There’s a rising tension building between the lions of Londolozi, and this week’s Virtual Safari captures it bubbling just beneath the surface.
We start with the striking appearance of two Gijima Males, moving through the heart of the reserve. What has brought the largest and most impressive lions this far into Londolozi?
Their presence steers them dangerously close to the last known location of the Ximungwe Female and her cub. Knowing the Ximungwe Female’s condition, we anxiously sit and wait hoping the lion doesn’t catch her by surprise.
But what happened next wasn’t what we expected.
Elsewhere, a different kind of threat emerged. A young male leopard entered the picture. Thankfully, the Nkoveni Young Male moved on without detecting the Ximungwe Female’s cub. But that afternoon, tensions rose even further when a completely unexpected and unexplainable interaction happened.
The wild has a way of keeping you on the edge of your seat. And this week, it certainly did.
Let us know in the comments what you think of these emerging lion dynamics.
Enjoy this week’s Virtual Safari.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
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Hi Sean, fantastic view of this Gjima lion, he is the image of the male lion that anyone dream of, really spectacular. The Ximungwe female and her incredible cub seem to be protected by an unknown force. First she was extremely quick and cunning in escaping the huge lion, secondly the most interesting part is the interaction between the Nkoveni Female and the Ximungwe cub. It appeared that she already tolerated well her sister and the cub when she was so severely injured- glad to see she’s improving so much!- she looked as if she recognised the cub in some way and , as it isn’t her own cub and she is still responsible for her own one, she plays some aggressive reaction but really, given that she is a ferocious female leopard, it’s a sort of a tolerance , the cub behaviour is the most interesting part as if he knew her well… after all the confine since years and are half sisters from the same mother. Genes count too… very captivating! And over the moon to see them all in prime condition!
Thank you, Francesca! You’ve beautifully captured the nuance of the situation. It really did feel like some mysterious force was watching over the Ximungwe cub—and that interaction with Nkoveni was full of quiet complexity. Nature always keeps us guessing!
This is such an amazing video, Sean! First, these two huge male lions. I tink, I agree with you that they are bigger than the Plains Camp males. In any case, they are really impressive. Londolozi seems to be teeming with lion coalitions. Very exciting!
Even more surprising is the encounter between the Nkoveni Female and the young cub of the Ximungwe Female. The little one was really lucky that she didn’t tear him to pieces. It is astonishing that he took her contact call for his mother’s, indeed. Thanks for showing in the video what the books theoretically have to say about leopards’ behaviour. How old, by the way is this cub now?
And when, do you think, will the Nkoveni young male get his own name? He is such an extremely beautiful young leopard; nearly fully independent of his mother, isn’t he?
Again a great video full of surprises.
Thanks so much, Christa! These lions truly are titans, and the leopard dynamics added such unexpected drama. The cub is around 11 months old now, and you’re right—the Nkoveni young male is becoming more independent. A name may not be far off!
The Gijima male certainly looks huge when you see him walking past the vehicle….are they both a similar size, and where are they from?
So the Ximungwe female’s cub had 3 narrow escapes! – the lion, the Nkoveni young male and then his mother. What a bizarre encounter that last one was, thank goodness it turned out OK.
Thanks, Suzanne! Yes, both Gijima males are impressively built—very similar in size. And you’re spot on—the cub really had a run of close calls that day. We’re all relieved it ended safely!
I think you may be right about the size of the two lions. The bigger of the Plains Camp males is just a bit smaller in comparison. As far as what happened with the cub, I can only guess that he and the Ximungwe female leopard are both meant to survive and live on.
Thanks, Mary! I agree, sometimes survival feels like more than just instinct and luck. The cub and his mother have both shown remarkable resilience.
Wow, it’s a good thing I persevered to find the virtual safari this morning as your stories and video were unbelievable – lions and leopards.
I’ve seen the Gijimas and they are two formidable partners and to be avoided by the other coalitions if they value their lives and/or limbs. Definitely there are altercations on the horizon if all these coalitions other than the Ndhzengas continue to traverse the property. But then, Ximungwe and her cub escaped disaster again. It was strange that the cub came running when he heard Nkoveni’s chuff, believing each mother has her own call that is recognized by her cub. I like to think she knew it was her sister’s cub but that’s a stretch. Your rationale makes more sense inasmuch as he didn’t run away from her. More worrisome was the Nkoveni subadult male running into the cub – that would’ve been a disaster. Terrific editing by the way of the lion action by the various contributors.
I’m so glad you found the video, Denise—thank you! The lion dynamics are heating up, and it’s definitely a tense time with all these coalitions on the move. The cub’s reaction to Nkoveni’s call was fascinating, and editing the lion sequence was a team effort!
Hi Sean, I am so pleased to see the Nkoveni female did not kill the Ximungwe cub. My thoughts is that the cub only knows his mother’s contact call and he thought that it is his mother calling him. My word but that is a huge beautiful lion, the Gijima males are bigger than the Plains Camp males which I thought originally are the biggest lions there. Oh I can see a huge confrontation happening pretty soon with all these lion dynamics unfolding on Londolozi. Fantastic video thanks Sean.
Thank you, Valmai! I also believe it was the cub’s innocent response that prevented aggression. And yes, the Gijima males are truly imposing—it’ll be interesting to see how things play out in the coming weeks.
OMG!!! So glad fellow mom leopard let the little one be…tho I know that’s not normal…I think you are right that it was the demeanor of the cub that saved his life…which bodes well for future him I think! But also think those Plains Camp males are pretty impressive so not sure it those other big boys are a huge challenge! Excitement continues!
It was a relief to see things end well! That little cub showed a surprising amount of calm, which may bode well for his future. And yes, the lion competition is getting fierce!
The Gijima males are truly massive! They look Bigger than the Plains Camp males and the N’zenge’s.
I was particularly intrigued by the leopard’s behavior. I know the guideline on how leopards react to unfamiliar cubs was proven wrong, but this interaction still doesn’t make sense. I’ve been wondering if female leopards always kill unfamiliar young, or if they sometimes “steal” them when encountered. Aside from the cub not running away initially, could it be that the cub had a familiar scent?
I love it when nature throws a curve ball, and I’m so glad the cub survived the ordeal!
Thanks, Gawie! You’re absolutely right, this was one of those curve balls that reminds us how much more there is to learn. The idea of scent familiarity is definitely possible. Fascinating dynamics all round!
The Gijima males are certainly very handsome and impressive. Are they dominant over a pride currently, or looking for one? I can’t believe the Nkoveni female didn’t kill that cub, but I’m so glad she didn’t! That interaction reminded me of being in a crowd as a kid and reaching for my mom’s hand only to realize it was a stranger. 😂 The Ximungwe female has done so well to continue to provide for her cub while healing from her injury, and it would be tragic to lose it now. Perhaps the Nkoveni female didn’t feel particularly threatened by it since her own cub is older and wasn’t with her. Who knows?
They are handsome males that currently cover the Msuthu Pride in the south. We don’t see them too often but they could be looking to expand their territory.
Your memory of grabbing a stranger is exactly what it looked like with the Ximungwe Female’s cub.
Wow Sean! Unpredictable is an understatement! How amazing to see the cub survive running up to Nkoveni! Maybe the cub was confused, but seemed fearless too! Loved seeing the massive male lion too!!
It was so amazing that the cub managed to survive. What a tense moment.