the lion. A real king of the savanna.
Hi Reece, I am very excited to see the Tsalala female again, my favorite lioness. My favorite for this WEEK’S TWIP is the young Ximungwe young male. Such a cutie and
I think he is going to just as stunning as his big brother the Ntomi male. All your photo’s this week is stunning Reece.
Thank you, Valmai. I am so glad that you enjoyed this week’s collection!
The Ximungwe Female coming at you is my fave this week…stunning! Then the following pic of the Ellies is next. The golden light of the season is quite spectacular all around! Love!
Thank you, Anita. It truly was a mesmerizing sight, having the Ximungwe Female waltz towards us. This time of the year is always stunning with the golden winter light – a photographers dream!
Reece, no words, your pictures are outstanding, all of them. The second Thamba male photo is just mesmerizing, he is stunning and I got goose bumps looking into his eyes.
The Ximungwe youngster is also amazing, oh my!
The bull elephant is one up on the lion, who really is king?
And I LOVE the bird, gorgeous little thing. Your work is so expressive and beautiful. I cannot wait to get back to Londolozi.
Thank you for your kind words, Belle. I had a lot of enjoyment collecting these images and I am so glad that you have thoroughly enjoyed them.
Dear Nick, cool pics , my favorite is the Ximungwe young male, looks funny.
So great to see Thamba coming back east from the western Sabi Sands! He is a fabulous big boy, with a storied lineage (Thandi-mother, and Tingana-father), and would be a welcome addition to the leopard population genetics of Londolozi!
Hi Lisa, I am so glad you enjoyed this TWIP. He truly is an impressive male. Hopefully, we will begin to see a lot more of him in the future.