This past week at Londolozi has been filled with variety and drama. The Nkoveni Young Male continues to grow in both stature and confidence. Now noticeably bigger than his mother, he moves with the self-assurance of a leopard edging closer to independence. Watching him develop week by week has been a real privilege.
A large herd of buffalo was another highlight, their sheer presence dominating the clearing. One bull in particular lifted his head to fix us with a steady stare, a reminder of the quiet power and attitude these impressive animals carry. Not long after this, the Gijima Males were found trailing the herd, and in a dramatic turn of events, they caught a buffalo calf that had been left stranded in the mud of a drying waterhole, a powerful reminder of the daily struggles of life in the bush.
The Kambula Lionesses provided a softer moment, glowing in the warmth of the early morning sun as they rested together. A giraffe silhouetted against the rising dawn added to the week’s striking beauty, while a male cheetah standing tall on a dead marula used the vantage point to survey his surroundings, the picture of focus and elegance.
And finally, the Ximungwe Female Leopard was seen patrolling her territory. Having lost her young cub, she now resumes her solitary lifestyle. Watching her move with calm determination was a poignant reminder of the resilience required to survive in this wilderness.
Let me know your favourites in the comments section below!
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
The Nkoveni Young Male is growing in confidence and stature, drinking at a waterhole. This particular morning, we watched as he narrowly missed catching a season-old warthog, after which he decided to quench his hunger with some water at a nearby watering hole. He never ceases to create beautiful photographic opportunities.
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
Eye-level shot of the Nkoveni Young Male as he enjoyed a mid-morning rest.
A buffalo bull stares at the vehicle amongst the sea of the herd. The backend of the dry season is an incredibly tough period, but buffalo in particular feel this harshness as grazing resources and waterholes dry up.
This elephant cow walked with such a swagger that it was hard to not want to photograph her as she sauntered past, stopping briefly to smell our vehicle from a distance. Elephants and the varying emotions they display are one of the main reasons they are my favourite animal in this amazing ecosystem!
The Gijima Males are continuing their territorial forward march into central Londolozi. After an amazing few minutes with a huge herd of buffalo, we found the two of them moments before they found and killed a buffalo calf stuck in the mud of a dried-up waterhole. It was fascinating to watch them try to drag the carcass while dealing with a clear aversion to getting completely muddied up!
The dark-maned Gijima Male drags a buffalo calf carcass out of a muddied dry water hole. The unfortunate calf, in all likelihood low on energy and weakened by the back end of the dry season, got stuck in the mud and handed the two big Gijimas an easy meal. A regular theme for this stage of the year!
One of the Kambula lionesses basked in the morning light and held eye contact with me. The pride have had an interesting period that has been made unstable by the presence of the Gijima Males in their territory.
Zebra and wildebeest drinking at Weaver’s Nest Pan after an extremely hot early summer day. As a guide and tracker team, Euce and I find ourselves driving past as many waterholes on our afternoon safaris to see what interesting animals make their way down for a well-deserved drink. Naturally, water and a fairly regular intake of it are crucial to both the wildebeest and zebra’s respective digestive systems.
A White-backed Vulture soars in the air above us. The current harshness of the Londolozi ecosystem means that Vultures and predators as a whole are kept busy with carcasses scattered around. Such an important cog to the diverse ecosystem we have here at Londolozi.
Lighting is such a crucial aspect to a good picture, and as someone who enjoys challenging the limits of what a ‘good’ picture needs to look like, I quite enjoyed the effect this Giraffe created by standing directly in front of the sun as it rose in the east! If you look closely, you can even see the Red-billed Oxpeckers already hard at work on its neck.
Elephants are spending more and more time in and amongst the Sand River as resources dwindle. This cow and her calf crossed the Sand River right in front of us. Nothing really compares to elephants and the clear enjoyment they feel when surrounded by water!
One of the more iconic safari shots you aspire to get is a cheetah climbing/jumping up a dead tree to use it as a vantage point to see its surroundings better. Having been somewhat scrambled for time as this male cheetah quickly jumped up and then descended this dead marula, I didn’t quite do the moment justice. I’ll continue to wait patiently for an opportunity to nail this iconic shot!
Recently, we enjoyed the most heart-stopping sighting as we watched the pack of two (wild dogs) chase and catch an impala right next to our vehicle. Admittedly, not my finest shot of these amazing predators, as I was still reeling from the excitement of it all, but nonetheless an awesome sighting and experience. As per usual, the carcass was finished in a matter of minutes!
The Ximungwe Female strolls towards the vehicle with her head held close to the ground. After the unfortunate news that her cub is no longer with us, we’ve been on the receiving end of plenty of territorial movement. Her eyes throughout this entire sequence were locked on our vehicle.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
That giraffe silhouette is gorgeous! I love the added aspect of the sunlight peaking out around its neck. The mother elephant with her tiny calf crossing the river also struck something in me. Perhaps it’s face covered in water? Happy to hear the pack of two is still going strong!
Thanks Chelsea! Yes its face was darker from splashing water over its face.
Too hard to pick one… the Ximungwe female is the perfect closing in. She’s just perfect, beautiful and lonely. It makes remind immediately of what she’s gone through. The elephant cow is great, you are right! Entertaining. I love the picture with the sunset and giraffe too. Obviously, the Nkoveni young male is always a stunner! The Kambula lioness encompasses a life of a lioness. Hardship, battles, hunting, hunger, thirst, cohesion and the sadness of being a mother and more often than not losing cubs and close relatives… buffalo look battered, weaker than usual, but still cohesion and the protection of the most powerful bulls gives them an impression of an endless, indestructible power. Zebra and wildebeest at the pan show an image of hardship, resilience and somewhat melancholy. Beautiful vulture in flight, when they fly they are spectacular. I absolutely love cheetah, no matter how the picture is, they are icons. Like leopards. Bittersweet gallery with many emotions, from pure joy of the elephants to the resignation of the Ximungwe female…
Thanks Francesca
Beautiful pictures Nic – I’ve added the giraffe in front of the sunrise and the ellie with her tiny calf to my favourites. And I can never get enough of leopards, especially the Nkoveni young male!
Thanks Suzanne!
Dear Nic, very nice TWIP.Love the elephant with the calf.
Thanks Jutta
Hi Nic, such gorgeous images in TWIP’S this week. My favorite would be the Nkoveni young male where you have eye level sighting of him. He just is an exceptional young leopard and growing in stature and confidence. The image of the Kambula lioness giving you a stare must of got your heart racing for that moment. She has such beautiful eyes and she is impressive. I feel sorry for the Ximungwe female who has lost her cub, she has been through so much, even trying to hunt with a broken leg. Elephant calf is so sweet, a real little sweetie pie.
Thanks Valmai, appreciate the feedback.
So sad to learn the Ximungwe Female has lost her cub.
With all of her struggles to keep him fed with her injuries… she is an amazing cat.
My heart is so broken for her … life at times in the bush are so extremely unsettling
Agreed!
The mama and baby is my fave!!! Where are her tusks tho???
Hi Anita, thanks glad you enjoyed them! She was a tuskless female. Its a recessive gene present in some females from time to time.
Thank you Nic!
Thanks Nic for selecting such fantastic images for this week’s TWIP. A favorite is Ximungwe, although I miss not seeing her with her young cub in addition to your captures of Nkoveni young male. Other favorites include the elephant photos and the Cape buffalo focused in the sea of buffalo bodies.
Thanks Denise
Super photos , wild dog, cheetah , leopard, super lion photos (well not if you are a buffalo calf stranded in a mud hole)
Appreciate it Ian