We embarked on an afternoon game drive with eager anticipation. Our mission was to head down into the south eastern past of the reserve to track and find a leopard. Each moment was charged with the promise of discovery. But as the hours passed, the excitement gave way to quiet contemplation. Not a single track, not a single sound nor rustle just the distant calls of other wildlife to accompany our afternoon. Yet, as the sun dipped lower into the horizon, painting the sky with hues of amber and mauve, we decided to pause, to breathe in the serenity of our surroundings, and to share the timeless tradition of a sundowner drink. It was a moment to savour the beauty that Londolozi has to offer, to acknowledge the day’s efforts, and to reconcile with the possibility of the darkness of the night bringing us some fortune as we began our journey back towards camp.
No better way to end off a day in the bush than sharing a Gin and Tonic whilst enjoying the sunset.
As we meandered our was around the southern side of Shingi Dam, we were greeted by the sounds of splashing water, rustling vegetation and the unmistakable grumble of a herd of elephants navigating the waters edge. We took a moment to stop and listen as all we could see the silhouetted figures of the elephants moving around the vehicle.
As we sat there enjoying the serenity of the scene and reflecting on what had been a relatively quiet afternoon in the bush, the silence soon broke…
Tracker, Geshom, broke out in a soft giggle, which grabbed all of our attention. “What is it, Gesh?” I asked.
Cheekily and with a big grin, he replied with “You won’t believe it… I’ll give you two minutes to find the leopard!”
He sat back and waited for us to scan the surroundings. To no avail, we could not see what Gesh had seen. However, it turns out that we were not the only ones enjoying watching the herd of elephants. Gesh slowly shifted in the direction of the Leopard. “There it is! What an unbelievable spot!” Out of the corner of our eyes, there the silhouetted figure of the Nkoveni Young Male lay perched along the branch of a marula tree.
Sunsets and Silhouettes. The iconic figure of a leopard perched along the branch of a marula tree never fails to get the heart racing.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
He too watched on as the elephants passed beneath the base of the tree. A safe spot to remain undetected by the herd, but also a fantastic vantage point to plan his next move as the cover of darkness began to set in.
Approaching 17 months old, the Nkoveni Young Male is beginning to spend increasingly more time alone and away from his mother, who seems to be venturing into new areas in an attempt to expand her territory. Although he is still a little bit away from becoming fully independent, it has been incredible to watch this young male grow in both size and confidence.
A Ghost of the Night.
The Nkoevni Young Male pauses for a moment, planning his next move.
It was not long after the elephants had moved off before the young male began to yawn, groom and stretch. A clear sign that he was about to get moving and set off to explore his ‘territory’ under the cover of darkness. This gave us the perfect opportunity to practice some of our nighttime and spotlight photography. Needless to say, the Nkoveni Young Male did not disappoint, providing us with some spectacular viewing as he ascended a fallen dead leadwood tree. A photographer’s dream!
There is something about viewing a leopard at night under a spotlight as the golden beam of light just complements their mesmerisingly golden coats so well.
Poised to perfection. Viewing a leopard in a dead leadwood tree is a ‘Bucket list’ sighting for any safari-goer.
We noticed that as he climbed higher up the fallen tree, his attention was laser-focused on something… but what was it? The surrounding vegetation made it difficult to see what he was so intent on keeping his eyes on. Not long after, the eerie reflection of two sets of eyes appeared from the darkness.
By seeking out vantage points, leopards will not only scan their surroundings for potential hunting opportunities but also for any potential threats that may be around them. In this case, two approaching hyenas.
The young male’s eyes locked onto the two hyenas who were heading straight in our direction. The young male swiftly and without a sound ascended to the higher of the two branches of the fallen over Leadwood tree. Although the hyenas would not have posed much of a threat to him, it seemed as if he did not feel like having to deal with the antics of the two scavengers. Climbing a little higher would have just taken him out of their reach, and perhaps been able to remain completely undetected.
Looking up towards the higher of the Leadwood’s branches, the young male carefully planned his ascent. Meticulously, he scaled the branches without a sound.
The Nkoveni Young Male watches over the two hyenas from his newly chosen point of sanctuary.
Nighttime photography in the bush offers a unique opportunity to capture wildlife in a completely different way. Over and above simply enjoying observing wildlife under such foreign conditions, the spotlight creates a whole new dynamic for photographers. Using a spotlight allows photographers to control how the scene is lit, creating dramatic contrasts and highlighting specific features. By changing the angle of the light, you can emphasise texture, shape, and detail that might not be visible during the day. This provides the opportunity to capture images that show the bush in a whole new light.
The Nkoveni Young Male watched on as the hyenas sauntered off, and this provided us with the perfect opportunity to play around with different angles of light. Thanks to Ranger Dean and Tracker Trevor, we took turns illuminating the scene, allowing everyone to capture the young male posing atop the Leadwood’s branches.
Thanks to the spotlight of Ranger Dean and Tracker Trevor, we managed to capture a mesmerizing side lit view of the Nkoveni Young Male as he watches the hyenas vacate the base of the Leadwood tree.
Perhaps one of my favourite images I have ever managed to capture. Spotlight photography can usually be quite tricky as it requires a lot of juggling between camera settings, angles of light, position of the subject and the surrounding vegetation. However, everything seemed to fall into place in this moment.
A black and white edit of the above image has me torn between which one I prefer. Black and white nighttime photography adds a very mysterious element to the very secretive and nocturnal world of the bush. Dramatic and powerful – A picture is worth 1000 words.
Shortly after the hyenas had moved off, the young male descended the tree and continued on his mission into the darkness. Still awe-struck at what we had just had the privilege of witnessing, we decided to leave the Nkoveni Young Male be as he continued on his way. We started heading back to camp, where we could celebrate with a drink at the bar.
It was a sighting that I will never forget, and it serves as a stark reminder that you never know what you will find around the next corner.
I have a thing – call it a tactic / strategy that i practice that have brought many beautiful sights. Once at a sighting i will always and intentionally look the other/ opposite direction. This story reminds me of that.
Thank you for the share – the leopard illuminated by the spotlight is beautiful.
Lovely photos , and as you scroll down each photo gets better and better
Those side lit images at the end are spectacular! I’m thankful Gresham spotted him and you were all able to enjoy such an incredible sighting (and share it with the rest of us).
Simply superb. An unbelievable beautiful picture gallery of this handsome male, who embodies the Suset Bend legacy and his mother’s special features. The first picture of the night silhouette in the darkness caught me more than else, maybe because true leopardity still exists and thrives in some unique natural typical environment…
Perfect photos, Reece.
It really all depends on how the spotlight falls onto the target and illuminates it in a perfect way; not too shiny, otherwise the photo will be spoiled.
Hi Reece your images of the Nkoveni male leopard is extraordinary. Taking photos at night is very tricky and takes time to get it right. With the spotlight on the leopard sitting in the tree, makes such a beautiful photo. Black and white photo are also fantastic. I am still learning to take photos at night and it is really difficult.
Truly a special sighting, Reece! He is sure maturing into a savvy, handsome male leopard. Great photos, too!
The last few pics are amazing!
It’s so true Reece, just when you think your quiet afternoon drive is ending after the sundowner stop, a phenomenal sighting will happen when you least expect it. Your images of the Nkoveni young male are fantastic, especially the ones you converted to b/w.
What a spectacular sighting, Reece and well done to Geshom for the spot!
I wonder if Nkoveni is expanding her usual territory to familiarise her son with other areas. As it’s the 1st time she’s brought a male towards independence, maybe she’s encouraging him to move away?
Great shots in the night, it is interesting how different the leopard looks
Thanks Reece for sharing your thrill with us!! Stunning photos too!!
Wow! that last photo of him in the curve of the tree……gorgeous!
Wow! What an incredible sighting that must have been!! I love Geshs’ game – who will find it fist? He had us play it too when we saw the cheetahs 🧡 You captured some absolutely stunning shots, Reece. Well done and thanks for sharing such a great story.
Reece, Thanks for the spectacular images! It is tricky to get everything right with the spotlights and you pulled off the setup perfectly. The side lit one where you can see his eye is now in our “favorites”! Bravo! We pitched the name Tsakani (brings happiness in Shangaan) for his name!
Fabulous photos! It is great to see the Nkoveni young male doing so well!