The story of the Three Rivers Female leopard has long captivated us. From her early days as the cub of the Xidulu Female to the way she carved out a territory along the Sand River and further south on our reserve, her journey has been marked by independence and resilience. Now, a new chapter is unfolding—not just for her, but for her daughter, who has reached a critical turning point in the life of a young leopardess. What is next for these two leopards?
The then Xidulu Young Female left (now Three Rivers Female) and the Xidulu Young Male right (now deceased) in a marula tree.
Though leopards are solitary by nature, we have had the privilege of observing the Three Rivers Female and her daughter together frequently in recent months. Often, their reunions are centred around kills—typically a sure sign that the young female is still benefiting from her mother’s experience and provisioning. But the signs of separation are unmistakable.
Side by side, the Three Rivers Female and her daughter stop to drink at a water hole.
Despite the close proximity, their interactions were tinged with the shifting tides of leopard behaviour—less grooming, more tolerance than affection.
A Coming-of-Age in a Contested Landscape
Territory is the currency of survival for a leopard, and the Three Rivers Female’s domain sits at a natural crossroads. To the north lies the territory of the Nkoveni Female; to the west, the Ximungwe Female; and to the north-east, the younger Xinkhova Female has been encroaching. To the south is the Ndzanzeni Female range. Meanwhile, the eastern area, formerly held by the Island Female (now deceased), is seeing increased activity from the New Rocks Female and Stone Drift Female.
This area is not easily yielded. So, what will become of these two females, and where will they establish themselves?
As the young female grows in confidence and capability, we can expect her to begin exploring the peripheries of her mother’s range, tentatively laying the foundation of her own territory. Typically, a female cub may remain within or near her mother’s territory, establishing a range that overlaps slightly, if the territorial dynamics allow.
The question now is whether the Three Rivers Female will cede a portion of her land to her daughter. We’ve already seen her spending more time in the central parts of the reserve, almost as if creating space. However, territorial pressures from neighbouring females may complicate this. The young female may instead be pushed eastward, toward the far bank of the Sand River—an area less densely populated in recent months, especially following the passing of the Island Female.
What Lies Ahead?
The eventual parting between the Three Rivers female and her daughter is inevitable. It could happen over the next few months or extend into the following year, depending on food availability, pressure from other leopards, and the daughter’s success in asserting herself. We’ll likely still see the occasional sighting of them together—especially if there are kills to share—but true independence is coming.
And with independence comes risk.
The Three Rivers young female cub smells the under-side of a fallen over tree creating a unique photo. The Three Rivers female may have scent marked on this tree which is what the young female is smelling.
The young female will face challenges: defending her meals from hyenas, avoiding dominant males, and learning the subtleties of marking and patrolling a territory. These trials, however daunting, are the same that shaped her mother into the leopard we admire today.
The Three Rivers Young Female gazes up into a schotia tree where she found the young impala lamb her mother had caught and hoisted for here to find.
A Legacy in Motion
Watching the Three Rivers Female’s daughter ascend into adulthood is both thrilling and bittersweet. She carries with her the legacy of her lineage—one of Londolozi’s most well-documented leopard bloodlines—and the hope of a future matriarch.
We’ll be watching closely as this young leopard steps out of her mother’s shadow and into her own story.
The Three Rivers Young Female stalked and then pounced on her mother as they walked along the road.
This type of play is important for the young female to practice her hunting skills.
Hi Kirst, after a troubled morning I found your blog edition and was elated! So nice to read news on these two survivors, each in her own way… the young leopard looks like a mixture of her parents. She’s always so funny, young males at a certain age look more serious and aggressive, the Hosana male being an exception, girls are often more playful and she’s a real entertaining girl to watch! It’s excellent that she’s reaching out to independence… although a bit bittersweet as you said, it was so sweet when she kept so close and attached to her mum. Her mother deserves a success. I do hope all the best for this young lady and thank you hearty for making my day with these absolutely beautiful, lovely images!
Hi Kirst, such beautiful photo’s of the young female. The Three Rivers female deserves the best, her cub is so cute and full of energy. Let’s hope the young female will stay near her mom and have a piece of her mom’ territory. There are so many females all around Three Rivers female’s territory, I truly hope there will be place for the young female. One of these days she should be getting her rightful name.
I’m so happy to see a story and images of these 2 beautiful leopards. When we visited Londolozi last September the stunning Three Rivers Female and her cub were the first leopards we saw. What a treat and what a bond they clearly had. So happy to see them both doing so well and look forward to more stories to come. Curious as to around what age the young leopards receive their own names?
So wonderful to see the cub growing stronger, more curious, and able. She was so little last September. And, I look forward to her name and seeing her next year. And, while movement and territory change is inevitable, I hope the Three Rivers Female stays on Londo land and doesn’t head east across the river.
These two, mother and daughter were or are such a nice couple. I was so privileged to watch them together when the young female was still a cub. So lovely and playful. Now the time has obviously come for her to become fully independent. I do hope for this lovely leopard that she will stay somewhere in the vicinity of her mother respectively at Londolozi. Would be great to watch a new generation of this great line to emerge. And the Three Rivers female might have another litter after her daughter being independent, I guess.
And thanks a lot for this beautiful blog on them.
Thanks for including the striking photos of these two leopards along with your insightful blog. Three Rivers did a great job raising Nsuku to independence and it appears that her daughter will separate from her as easily when the time is right. Perhaps she will stay with her mother a bit longer than is typical due to her slow start as a cub when she wasn’t eating much. She’s definitely robust now and has grown from a playful cub into a beautiful sub adult. The map you provided is helpful when identifying their territories and I was surprised to see Jacana in the southwest area, given there hasn’t been much news about her. I remember her being very skittish when I saw her on the reserve to your south. So now, only time will tell when this subadult will reach independence and make her own way in this already crowded area. Fingers crossed she will be strong and smart enough to survive.
Such a fun blog, Kirst! It enabled me to reminisce about seeing the Three Rivers female as a young cub, wrestling with her handsome brother while Xidulu was off hunting. And recall our sighting last Spring of both mother and daughter, Three Rivers contact calling her cub to feed on a stashed kill. Your photos are smashing, especially the pouncing shot! Thanks for sharing.
It would be so wonderful for the Three Rivers Young Female to establish territory of her own and continue her lineage. The Three Rivers female has had a tough go of it, and I would love to see her become a grandmother to her daughter’s future cubs one day.
Hi Kirst, I haven’t had the good fortune, so to speak, of keeping up with the leopard history on Londolozi. You’ve mentioned several leopards in this post about who’s passing I would like details in order to understand more of the lives of their progeny. How did the Xidulu Female die, and what of her son, the Three Rivers Females brother? Also, what happened to the Island Female and how old was she? Would you please share these facts with me? I apologize if the memory of any one of them affects you negatively in any way.