This past week delivered a wonderful mix of sightings across Londolozi. A male cheetah was found in the south-western parts of the reserve and, after a failed attempt on both impala and zebra, eventually settled on a beautiful outlook to rest and scan the landscape. The Styx Male seems to be finding his voice as we enjoyed a powerful display of him on the patrol, belting out roar after roar on what was quite a sublime morning!
Down at the Sand River, a crocodile reminded me how striking and almost prehistoric in appearance they are. A hint at the ancient lineage that still dominates these waters today.
I also came across a Msuthlu Lioness sharpening her claws, and with a bit of quick reflexes, I managed to capture the moment. The Gijima Coalition continue to tighten its grip on the territory as the lion dynamics begin to stabilise after what has been a rather tumultuous few months.
Birdlife also featured strongly this week. A pair of Yellow-billed Hornbills glowed in the golden afternoon light. A gentle reminder of the bonds between male and female as the breeding season begins to wind down. Not far away, one of their larger cousins, the endangered Southern Ground Hornbill, stood proudly atop a termite mound surveying the surrounding area.
Perhaps the most special moment of the week came during a peaceful morning spent with the Nkoveni Female and the Shingi Male. Watching these two together was an absolute privilege and produced one of my favourite images of the collection.
The Maxim’s Male, meanwhile, continues to move quietly through his territory with the calm precision that has defined his reign for so many years.
To round things off, a relaxed rhino bull offered a fantastic portrait opportunity, and we enjoyed an incredible afternoon watching a pack of wild dogs moving through the Manyeleti riverbed.
Let us know in the comments section below which are your favourites.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
A black and white version of this stunning male cheetah as he caught my eye line!
A hyena strolls towards a big herd of zebras. Londolozi is lush green at the moment!
The male cheetah we are lucky enough to see from time to time rested and surveyed his surroundings on this raised outlook.
The Styx Male has been finding his voice of late. Only time will tell what this stunning male lion has in store for us!
An animal that has truly stood the test of time. I can’t help but marvel at their beautiful markings!
A Msuthlu Lioness sharpens her claws on this Tamboti tree.
Notice the muscles rippling through her back.
The Gijima Coalition alive and well. They continue to tighten their grip on their newly claimed territory.
The light-maned Gijima Male rests peacefully in the road. I almost fell out of my Land Rover trying to get eye level with him.
This pair of Yellow-billed Hornbills was basking in golden light.
One of the more endangered birds in this area I really enjoyed this moment!
Sightings of these two together will continue to grow far and few between. What a special morning we had with them! The Shingi Male and the Nkoveni Female!
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
Just pure intensity as the Nkoveni Female confidently walked down the road.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
This leopard tortoise gave me quite a comical feeling. If you look closely, it almost looks like he/she was smiling. Impossible, I know, but the mind wanders!
The Maxims Male with business as usual. This dominant character shows no sign of letting up any time soon!
Dominant since 2019. Once skittish Kruger-born giant now rules vast territory, transforming from elusive presence to formidable force.
This gentle giant was resting on a beautiful crest
The Shingi Male perched right above us stares down.
Other then the Shingi Male and Nkoveni Female this was comfortably my other most satisfying shot.
A wonderful afternoon of a pack of Wild Dogs as they walked up and down the dry Manyeleti river bed.
An inquisitive elephant calf came charging up towards us.
The 3:2 Male relaxes in a marula in the northern stretches of the reserve
An elusive and intriguing newcomer with an unknown past. Likely originating from the Kruger National Park, he is currently unnamed.
Incredibly Beautiful!
Grateful for you sharing these.
Thank you Brenda.
Lovely collection of photos. Always good to see the healthy dynamics in the reserve. Looking forward to the next batch!!
Hi Nic, good images this week. My favorite would certainly be the Nkoveni female and Shingi male. They are just magic together. Maxim’s male is always striking to see. Little elephant calf is too cute.
They are indeed! Thanks Valmai
Thank you Jos.
I have two favorites today. The black and white photo of the male Cheetah and the baby elephant that ‘charged’ you. Well done Nic.
Thanks Ian. Keep well
Great images Nic! Love the one of the Nkoveni Female and Shingi Male, he is clearly bigger than mom now! What is the composition of the Msuthlu Pride now and do you know the sex ratio of the sub-adults? And the 3:2 Male, where does his territory fall in relation to the other males?
Thanks so much!
Hi Michael, thanks. The pride has 4 lionesses. If I remember correctly all 4 were born in 2018.
Originally there were 10 sub adults all varying in age in roughly 3 different age categories. We haven’t seen the entire compliment together for some time. Additionally, we think that one of the sub adults (one of the younger ones) was killed a few months back. There is also a sub adult that has been seen on its own for the past 2/3 months in and around the prides territory. I’ll have to get back to you on the sex ratio.
The 3:2 male has been seen in the northern stretches of Londolozi in more recent weeks. I think it would be a stretch to say that he has managed to claim any territory there as both the Tortoise Pan male and Hlambela male control most of the area he has been occupying.
Morning LGR. The weekly Friday TWIPs are always so very interesting indeed, as they show and give a clue as to what the wildlife has and have been upto during the course of the week. So thank you for putting them upto there as usual. Though she wasn’t in this week’s TWIP, but when I look her up on the Internet, it tells me there’s a possibility that the much loved Tsalala lioness might well still have her cubs rather than having lost them, but it says that she possibly might well still be denning her unseen cubs on those koppies right from the start of February. But I think it’s best to remain optimistic and hopeful that she’s still got her cubs and fingers crossed that she will soon reveal them when and once she feels they’re ready to come out of their densite for the very first time.
I know some people might say I’m rather heavily obsessed with her, but I just can’t stop thinking about her and thinking about how big her birth pride could be if and when she manages to raise some cubs very successfully. But I’d also like to see her in a lot more of the fascinating and very good weekend video clips as well, in case she might be out and about for food to feed herself and the cubs, too.
Though it is difficult to tell as she hasn’t revealed them yet, but if she’s still lactating heavily, then I hope she’ll have a litter of at least three or four cubs in her third litter, though this is her third attempt at raising cubs. It will be nice to think that she’ll beat and defy the odds so heavily stacked against her, and raise the unseen cubs to independence and adulthood. I’m sure she will do so well.
It’ll be nice to see the mother rebuild her birth pride back up to what it once was many years ago. For example, if she’s got 4 cubs in her new brood, and if they turn out to be 2 boys and 2 girls, then it’ll be a very good start to rebuilding her family. Her pride hasn’t been a big and stable force for at least 13 or 14 long years now unfortunately. But I can’t wait to see the very first clear, good & well taken photos of them when they emerge eventually, after a few vulnerable weeks in hiding.
And as for the Ximungwe female who also wasn’t in this week’s TWIP, well I hope she to will raise her fifth litter of cubs to independence successfully as well. As we know all to well, she has raised 2 very elusive but handsome young males from he first and second litters respectively to independence, but sadly her third and fourth litters weren’t so successful at all. It is fingers crossed that she will get them both all the way to hard independence very well indeed. I know she has been a very good, caring, highly devoted, protective and successful mother to all of the cubs she’s raised well and has lost unfortunately. So I don’t see any reason why she can’t do it again & be third time lucky even though this is her fifth litter she’s given birth to.
I know two young males from her first and second single litters raised all the way to independence successfully is so much better than none at all, but it’ll be nice if she can add her current two to the small list of successfully raised offspring really. Wouldn’t it? When they were seen in a clip 2 week’s ago, they both looked so very tiny, cute and very healthy while at their densite. She’ll feel ever so very pleased with herself if she gets them both to over a year old. I hope updates on those two new mothers will be put up in blogs, so we know how they are doing and whether they’ve still got their cubs at all or not. I’d like to see both of them raise cubs successfully.
Hope to hear from you shortly.
Robert 20.3.26
Hi Robert, absolute pleasure. I am glad you enjoyed them. At this stage the Tsalala female is believed to be denning her cubs in Singita. I don’t think anyone has recorded a sighting yet but I will double check for you. Ximungwe has two cubs to our knowledge. I don’t think anyone has managed to confirm the sex yet.
Completely agree fingers crossed.
My favourite has to be the Shingi male in the tree….stunning!
For a single male lion, do you think the Styx male is maybe over confident? If there are coalitions in the area, surely they will be aware he’s on his own?
Hi Suzanne, glad you enjoyed them. No I don’t think so. He has certainly been more vocal in the past few weeks but still broadly speaking keeps quite a low profile. He does have age on his side so only time will tell what his next steps look like.
He is a beautiful male though!
Great “Week of pictures” , Nic.
I love the one of that tiny elephant calf charging the car. So cute!
And the leopards are beautiful as always, so are the lions and the cheetah.
By the way, has the Makhatini cheetah family left the area? Does anybody know where the mother cheetah is and where the youngsters have moved to?
Thanks Christa. We haven’t seen the Makhatini family on Londolozi in quite some time. I believe all three cubs or rather sub adults are still alive and well. I believe there have been a few recorded sightings of them in the Northern and Southern parts of the Sabi Sands as well as in the Kruger.
Nic, Thanks for a great set of wonderful images! We especially liked the B&W Cheetah and the cute elephant calf!
Thanks Michael and Terri. Keep well.
Hi Nic, what a gallery once again! First, the fact ther the vegetation is luxurious makes anything more special, rhen your ability to get the perfect moments. I am totally delighted with the expressions of some animals: the Styx male – how handsome he is!- seems to be smiling at you, the black-and-white cheetah is hyeratic, the blond Gijma male has such a lazy but curious look at your move…. the little elephant calf, and the wonderful Nkoveni that always manages to freeze me up with a shiver by looking straight in her own special way. But I think I’d choose simply, just a mum and son in her last picture with her so- large son..
Thanks Francesca. The bush is looking beautiful that is for sure!
I managed to capture the Styx male mid roar which is why he has that expression. Glad you enjoyed them. Keep well.
Amazing shots this week! ALL of them! Please stay in the vehicle while shooting!!! Love the little ellie being all tough. Love seeing mom and son still hanging out…amazing how much bigger he is! Best is the cover photo of him in the tree checking out everything! So handsome! The rhino pic is also pretty epic…perfect head on shot! Nice!
Thanks Anita. Glad you enjoyed them!
Well, now. So many striking photos. Since I’m a hornbill honey I love both the Southern ground hornbill and yellow-billed hornbill photos. And the detail in the crocodile pic is supreme.
Thanks Willa.
Nice TWIP, love the elefant calf
Thanks Jutta
Thank you for sharing these with me
Absolutely Ian.
Wonderful week of photos Nic. After scrolling through them a couple of time, I’ve come up with a few favorites: firstly the Nkoveni and Shingi image walking together (he truly is massive compared to his mother), the sweet elephant calf faux charging your vehicle and the gorgeous portrait of the rhino. It’s so much fun to view the TWIP every Friday!!
Thanks Denise. Glad you enjoyed them!
A beautifully wonderful collection of shots this week…fav is the Shingi male peering down from the branch. Green in his eyes complimented by the nearby branches just saturates with color. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Karen.