Just over two months ago, the Ximungwe Female leopard appeared to be in serious trouble. An injury to her front left leg had rendered it virtually unusable, and she was unable to place any weight on it. Watching her limp through the bush with a dangling limb was painful, not just for what it meant for her, but also for her seven-month-old cub, who was still very much dependent on her for its survival at the time.
An image of her about 2 months ago with a very swollen and injured front left leg.
For weeks, it has felt like rangers and trackers have held their breath. Her future felt uncertain, and with it, her cub’s.
But as the bush so often reminds us, resilience is woven into every thread of life out here. It is present in the soil, the trees, the shifting light, and the quiet determination of animals like her.
In the past few days, we’ve been fortunate to spend some time with both the Ximungwe Female and her cub again, and what we’ve witnessed has left us quietly in awe.
A few afternoons ago, we set out on a long tracking mission. Her tracks wound through bushwillow and guarri thickets, rocky riverbeds, tamboti groves and around a few pans. We followed them patiently. Hours passed. We looped and backtracked, picked up fresh signs, paused to listen, then carried on. But as the light began to fade and the bush turned to silhouette, we realised we would have to return the following day and try again.
And thankfully, we did.
The next morning, with the air still cool and a soft breeze carrying that classic smell of the African bush, we found them. The Ximungwe Female and her cub were perched in a large tamboti tree with a Grey Duiker carcass hoisted securely in the fork above. Both she and the cub looked well-fed and completely at ease.
It was the first time I had seen the Ximungwe Female in a few weeks, and I couldn’t help but watch her closely. To my amazement, she moved up and down the tree with complete ease. She was fluid and sure-footed, her movements graceful and powerful. No limp. No hesitation. It was incredibly heartwarming to witness.
She has made a remarkable recovery. More than that, she has stunned us all.
As if to prove her success further, the very next day, we were with them again. This time they were feeding on yet another duiker carcass, hoisted high in the limbs of a Schotia tree nearly two kilometres from where they had been the previous morning. Two kills in two days. It was an extraordinary testament to her ability, her resilience, and her success as a mother and a hunter.
Although she may not be completely healed, and there might still be some residual tenderness we cannot see, she is as close to her normal self as we could possibly hope for. To see her thriving again, moving freely and being able to provide successfully for her cub has been one of the most rewarding and emotional experiences of this winter season for me.
The Ximungwe Female’s male cub. His future once again looks bright.
I’ll do my best to share another update soon as we continue to follow their journey. For now, it is enough to know that they are doing well, and that nature — as it so often does — has once again reminded us of its strength, its patience, and its ability to quietly overcome.
Thanks, Matt. I for one will be looking forward to see more of both of them. I am so relieved that they are doing well.
Hers has been akin incredible story to follow along with this year. I’m so relived she has healed while still caring for her cub.
aah Matt, our hearts are so very happy to hear this news. Thank you.
Yeay, it’s another Ximungwe and cub’s day! Hi Matt, fantastic news! They are sooo gorgeous, she’s the perfect leopard… the cub inherited her amazing eye shape, he doesn’t look that much like the Maxim’s male … even if the young Nkoveni male looks more like his mother you can see some similarities to his father’s. Maybe the Ximungwe cub is son to the Mawelawela male… anyway, he’s a real charm, and the picture of the two of them crisscrossing their tails is priceless. I’m soo happy for the duo! Thanks!
Matt, Chuck and I were so happy to read your update. We have been worrying about those two beautiful leopards since we learned of her injury. The bush is a miraculous place, at times.
We weren’t surprised that you were able to find her, despite the first long and fruitless attempt. You and Terrence are an unbeatable team.
So happy about this really, really good news. Much thanks.
Thank you for this great update on the Ximungwe female and her cub.
Wonderful news!
Thanks, Matt for this wonderful update. To see her and her cub so well fed and able to catch prey and hoist it up into trees, is such good news. I do hope for her and her cub – such a beautiful young boy- and they will continue to thrive.
Wonderful news!
Hi Matt, thanks for this update on the Ximungwe female and her cub. So pleased to hear her leg as healed well enough for her to hunt and climb up and down trees. Shame I am sure her broken leg must of been very painful while healing. She looks well fed and so does the cub and that is very satisfying to witness. Please keep us updated on her and her cub.
This is such wonderful news Matt, your blog following up to Sean’s virtual safari. As you all have often remarked, the bush holds many mysteries, and whilst many think that modern medicine is the answer to most maladies, Ximungwe is proof that nature has once again taken care of its own. I look forward to seeing her once again next year, although by then her male cub will be on his way to independence, fingers crossed.
So pleased to hear this great news, she certinly is a resilient girl.
Thank you so much, Matt and Sean, too, for the updates on this amazing duo. We watched them play and learn/ teach for what seemed like hours back in April – it was such a special gift. I strongly felt so connected with them both, they feel more like family now. I am so happy to see her doing so well. Keep up the good news!
Thank you for this wonderful good news. So happy to see both of them well and relaxed.
Magic!!!
That is such amazing news! When it first happened, I feared for the life of both of them. It looked badly injured and I couldn’t see how they would make it. She was so unbelievably tough as she did what she needed to keep herself and cub alive. I am so impressed with her. What a leopardess!
So happy to read this update. She is truly remarkable!
We saw her late August and learned about her story. Her cub was not present and there was a lot of concern for both. So glad to see the progress. Thanks for sharing.