As winter continues to cast its golden light across the Londolozi landscape, the bush comes alive in a way that only this season can bring. With crisp mornings giving way to sun-drenched afternoons, wildlife sightings have been nothing short of spectacular.
A highlight of the week has undoubtedly been the activity at one of the hyena dens, where two tiny, inquisitive cubs have begun emerging more regularly, and the clan adults often seek refuge on the cold morning on the airstrip.
The Three Rivers female and her daughter continue to provide spectacular sightings, especially now that they are being found more often together. The Ngungwe female remains somewhat elusive on the northern banks of the river as she continues to raise her youngster. The Nkoveni female and the Nkoveni Young male roam around the central parts of Londolozi, but sightings of them together are becoming more and more scarce.
The ever-shifting dynamics of the lion population have taken an interesting turn as both the Nkuhuma and Talamati males push further eastward, their movements raising questions about future territorial shifts. While the Kambula sub-adults continue to cover great distances during the night.
Among the big cats, a cheetah sighting this week brought a rush of excitement, as the graceful predator used the open crests to survey for prey.
Elephants have been abundant, moving through the woodlands and riverbeds in slow, purposeful herds. Down at the waterholes, hippos lazed in the midday sun, while birdlife added splashes of colour to the already vibrant scenes. During dry months, the waterholes are a great place to find animals as they seek out the water during these drier months.
Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Enjoy This Week in Pictures…
Silhouetted by the morning sunrise, the adults from the hyena clan den close to our camps rest on the airstrip before sunrise.
One of the older hyena cubs rests on its paw as the smaller cubs fight over a piece of food.
The newest additions have certainly been holding their own with the older litters at their den.
A highlight one afternoon was coming across this newborn elephant calf, which must have been born earlier that day- still very wobbly on its feet, it remained close to mom.
After chasing away the Styx Male, these two males have been seen deep in the Ndhzenga males’ territory, with sightings of them chasing off the Kambula sub-adults as they push eastwards. Backlit on a cold winter’s morning, you can see their breath after they announced their presence in the southeastern part of the reserve with a roar.
The Talamati male (left) and the Nkuhuma male (right) pause for a moment before they continue to head eastwards into the Ndzhenga males’ territory.
We were watching this musth elephant bull as we approached a waterhole. Suddenly, he seemed unnerved by a nearby breeding herd behind us. He opened his ears and lifted up his head to make himself as big as possible.
During the cooler winter days, this pod of hippos can often be seen on the banks of a waterhole during the day. As we arrived, a crocodile spooked them (bottom left), and they all went rushing into the waterhole.
The Ngungwe female watches hyenas finish off the remains of her kill from the safety of a jackalberry tree. Her youthful pink nose always adds great colour when photographing her.
Born 2020 during lockdown to Piccadilly Female. Once skittish, now confident mother denning her first litter in Marthly's rocky terrain.
The full-bellied male cheetah spent most of the afternoon sleeping in the shade of a tree. For a brief moment, he got up turned back towards us before settling once more in the long grass.
The captivating bull of the Helmeted Guineafowl and the white spots on its feathers always fascinate me.
The Nkoveni female in the soft afternoon winter light.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
The Nkoveni young male rests on a termite mound not far from where we found his mother.
This young elephant negotiated this branch along the banks of the Sand River.
The Three Rivers young female stops on a fallen leadwood and surveys her surroundings.
A usual find on a winter’s afternoon, this chameleon was crossing the road in front of us. With its rotating eye, it looked back at us before finding safety in a nearby bush.
This klipspringer scanned the surrounding land from a high vantage point on the koppie.
A glint of sunlight captures the green eyes of the Three Rivers female.
Forced into early independence at 11 months. Despite her small size, she's proven resilient, currently raising a cub in SE Londolozi.
During the winter days, buffalo move in huge herds in search of water. We came around the corner to find the herd emerging from the thicker area. This herd was about 600 buffalo in total.
A group of dwarf mongoose pop their heads out of their burrow to soak up the morning sun.
The Kambula sub-adults in the morning sun after they had finished the remains of an impala.
The less common Black Stork is looking for prey in the shallows of this waterhole.
A lot of beautiful photos – thank you for sharing.
The chameleon eye photo is very unique!
Lovely TWIP Kirst, thank you. The images of the Nkoveni young male and Three Rivers young female are gorgeous. I also have a soft spot for the dwarf mongooses, always so curious and busy!
A week of wonderful sightings, Kirst! Loved the black stork – I’ve never seen one. And the cheetah looking over his shoulder is iconic. But that hyena youngster resting his head on his paws is too sweet!
So many great photos but the elephant calf was the winner for me : )
Thanks, Kirst, for the beautiful photos of this week.
The Nkoveni young male looks so perfectly beautiful.
My favourite photo is probably the one of the dwarf mongoose family. Such lovely photo and the light really perfect.
However, another favourite is the one of the hippos dashing into the water. They look so harmless and friendly though I wouldn’t like to meet any of them on foot. The close-up of the chameleon is fantastic, too.
Well, all of them are great
Hi Kirst, I was thinking over your pictures, as they are so fabulous, full of great subjects and shades of colours, when I received a short video of your starry sky. I was breathless. It is definitely what I would love to see, and then I went back to the pictures. They impressed my mind in different ways, say, the Nkoveni Female is an iconic beauty, like those paintings that will last forever; the Three Rivers female is gorgeous and her daughter has maintained that soft look; the cheetah is absolutely a top picture, the way he turns to look at you, a living statue, so stunning, as lions are as well… but hippos hurrying up into the water because of a semi-hidden crocodile (what happened? Were they alarmed by a signal of the crocodile?) And the buffalo herd, I’d feel a shiver down my spine while staying among so many impressive animals looking at me! The elephant bull in musth exhibiting a menacing pose is absolutely a top view, on on the opposite side the adorable newborn calf! The chameleon made me smile, the guineafowl is a bird I particularly like too… the perfect picture of the exquisite klipspringer and the equally perfect Ngungwe female on the jackalberry tree and the predatory look of the Nkoveni young male, so alike but so different in expression to hid mother, perfectly close the series. Really to be remembered
I thoroughly enjoyed your TWIP Kirsten for its variety of images. I do have a few favorites beginning with those adorable dwarf mongooses, enjoying the early morning sunshine, followed by the watchful eye of the chameleon, a personal favorite. It’s not often we see a Klipspringer and you captured this one perfectly, including the view of its unique hooves, and then there are your heartwarming images of the newborn elephant and the feisty hyena pup. Two other favorites are the subadults of Nkoveni and Three Rivers – these two photos illustrate the difference in size between this male and female as they’re on their way to independence.
Hi Kirst, oh such beautiful images of the wild animals of Londolozi. My favorite this week is the Nkoveni young male. His mother is one of my all time favorites with the Three Rivers female with their cubs. Loved the little elephant calf, so very precious.
Kirst, thanks for the great post with so many great shots! We especially liked the one of the Three Rivers young female on the leadwood!