Every now and then, a game drive comes together in such a way that you are reminded of just how unpredictable and magical the bush can be. Recently, I had the privilege of guiding guests who have been visiting Londolozi for the past four years. Together, we’ve shared countless special moments with elephants and leopards, but this particular morning would turn out to be one of our most memorable yet.
Ximpalapala Koppie has a unique vantage point to watch the sun rise.
Sunrise from Ximpalapala Koppie
This morning, instead of chasing after sightings straight away, my guests wanted to slow down and enjoy the peace of the bush. So, we set out early and made our way north to climb the granite outcrop of Ximpalapala Koppie. The short hike to the top was more than worth it. As the sun crested the horizon, it lit up the wilderness below us in soft golden hues. Sitting there in the crisp winter air, the silence broken only by the calls of birds beginning their day, we felt the stillness of the bush at its best.
It’s a special feeling watching the sun rise higher above the horizon and watching the shadows of the trees and rocky outcrops crawl along the landscape.
The Lone Tsalala Female on the Hunt
After soaking in the sunrise, we descended the koppie and began our drive back towards the river. Not long after, one of my guests pointed out movement in the grass, a lioness. It was none other than the Tsalala Female, moving with quiet determination. Alone and lean, she was clearly in hunting mode.
The Tsalala Female flicks her tail and strides past our vehicle, looking for prey.
We followed her carefully as she weaved through thickets, used termite mounds for cover, and paused to scan the clearings. For half an hour, she led us on an edge-of-our-seat experience until she finally spotted a herd of zebra. Dropping flat into the grass, she disappeared from sight. Minutes dragged on like hours as we waited. Then, in an instant, the bush erupted. She burst from her cover and launched at a zebra that had strayed from the group. The chase was explosive, but the zebra was quick and managed to get away without being caught. A near miss, we were seconds away from witnessing a kill right before our eyes.
She is an exquisite lioness, especially when she is in her hunting mode.
A Riverside Pause
After the thrill of the hunt, the lioness settled into the long grass to groom and rest. We left her to her nap and made our way down to a quiet section of the Sand River. The river, flowing steadily even in winter, is always a serene place to stop. With binoculars in hand, we enjoyed some birding while sipping on hot coffee and nibbling on some snacks, grateful for the calm after the action.
Pausing at Taylor’s Crossing in the Sand River is one of my favourite things to do. Here we listen to the water trickle past, the hammerkops screeching, and anticipate any monkey alarm calls.
An Unbelievable Surprise – A Pangolin!
As we began heading back towards camp, content and ready for breakfast, the radio crackled with a message that made my heart skip a beat: a pangolin had been found nearby. These elusive, secretive animals are among the rarest to see in the wild, and despite years of guiding, I had never been lucky enough to find one walking in the open.
Now this was something I’ll never forget. The pure luck of watching a pangolin stride across the road in front of our vehicle in daylight.
Moments later, as we rounded a bend, there it was. A pangolin ambled across the road in front of us, on its back legs, completely unconcerned by our presence. To see this prehistoric-looking creature moving so naturally was extraordinary. For all of us, it was a first, a sighting that will be remembered forever.
With a view of the pangolin in the open, you can really appreciate the scales, eyes, ears and nose of this prehistoric and secretive creature.
The Magic of One Drive
All of this, the sunrise, the lioness’s hunt, the riverside coffee, and the pangolin, happened in less than four hours. A single drive that felt like an entire safari wrapped into one. It’s moments like these that remind me why no two drives at Londolozi are ever the same, and why each time we set out, we do so with excitement and anticipation for what the wilderness might reveal.
I am grateful to call Londolozi my home, and it excites me to know that I have similar game drive experiences to look forward to. Ones with surprises, peaceful moments and exhilarating encounters.
It is a heart stopping moment, Nick. While with Tayla and Richard in 2022, we also witnessed a pangolin amble across a field (right toward Tayla) and pop into a wart hog hole. All this was two days after we joined the crowd at Robbie’s find of TWO pangolins wrapped up together. Miraculous!
Wo Willa! thats an amazing stroke of luck to see that many Pangolin on one trip.
What a perfect morning. Whenever I return to Londolozi a hike up Ximpalapala Koppie is on my wish list. I’m so impressed that the Tsalala female went after a zebra alone, but I’ve come to expect nothing less of her at this point. She is remarkable. And to top it all off with an unobstructed view of a pangolin is just incredible. Cheers to you, your guests and the memories made (and shared with the rest of us–thank you)!
Be sure to ask your ranger to climb Ximpalapala Koppie on your next stay!
Wow! Thank you for sharing this morning drive. Always had fantastic experiences on causal drives. I wish sometimes guests could have the time and space in their mind to drop off the radio and just enjoy the bush.
Hi Nick, what a wonderful day you spent! Just seeing the Tsalala female on the move or a pangolin in the daylight crawling across the road is a prize, then the lovely sunrise in the bush must be a superb reward….
It was a dream morning!
Wow that is so special! We have been coming to Londolozi for the last 30+ years and have had some incredible drives and joke with our rangers that a pangolin and a honey badger are the two creatures we would love to see!
Hi Bridie! I hope you get the chance to see them on day on your next trip!
The joy of a game drive is that you can never guarantee what you might see
Agreed, that’s the best part!
Wow! Great story telling, Nick! The view from Ximpalapala koppie at sunrise is brilliant and so good to see Tsalala looking beautiful. But a pangolin walking across the road? I’m insanely jealous!
What an absolute privilege it is, Nick, to have such a game drive as the one you have described so well!
To See the Tsalala lioness on a hunt, and to come across a Pangolin, a Pangolin!! in open daylight_ how wonderful!
I do hope that there will be some more pangolins to be seen when I come next time….
Hey Christa! thanks for the comment! hope you manage to get that pangolin soon !
Hi Nick, well that was a lovely surprise for you and your guests on that early morning drive seeing a Pangolin. A person never knows what you will see around the next corner or down the road. The bush in all it’s glory can be so quiet and then the next moment something unexpected arrives and so much excitement is about to come alive especially seeing lions or leopards. So glad you also saw the Tsalala female on the hunt. She is my favorite lioness with all her disruptions in her life, she keeps going forward.
Your post sounds like the most perfect morning Nick, beginning by watching the sun rise from one of the most beautiful spots in Londolozi to finding a Pangolin in a perfect location for viewing – a bucket list item for many safari goers! But then to spend time with Tsalala as she entered hunting mode and almost finding success, was an added bonus. It’s great that she’s back in her former territory, but rumor had it that she looked very pregnant a few weeks ago…. It would be fantastic if it was true but it sounds as though no suckle marks were spotted and she looked lean. Hopefully she will stay in the area for a while.
Climbing the Ximpalapala Koppie and seeing a pangolin are among the top happenings on my bucket list for my next visit to Londolozi. Exactly 363 days from today! See you soon-ish!
Elizabeth, I hope you get to tick those two off the bucket list!
Dear Nick, that was a really special unrepeatable moment, thanks for those pics
Hey Nick,
Quite a morning! We have only seen pangolin in the evening at Londolozi, but we’ve been fortunate to see the pangolin research center at Tswalu Kalahari. Glad to catch up with Tsalala female again. She is so impressive.
I really appreciated the sunrise photos–well done! See you in July.