The bush is alive and well. Recent further rainfall has transformed the landscape and with water comes life. Many of the images in this selection are from before the major weather system we are experiencing now. Insects have exploded in numbers and as a result, the birding has been exceptional with activity at every turn. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get pictures of them, but in the last week, I’ve enjoyed sightings of both a Grey-headed Kingfisher and a Thick-billed Cuckoo, two birds that are normally very elusive.
With so many young lambs and calves around, predators have had plenty of opportunities. Lions have been seen regularly, while the ever-elusive leopards continue to reward patience. Tall grass and persistent flies have pushed leopards into trees and onto termite mounds. They use these elevated spots both as vantage points and as relief from the heat. Overcast and moody skies have added drama, creating beautiful backdrops for close-up and macro photography.
Large herds of elephants have also been a feature this week. We watched them wallowing in mud and dust bathing, a technique used to help regulate body temperature and deal with skin parasites. A reminder of how even the biggest animals rely on simple behaviours to cope with summer conditions.
The Gijima males were seen mating with two Kambula lionesses, while the Msuthlu pride continued to deliver magical sightings filled with excitement and interaction. With predator activity high, vultures have been ever-present, circling patiently as they scan for opportunities below.
The Tinxiya female continues to shine as she settles into life as an independent leopard, offering some exceptional photographic moments. I’ll apologise in advance as you will quickly realise I absolutely love photographing this young female. Perhaps its a bit unprofessional to have favourites but what the hell! We were also treated to a rare sighting of mating chameleons, an encounter I’ll explore further in an upcoming blog.
A peaceful afternoon was spent with the Tortoise Pan male, relaxed in a marula tree overlooking a lush green clearing. The Shingi male keeps growing in confidence and size, delivering heartwarming moments for guests. The Three Rivers female rounded out the week, found resting high in a prominent Natal mahogany.
Another week where the bush reminded us just how full of life it truly is. Thanks everyone, have a fantastic week and let me know which you enjoy!
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
The Shingi Male meets my eye line as he protracts his claws against the Marula tree he is resting on. Plenty of intensity in this stare!
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
Two sub adults from the Msuthlu pride rest on this dam wall. Notice the difference in eye colour.
The Tinxiya female rests in a Jackalberry. If you look closely you’ll notice the light blue hue to her eyes. A leopardess I have all the time for!
A confident and curious young leopard, that is nearing independence after a remarkable start to life alongside her resilient mother.
A Giraffe bull stops to survey his surroundings. On a dark gloomy afternoon I couldn’t help but appreciate the moody background.
Shingi Male just putting on an absolute show!
The Shingi male rests peacefully in a dead Marula. As he rested a pocket of light burst through the clouds as if the spotlight was shining on him!
We quickly scrambled off our vehicle to lie down on the airstrip to photograph this big bull. What a morning!
The Tortoise Pan male rests peacefully in a marula.
Born 2016 to Ndzanzeni Female, royal descendant of Mother Leopard. Now a dominant force in the north.
The Tortoise Pan male carefully descends a marula after scanning the surrounding area.
A committee of White-backed Vultures rested in this Leadwood tree. Paired with the gloomy sky and dead tree this really portrayed an interesting scene.
The Light Mane Gijima male mating with the Kambula lioness. Fingers crossed we have some new additions in a few months time!
After enjoying some time with Ngungwe in a nearby tree I let my eyes wonder not really for anything in particular and by some stroke of luck spotted her cub. Hopefully sightings of this female are more frequent!
A warm touching moment as a young Zebra foal is gently reassured by its mum an hour or two after the sun rose.
Tinxiya acrobatically descends a Marula tree she had stashed her kill in.
This Buffalo bull was certainly enjoying his swim!
The darker maned Gijima male bathed in warm afternoon light casually strolls down the road towards us.
The King of the skies. This Lappet Faced Vulture was sunning his wings after a wet few days of rain. My guests and I took full advantage of the powerful scene.
A rare encounter that was a first for me. Two Chameleons mating. Another timely reminder that you truly never know what you might come across in this wild space!
The Tinxiya female pauses briefly before descending a Marula tree she had stashed her kill in
The Three Rivers Female rests peacefully in a Natal Mahogany off the Sand River. I’ve been wanting to see a leopard in this tree for some time so this was an incredible moment!
Forced into early independence at 11 months. Despite her small size, she's proven resilient, currently raising a cub in SE Londolozi.
An elephant cow dusts herself as they meander down the road towards our vehicle. This was still quite early on in the morning so the light caught the dust really nicely!
The Woodland Kingfishers are back in full force with an absolute cacophony of noice being made in the wilderness at the moment.
One of the Kambula males, back in their natal area, meets my lens. Reece took a beautiful close up on one of the Gijima males recently, which I loved. Mine doesn’t come close but still tells a story with all those scars!
The Tortoise Pan male carefully descends a Marula after scanning the surrounding area.
The Tinxiya female alert as always watches a herd of impala unaware of her presence in the distance.
This is so beautifully written! I had to share it!
When the Waters Rise, We Rise Too
(For the staff, the guests, and every creature who calls the Lowveld home)
When the rivers rise and the roads disappear,
When the sky hangs heavy and the world feels unsure,
There is still a quiet strength moving through this place,
A heartbeat older than storms,
A resilience carved into every tree,
Every ranger’s step,
Every animal’s instinct to endure.
The rain may fall without mercy,
But so does courage.
It gathers in the hands of staff who guide others to safety,
In guests who wait with patience and grace,
In elephants standing calm beneath a trembling sky,
In lions who know that even the longest night
Still gives way to dawn.
Hope is not the absence of storms –
It is the knowledge that storms pass.
It is the memory of dry riverbeds roaring back to life,
Of grasslands turning green again,
Of sunlight breaking through clouds
Exactly when it’s needed most.
So hold fast.
This land has weathered more than this,
And so have you.
The waters will retreat,
The roads will reopen,
And the bush will breathe again—
Renewed, restored,
Alive with the quiet triumph
Of all who endured together.
And when the first clear morning arrives,
You will stand in its light
Knowing that strength is not loud—
It is steady.
It is shared.
It is yours.
That’s wonderful, Ian. Thank you for sharing it.
That is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing Ian. Keep well!
Hi LGR. That was such a very good and interesting TWIP to read and look at the photos in it, but there’s something that is just confusing me a bit. I have often thought the cub of the elusive Ngungwe female is a young male, but others say it is a female. Now, I’m not sure which one is true. If you could confirm that for me then let me know as soon as possible, it will be so greatly helpful please. She is the oldest of the Piccadilly female’s flesh and blood to survive to independence and even harder adulthood.
She may well be turning six yrs old this year, but she’s got plenty of time ahead of her to mate, produce and raise a few more litters of cubs successfully. I know she was quite nervous at first, but time and careful viewing has relaxed her a lot. Once she has got this youngster to hard independence, I hope the following litters of cubs will be a lot more relaxed. She is a very beautiful female herself.
It is incredible how elusive female leopards like her are and can be when they have got young cubs, but it’s always good to see them when their densites are well discovered and exciting to see the small cubs themselves as they all run and play about together and with each other. It is just what makes them so special to see and watch a lot of the time there. All baby creatures are cute when so tiny.
I think, if my memory serves me well and correctly, the Ngungwe female will be 6 years old in April. But a lot more chilled out and relaxed now as an adult then she was as a small cub herself, it’ll be great to see her raise several more litters of cubs to independence so well. But I have a feeling the cub is a little boy, not a little girl. I bet it’ll be more relaxed in the future, as it grows up and gets older.
I hooe the elderly 17yr old Mashaba female is still alive and well, but if anyone does know how and where she is, then do let me know a.s.a.p please. I will be so looking forward to receiving an update on her, even though she isn’t seen as often and frequently as she once used to be unfortunately. I don’t know if any of the other properties that she sometimes goes onto unannounced, know and where she is or even if they’ve heard or had any news on her at all. I’m just very keen and interested to know really. Especially as she’s a very old and special leopard who’s nearing the end of her life now, after nearly 18 years of been so well known yo everyone who had had the privilege of knowing her from scratch since she was a very tiny cub as she was born in September 2008.
I also hope it won’t be long now, before the heavily lactating Ximungwe female reveals the exact location of her densite. Especially as I, like everyone else, can’t wait to see the very first good, clear and well taken photos of her new brood as well as how many cubs she’s got now. I would like to wish her the very best of hopeful luck with raising her new litter of cubs so very successfully. Regular updates on them will be good too, please.
Hope to hear from you shortly.
Robert 16.1.26
Hi Robert, apologies for getting back to you late. The cub is a female. Ngungwe is an incredible leopardess!
Correct she is approaching 6 years in April. She really has come a long way habituation wise. We are enjoying regular sightings of her these days. I also had an incredible sighting of the young female just before leave. I haven’t seen the Mashaba female in a few months now. I’ll ask around and get an update for you.
I have spent countless hours looking for the den site. We have a good idea of the general area but unfortunately it is not that accessible for the Land Rovers. I will be sure to reach out to you with any updates!
Keep well
Fantastic photos, Nic. I just love the way leopards can look so incredibly comfortable on a rock or in an awkward spot in a tree. How lucky you were to see Tortoise Pan, I would so love to see him again.
Thanks Suzanne. Tortoise Pan is such an incredible leopard to spend time with!
Love the lappet faced vulture and woodland kingfisher pictures.
Thanks Willa. I really enjoyed the dead branches in the foreground. Awesome scene.
Dear Nic, another great TWIP. So happy to see pics of Tortoise Pan again.
Love the zebras.
Thanks Jutta really appreciate it!
Hi Nick, no surprise you like the Tinxiya female so much! She’s such a peculiar beauty and her story makes her even more special. Among younger female I had a soft spot for the Thumbela female and the daughter to the Nkoveni Female who was killed by lions (yes, the last one but also an older one, the Plaque Rock female). Also this one was followed by us with excitement and worries, as she was sick and then movingly attached to her mum. The Shingi male was born for the spotlight! All pictures are superb. The one that struck me in a special way was the zebra foal with its mum. Simply lovely and so sweet! Many compliments!
Thanks Francesca, Tinxiya is incredible! I’m obsessed.
The Tinxiya female is truly a beauty! The first pic of her in the Jackalberry is probably my fave…the other tree shot of her noticing her tail…is hers longer than the average??? Also love your b/w close up of the lion king 🙂 and the little king fishers…love them! Also the ‘committee’ shot is so great! And ominous! Superb week!
Thanks Anita, Tinxiya is incredible! Keep well.
Hi Nic, your images this week in TWIP is phenomenal. I can see why you photograph the Tinxiya female so much. She is an absolute beauty , with those colour eyes she is my favorite young leopard as well. Shingi male and Ntomi male are my favorite male 🐆 leopards. Fantastic to see chameleons mating, that is a first for me. Lion dynamics on Londolozi is very interesting at the moment. Don’t forget the buffalo having it’s swim in the water.
Thank you very much Valmai! Keep well and have a good start to 2026.
Such beautiful photos, Nic.
Like you, I also have favourites, animals, leopards. The leopard photos are just great. I personally cannot get enough of leopards. So I appreciate the choices you made very much. But I also love the photo of mother and baby zebra. It really shows the close connection, the love between the them
Very special: the photo of the mating chameleons. This is really a very rare sighting.
Hi Christa, thank you very much! Keep well
Wonderful photos this week, Nic! The eyes of the Tinxiya female are indeed beautiful, reminding me of those of the Nanga female years ago. Unrelated animals but lovely color! And it was fun to see the Tortoise Pan male, to know that he’s doing well and looking good.
Thank you very much Mary! I hope you are keeping well.
I am enamored by all of your leopard images, from the charismatic Shingi male to the king of the north, Tortoise Pan and the stunning females in between, so thank you for sharing them. Another rather off the wall favorite is your capture of the Chameleons mating, reminding me of Sean’s photo of the snails mating. It justifies looking down from the jeep in addition to looking outwards and upwards. I also commend you on leaving your vehicle to capture the elephant bull from ground level – amazing view. Lastly, your portrait of the Gijima male is epic and just as good as the one taken by Reece.
Thanks Denise! Kind words.
I hope you are keeping well! All the best for 2026.
An abundance of super photos. Love the vulture photos and the kingfisher photos
Thanks Ian. My favourite was definitely the Lappet Faced Vulture. The trees in the foreground added another layer!
Keep well.
Love this week’s pictures. They are all my favourite especially the leopards.
Thank you
Thanks Susan appreciate it! I hope you are keeping well.
Nic, great shots. It would also be great if you post some audio of the kingfishers!
Hi Michael, thank you very much! Great idea maybe I’ll do a blog on some Kingfisher calls.
Keep well.