“No one anointed us ruler of this kingdom. It is not ours to own. We are simply one of the animal species on our planet; not separate, not superior. We hold in our hands the responsibility to preserve harmony in our natural world, to demonstrate compassion towards all that call this home… We must understand the mutual dependence between humans and animals. Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care, can all be saved.” Jane Goodall
Another action-packed week has passed at Londolozi. As I write this, the summer rains have well and truly arrived, filling each puddle and wallow with fresh water and flooding the river banks for the first time in months. New life is around every corner, from termites alates to impala lambs, the bushveld is brimming with a new energy.
Photography hasn’t been easy in the wet conditions, so I’ll admit I’ve used a few images from weeks past. Nonetheless, our sightings have been of the usual high standard with plenty of activity across the reserve. The lion dynamics remain one of the more interesting topics, as the Gijima Males appear to be tightening their grip over Londolozi, forcing the older Ndzhenga Males further north. The arrival of the up-and-coming Nwaswitshaka Coalition of four from the south has also added excitement to the story, and while they are still quite young, they might hold the potential to wedge themselves into a territory in south-western Londolozi. On the leopard front, the Nkoveni Young Male has made up the bulk of our leopard viewing as he finds his way into independence. The blustery weather conditions were ideal for leopard hunting, with sightings of the Maxims Male, Nkoveni Female, Ngungwe Female, Xinkova Female and the Nkuwa Female all having successfully made kills within a couple of days of each other, this week!
The Toulon Pack and Othawa Pack of Painted Dogs have both been seen leading their brood of young pups across the reserve, while the birdlife has also been taken up a notch with all the returning migrants.
Let us know your favourite pictures in the comments below.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…

Two tree squirrels explore the nooks of a dead Leadwood tree. It’s likely that they have or were looking for a new home in the trees branches. A squirrels home is referred to as a ‘drey’.

A first view for me of the young Karhula Female. She was found near our southern boundary with a hoisted impala carcass.

A Giant Kingfisher keeps a beady eye on the river below, looking out for any fish or frogs to snatch up for her next meal.

The Nkoveni Young Male seemingly finds some ‘morbid comfort’ in using his duiker carcass as a pillow in the branches of a dead Tamboti tree. His mother, the Nkoveni Female had in fact caught the duiker the night before, gone through all the effort to find her sub-adult cub and lead him back to the meal only to be barred from feeding on any of it by the young male. a clear sign that he’s close to being forced into independence.
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.

One of the older male Painted Dogs of the Othawa pack gazes past our vehicle. Its difficult to capture the facial features of these canids but fortunately the light was hitting this ones face to enough to expose his amber eyes. Also, take not of the worn-out margins of the ears – testament to a busy and challenging life on the savannah.

The Three Rivers Female rests on a fallen Marula tree. The moody skies in the background always lend themselves to a black and white edit. Having now essentially finished raising her lastest cub to independence, we expect the Three Rivers Female to be coming into heat rather soon.
Forced into early independence at 11 months. Despite her small size, she's proven resilient, currently raising a cub in SE Londolozi.

You don’t often get to see hippos out of the water, given their nocturnal habit,s but when you do, you are reminded of their immense size. They are the third largest land animal in the world after the African Elephant and White Rhino.

The Ntsevu Pride and two Ndzenga Males managed to catch a zebra just moments before we arrived on the scene. While watching any animal take their last breath is never easy, it truly was an incredible sighting.

A bloody-faced Ndzhenga Male catches his breath while feeding on a fresh Zebra kill. Having reigned over eastern Londolozi for the last 4 years, the remaining Ndzenga Males are evidently being forced further north by the Gijima Males.

A hefty elephant bull with rather large tusks ambles his way onto the causeway, slowly feeding on the lush green vegetation along the way.

This crocodile was strangely positioned like this in the shallows of a waterhole. All that was moving was his mouth, which he was slowly opening and closing while keeping the rest of his body dead still. He might have been trying to swallow something or maybe putting on a unique display for a nearby competitor. Has anyone seen this behaviour before?

A Vervet Monkey scans the trees around him while perched on a dead Knobthorn Tree. These dead trees are often home to insects and scorpions under the loose bark which the monkey was scratching around for.

The Nkoveni Young Male has made up a large portion of our leopard viewing over the last few months, of which several sightings have been in this exact tree, which is in fact a combination of an inosculated Leadwood and Jackalberry tree.

One of the dominant Gijima Males rises from his daytime slumber as the sun begins set. Him and his brother have executed a textbook takeover of the Ndzenga Males territory, often covering huge distances in the cover of night as they patrol their new home and assert their presence over other males and prides in the area.

One of Africa’s most ancient predators sits in wait in the flowing waters of the Sand River, hoping for a fish or frog to be washed into his jaws.

The newest coalition to arrive on Londolozi have been the four fresh-faced Nwaswitshaka Males. Descending from the same pride in the Kruger National Park that the Ndzenga Males are from, these young males have added yet another twist to the changing lion dynamics in the area. Despite being distantly related to the Ndzenga Males, its highly unlikely they will tolerate one another should they cross paths.



Fine array, Chris. The ‘hey, bro’ elephants, giant kingfisher, and Sand River crocodile are my favorite pictures in this fine group. A question: from whence comes the Karhula leopardess?
Hi Chris, thanks for your lovely TWIP. My favourite has to be the one of the Nkoveni young male. I was lucky enough to see him several times last week – on Saturday he was in a tree finishing off an impala ram his mother had caught (she had already eaten a fair bit the previous day before calling him over). He joined her in the grass once he’d eaten his fill, then they groomed one another.
I’m puzzled though by your picture of the Shingi male….I thought this was the name the Nkoveni young male had just been given?
Great shots Chris! Really nice framing!!! You really have a knack for composition.
What a great week of pictures, Chris.
All of them are fantastic!
Some great photos! B&w leopard on Marula and elephant bull are a close tie for my favorites.
Thanks Chris!
Chris, once again your images are truly amazing. it doesn’t seem like the rains affected you at all! We love the tangled trunks of the Ellies and the B&W Crocodile, but every one of your shots are beautiful. Bravo!!!
Hi Chris, beautiful images this week. The young Nwaswitshaka males are really stunning lions. I have not heard of the Karhula female leopard before, where does she fit in. Loved the image of the Nkoveni young male using the duiker as a pillow, although he is naughty boy and not allowing his mom te eat as well. Soon he will be on his own and will be getting his own name. The crocodile images scare the living day lights out of me.
so many great shots! the first w/ the wild dog pup probably fave. and while hippos aren’t my fave, the out of water and contrast with the all the green is a really nice shot. similarly with the ellie bull (actually my fave animal) and I do really like those (little) giant kingfishers 😉 cheers!
Hi Chris, new leopards on the horizon? Also new young lion males… I love them all, big cats pictures, although the one of the zebra kill is hard to digest, I always succumb to zebras eyes fashion… the favourite if I must choose is the elephant bull along the river, ears wide open, a great landscape, and the black-and-white crocodile waiting for Fish. All superb pictures and subjects. The Three Rivers female is a Queen!
Dear Chris, excellent collection of pics. love the nkoveni young male with the antilope in the tree.
Thank you for a vlog filled with great updates and beautiful photos. I have one question. You mention a leopard by the name of Shingi, I don’t think I recall this name. Do you have any information on them, please.
Fantastic collection of photos Chris, showcasing your skill with b/w conversions as well as composition. There are several favorites to mention beginning with your capture of the adult Painted dog and the cub. Following on are your images of the always photogenic Nkoveni young male, the giant Kingfisher, the Karhula leopardess(daughter of Ntsumi?), the entwined Elephant trunks and the Crocodile with its open mouth. I’ve seen this display by crocs and was told it was most likely a sign of controlling its body temperature or to indicate a lack of aggression to other crocodiles…… so who knows in this case.
Such a beautiful variety this week, Chris. The peaceful shots of the elephant, hippos and lounging leopards are a sharp contrast to the macabre images of the lions on that zebra kill. It’s a perfect representation of the bush—both dreamy and idyllic as well as harsh.