This week’s Virtual Safari is a gentle reminder that some stories in the bush unfold on their own terms — and that patience is often part of the privilege.
Following on from last week’s episode, we set our sights on trying to find the Tsalala Female’s den and catch a glimpse of her cubs. The signs were all there. Tracks criss-crossing familiar routes, movement through areas she knows intimately, and repeated returns to Ximpalapala Koppie — a place that carries deep significance for the Tsalala Pride and one that has shaped so much of their history. Standing there, it’s impossible not to reflect on just how important this lineage is, and how closely we all hold it to our hearts.
Despite our best efforts and numerous clues pointing us in the right direction, the Tsalala Female herself remained elusive. And perhaps that’s exactly how it should be. A mother keeping her cubs hidden, safe, and undisturbed is often the best possible sign.
Rather than pushing further, we allowed the bush to guide us. Time was spent with elephants moving quietly through the area, we stumbled upon yet another tiny leopard tortoise, somehow even smaller than the last, and discovered a dice moth larva inching along amongst the vegetation. Small details, easily missed, but deeply rewarding when you slow down enough to notice them.
The morning ended on a note of intrigue. A large male lion was found at Ximpalapala Koppie, and at first glance, we assumed it was one of the familiar Plains Camp Males. Only later, reviewing the footage properly, did we realise it was a different male altogether. The question to you is — who exactly is he, and what does his presence here mean?
So while we didn’t find the den this week, the story is very much alive. The signs are encouraging, the moments were magical, and the search continues — exactly as it should.
Enjoy this week’s Virtual Safari…
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Hi LGR. It sounds very good & exciting indeed to find outvthat the much loved and nearly 7 year old Tsalala lioness has got a third new litter of cubs to feed and look after there somewhere. For her own sake, I do hope that she is a hell of a lot more successful in raising this new and unseen brood all the way to hard independence and adulthood. I don’t know how I knew it was her that was seen to be very heavily lactating, but it just must have been my instincts as well as something inside me that told me it was her. Though we don’t know yet, but as she’s been living by herself for a long time, I hope she’s got a litter of at least 3 or 4 tiny cubs hidden away somewhere nearby. It’ll be nice to see her pride swell and rebuild itself back up to what it once was many years ago. When will the video clip be up for me to see and watch live from there eventually? The “click here” button isn’t highlighted in blue yet.
If she is successful in getting this new litter of cubs to the stage we want to see all of them at, then that will be great. But if her pride can get to at least twelve or so strong with a mixture of boys and girls, it’ll be the strongest her pride has been at for about twelve years or so really. I bet she’ll be a good mum and matriarch.
Maybe the reason why you haven’t seen or found her cubs yet, is because they’re not quite at the age when they would be revealed at this moment in time. But I’m sure it’ll be in the next couple of weeks or so that you might come across her own densite or see her moving them to a new densite if you’re lucky to see her.
I expect it’ll be in the next couple of weeks or so, that she might lead you to her new densite containing her new tiny and vulnerable cubs inside it. A litter of at least three or four will be such a good boost for her small birth pride. The very minute I read the brief blog saying what and who will be featuring in today’s clip, I just simply couldn’t wait to see it at all. Just by guessing, how many cubs do you think she’s got in her third brood in total? I’m guessing about 3 or 4 altogether.
Hope to hear from you shortly.
Robert 8.2.26
Thanks so much, Robert. We hope that we are able to follow her back to a den soon. Until then we will keep searching.
It appeared that despite your best efforts to find Tsalala and her den, it was not meant to be. Patience, patience….. but you did find a couple of special small creatures. The mini leopard tortoise that you found was just as cute as the first one and I might add, seemingly annoyed that his movements were interrupted by your teaching moment. The real star though for me was the dice moth larva, inching along the log. Its coloration was spectacular and I’m glad you explained the feathers along the body. What does it look like once it breaks out of the pupae?
Patience is vital out here as we so often know and realise. I will try share some more info and pics of the Dice moth soon.
Obviously, sunshine is back at Londolozi – so beautiful! this lush green landscape and the blue sky and these fantastic animals everywhere..
When the Tsalala Female was a cub, we tried to find her den as well and couldn’t find her mother and the cub either during my longish stay. They seem to have a very well hidden den, which -in my opinion- is great for the cubs. So they can get used to this world at their own pace.
This second little tortoise is a real beauty and that caterpillar is also extremely special and beautiful. I also liked the crocodile vanishing into the river.
A well hidden den is excellent for keeping the cubs safe. There is a lot small and exciting creatures out and about at the moment.
Hi Sean, well she surely made you drive up there for a whole week without finding her. She really is keeping them well hidden and rightly so as her previous litter were killed. Beautiful sunrise and absolutely breathtaking to see the sunrise. Lovely to see the elephants bull as well. But the highlight is the tiny tortoise, so very precious. My word but he can move fast although so small. Hope you get to see the Tsalala female this week and that she will show you her cubs.
She is keeping them so well hidden, but also what makes it difficult is that we don’t know what time she goes back to her den.
We will keep searching for the Tsalala Female.
I just want to say……….. YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!! Im Very Curious Who that male Lion is!!!!!!! And The Sire of THE CUBS!!!!!! Do we have any idea???? lol Im in on this!!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much. That male was the Southern Black Dam Male, but we don’t think that he mated with her. As far as we know, she mated with the Gijima Males and the Plains Camp Males.
IT IS GONNA BE OK SEAN!!!! PRAYERS WILL BE ANSWERED FOR OUR GIRL!!!!! YOU RULE!!!!!! AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much, Suzanne. Hopefully, we will have some good news for everyone soon.