Out here in the heart of Londolozi, a young male leopard is starting to make his presence known. The Nkoveni Young Male, now nearing independence, is growing fast—not just in size, but in attitude—and he’s beginning to push boundaries, both with his mother and with other leopards in the area.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve watched him grow—not just in size, but in confidence, dominance, and a presence that demands attention. Each sighting reveals a new facet of his character: bolder, stronger, more relentless. He is no ordinary cub. We are beginning to take notice.
The Nkoveni Female—his mother, his teacher, his first protector—now has her paws full and finds herself tested. Her once-submissive son, who used to tuck himself against her belly in the shadows of a thicket, now growling lowly as he shields his prize from the very leopard who taught him to hunt, or even killed it. A role reversal, yes—but perhaps also a glimpse of the formidable male he is becoming.
The young make growls at mom while trying to protect his kill.
It’s not uncommon for leopard cubs to feed first on a kill, particularly males. But what we’re seeing here goes a step further. This young male doesn’t just feed—he dominates. Even his mother, a large and experienced leopard in her prime, is denied a meal unless she fights for scraps or steals back what she can. I’ve watched her snarl in frustration, attempting to assert herself, only to be driven off by her own offspring.
The Nkoveni Female looks up at the male cub who is growling at her, and she gives a warning growl in return.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
Perhaps most astonishing was a recent encounter with the Maxims Male—the father of this bold young prince. In a scene I would scarcely believe had I not witnessed it myself, the cub stood his ground, clutching a kill and fending off his father with deep, fierce growls far beyond his youth. The Maxims Male, rather than challenge him directly, turned his attention to the Nkoveni Female instead, chasing her off and claiming the leg she had managed to salvage.
After hearing all the commotion the Maxim’s Male joins the scene. He was greeted by a fierce young son who was showing no signs of giving up his kill to his dad. The Maxim’s Male then decides to chase off the Nkoveni Female instead and feed on the leg she managed to steal back.
Dominant since 2019. Once skittish Kruger-born giant now rules vast territory, transforming from elusive presence to formidable force.
It was a scene rich with symbolism. The young male, poised at the cusp of independence, is asserting dominance not just over his mother, but over his father too. The Nkoveni Female, her sacrifices rendered invisible in the eyes of those she fed, left to watch from the shadows.
The Nkoveni Female waits patiently for the young male to finish feeding.
The Nkoveni Female eventually runs up to where the male and kill is to try and get a piece of the kill.
The Nkoveni Female finally had enough and they fought over the kill.
Over the past few weeks, on at least three separate occasions, I’ve watched them “share” a kill. I use that word lightly, though. What I really saw was the Nkoveni Female surrendering her hard-earned prize to her son, who had little interest in sharing anything.
After a dispute with his mother over the kill, the Nkoveni young male manages to steal the majority of the kill. He decided it would be wise to run down the tree with the portion of the kill and re-hoist it in a nearby tree.
And yet, still, she hunts. She waits. She calls.
Her patience is extraordinary. I’ve watched her spend days stalking prey with relentless focus, only to drag a carcass into cover and begin the exhausting task of tracking down her cub. Sometimes it takes hours. Sometimes kilometres. Always, she leads him back—exposing herself to danger, drawing unwanted attention, all in the name of feeding her son.
And yet, despite all of this, when they finally reached the kill, the young male would run ahead, claim the carcass, and either hoist it up higher into the branches or lie on it like a dragon hoarding treasure.
The Nkoveni Young Male lying right next to “his” kill so that mom can not come near it.
The Nkoveni Young Male guards “his” kill by lying on it and watching his mother’s every move, ensuring she does not come near.
The Nkoveni Female would try to get close, only to be met with growls and defensive snarls. The only time she could sneak a bite was after a tug of war, often managing to tear off a leg or a scrap.
This isn’t typical. Male cubs do grow possessive over kills, especially as they approach independence, but they usually allow their mothers to feed once they’ve had their fill. What we’re seeing from the Nkoveni Young Male is different. His reluctance to share, even with the leopard who has given him everything, is a rare and telling insight into the strength of his emerging character. This type of behaviour is seen often with dominant mature males when they steal kills from females or younger males.
The Nkoveni Female and Young Male feed on the same kill.
Once, I witnessed something extraordinary. Mother and son feeding side by side. Not peacefully, but together. A shared meal between leopards is uncommon, particularly when one is a dominant male in the making.
The Nkoveni Female continues to provide. She continues to guide. And in doing so, she exemplifies a mother’s ultimate sacrifice: not just the kill, not just the energy expended, but the quiet surrender of her place at the table so her cub may grow stronger.
What does this mean for his future?
The bush whispers possibilities. Will he carve out a territory sooner than expected? Will his confidence give him an edge when he disperses, venturing into lands unknown, where he must fight for a claim of his own? Or will his boldness bring him into conflict too soon, with rivals more seasoned and less forgiving?
We don’t know yet.
But one thing is certain: the story of the Nkoveni Young Male is just beginning. If these early chapters are anything to go by, it won’t be a quiet one.
He is a force to be reckoned with.
And the wild is watching.
I hope she stops feeding her son first, take him some after she eats. I do wish that the wild wasn’t so cruel
Thank you Jess. He’s certainly changed from the playful 10 month old cub we saw in November. Nkoveni really is incredibly patient- we remember watching her daughters Xinkhova and Stone Drift playing together when they were a year
old, chasing one another around a dead knobthorn. They were having an absolute ball, while their mother was busy hunting to feed 3 mouths!
Great blog, Jess! Still relishing our times with both of them!
So unappreciative!! Ha! This is a jokingly common saying my son and I have with each other 😉 What mothers do for their kids is boundless!
In most cases, indeed! How right you are.
Hi Jess, the Nkoveni f has provided for her progeny in an extremely dedicated way, she fought for them almost to death and give them anything. I ask to myself what would happen if his sister would still be alive… she’d probably had to hunt another prey with her mother… he’s clearly trying to assess his dominance over all leopards he meets. Who knows what would happen if he met an adult, non-relative large male…. as we had seen with the Ntomi male, these individuals tend to go a step further. What happened if they met? Nothing good likely… anyway, he will become someone in the leopard kingdom if he doesn’t clash with the wrong one, and his mother will remain one of the best and most special leopards in the area and the world. I’m thinking of the Ximungwe female and her cub too…
This is becoming such an interesting story. Watching this unfold. But. By the looks of it. We are gona have a new boss on the block. Having such good genes will undoubtedly help him in his quest for dominance. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
Super blog Jess, thank you. Amazing to see how he has grown and developed since we saw him and his now deceased siblings. Nature is not kind, but a mother’s instinct trumps everything! Looking forward to hearing more about him as he becomes independent.
Thank you, very well written
Great story.
He is an impressive leopard. The Nkoveni has done well in protecting and providing for him
What a fascinating development. It’s hard not to anthropomorphize and read into how this behavior is mirroring entitlement and bullying in our own species at the moment, but let’s take it for what it is: a young leopard learning how to be an adult and pushing the boundaries like a proper teenager. Perhaps this attitude will find him pushed into independence sooner than most other male cubs? It seems likely to bode well for him, assuming he doesn’t get too confident with territorial males besides his father. I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.
Thanks Jess. Keep us posted ..! Hope his boldness doesn’t cost him his life. Interesting to see/read how this story will develop.
What a wonderfully written and interesting blog, Jess.
This young male really seems to be quite a character. When I saw him last year, still with his sister, he was also the first one on a kill, hidden away by mom in some bushes. She and the sister were waiting patiently till the “prince” had done with his meal. I thought at the time how much bigger he already was compared to the female cub.
Well, obviously he has grown a lot and become a fearless young male.
I am looking forward to hearing more about him and his mother.
Quite a story, well-told, Jess! He seems to have acquired some strong genes, not surprising given who his parents are! His future will be fascinating, I suspect.
Superb story and images
Terrific blog Jess! Given the lineage of the young Nkoveni male, he certainly possesses the genetic tools to become a powerful leopard. You mentioned that Nkoveni regularly secures a meal and then calls or seeks out her son to share the meal, but now that he is so strong, with a voracious appetite, I would think she would eat some first and then share. It seems by now he should be hunting larger prey himself on a regular basis – we know he can do it. Let’s just hope he remembers where he fits in the current male leopard arena, as there are other older leopards lingering on the fringes of Londolozi, ready to carve a territory for themselves.
Great post and such insight into their behavior and relationship. Just a mirror image of a teenager and mom in so many ways.
Wonderful story.
Great photos and story! We saw him and his sister and mama last September in 2 different long sightings and enjoyed every minute of their movements and behaviors. This boy was quite the Mama’s Boy then, and stuck close by her side. He knew that his very survival and feeding was provided by Nkoveni and he has done extraordinarily well!
Great post Jess. I saw him a few times earlier this month and he is an impressive looking young male.