There are episodes that entertain, episodes that educate, and then there are episodes that stop you dead in your tracks and remind you just why the African bush is unlike anything else on this planet. This episode is firmly in that last category, and I say that with complete sincerity, because this one blew even me away.
We open with something that never gets old: the dark-maned Gijima Male in the thick of a mating session with a female out in the thickets late in the afternoon. But if you think that’s where the excitement ends, you’d be very wrong. The following morning, with an elephant casually strolling through the scene as only elephants can, the lions picked up right where they left off, mating just meters from the vehicle. Exhilarating doesn’t quite cover it.
Now, I had originally planned to take you to Ximpalapala Koppie for a look at the Xinzele Female, who we believe may be denning in the area. Good plans, solid plans, plans that were completely turned on their head yesterday afternoon when a message came through from Guy on the Habitat and Landcare team. He had spotted a leopard carrying a tiny cub.
I dropped everything.
What followed was an afternoon I will not forget in a hurry. The Xinkhova Female, cub clasped firmly in her jaws, covered several hundred meters right past the vehicle, close enough to hear every sound, close enough to feel every second of it. A mother leopard carrying her cub, passing within arm’s reach of the Land Rover. In all the years I have spent out here, moments like that sit right at the very top. There is simply nothing quite like it.
So strap in for a sensational, once-in-a-lifetime sighting.
And don’t forget to subscribe and tune back in next weekend, where we elaborate more on the Xinzele Female’s den, follow the Maxim’s Male on a serious territorial patrol, spend more time with the Gijima Males, and find out what trouble the Hlambela Male has been stirring up in the North.
Enjoy This Virtual Safari…
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Good morning. Wishing you all a very happy Easter. I cannot get the Virtual Safari 317 stream to show. Am I doing something wrong? I have followed your blog from day 1. Now I have a problem.
I am having the same issue Ian
Hi Kellie, sorry we were having issues. Everything should have been resolved with the now. I hope you enjoy.
Hi Ian, sorry everything should be resolved now. I hope you enjoy this episode.
Sean. You have provided all of us with ‘epic’ joy on this Easter Sunday. TY for your enthusiasm. TY for ‘finds’. TY for sharing. Elizabeth
Thank you for watching. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Cuteness overload! Watching her carry that little cub, and then it toddling beside her on the sand made my heart swell.
The cubs was tiny and so adorable.
I had trouble too receiving this epic safari at first.
But why, having found your mating lions, with 3 different lenses, did you pixilate them?
Still wonderful but strange!
We pixelated it because YouTube has removed our videos of lions mating in the past.
Thanks for that.
Could you please in future then let us know beforehand. Otherwise it’s not like a safari. Plus I’m not watching on YouTube….
Hi Sean Happy Easter and I consider this video an Easter gift! Instead of a chick, a small tiny leopard bumps up with its mum! The Xinkova female! Oh my oh my! The Xinzele female, I hadn’t heard from her for a while. So intriguing! Exciting! And the lions mating with the elephant strolling by, so funny! The young lioness is beautiful indeed, any guess about her being in that place? Ie the Hlambela male resting on the boulders of a leopardess den or the Tsalala ‘s den? How many questions…. happy Easter, thank you sono much for this unbelievable video!
Happy Easter to you too, Francesca. It was a nice little Easter gift. I hopefully will answer all of those questions in the next episode.
Sean, why the pixelation for the mating lions, spoils the sighting for me?!!
Cub carrying was fantastic thanks
Hi Julie, we pixelated the mating because we have had videos removed off of YouTube because of showing lions mating and I didn’t want to have this virtual safari taken down because of it.
What a fabulous sighting Sean, how lucky you were! Simply sensational to watch Xinkhova carrying her first cub(s). Thank you so much, you’ve made my day.
Unless I missed it, you didn’t say more about the Hlambela male after your TWIP?
We were so lucky. I will give more about the Hlambela Male in the next episode. There was just too much going on here and thought I didn’t want to dilute the excitement with that update.
Outstanding sighting! I was excited for you!
Thank you so much, Linda.
OMG Sean! What a spectacular Easter gift you have presented today – mating lions and Xinkhova carrying the adorable little fluff ball. This virtual safari has now risen to # 1 on my VS favorites. To see lions mating, or any big cats is definitely an experience that’s never forgotten, and especially when they are situated next to you. Could this female be a member of the Southern Pride? There are a couple of young females in that pride…. however the best part of your video is that of Xinkhova carrying her cub. Watching her move along the road with her little bundle brought tears to my eyes. She looks so much like her mother now, Nkoveni, and hopefully has the genes to successfully raise her cubs to adulthood as well as her mother has done. It’s a long shot but I see manifestation in my future for Ximungwe, Xinzele and Xinkhova with their cubs – one can dream!!
Thank you so much, Denise. I am glad this VS ranks so highly. It was such an phenomenal sighting. I think the lioness was the Nkuhuma Breakaway Female.
Xinkhova Female is looking very similar to her mother indeed.
What an amazing sighting. Great to see more cubs. Cant wait for more footage. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much, Jos. We can’t wait to share more with you.
Hi Sean, this is the most exhilarating video ever of a Mother leopard carrying her cub and putting the cub down to walk a little on the sand. So absolutely gorgeous and I wish I could of been there with you viewing this amazing footage. There is nothing better than this view of her carrying this tiny fur ball. The lions mating was also very good footage of them. The dark manned Gijima male and the lioness is beautiful. Thanks for this awesome footage.
Thank you so much, Valmai. It was such an incredible sighting.
I can’t imagine it gets any better than this. I thank you for sharing this video.
This really is the pinnacle in my opinion.
Beautiful episode, Sean! What a privilege to be this close to both the lions and the leopard momma! So gorgeous.
Thank you for sharing this beauty with us! Have a great week!
Thank you so much. I hope you have an amazing week too.
Mother leopard carrying cub in her mouth – my dream sighting!! 200+ drives over 20+ years and have yet to experience the awe of such a sight. Lucky you, Sean – congratulations!
Thank you so much, Mary Beth. We were very lucky with this one.
Wow is all I can say. But what is that thingies in the road that you circled? Looks like a sprinkler?
It is a little camera. I will share more on it in the next episode.
Wow,Sean,what a sensational video.
We had, a an Easter Present, so to say, the follow up to your story on Easter Sunday morning, when she was in a tree with the (probably second) tiny cub, nursing it up there and guarding its descend down the tree and then along the way, past our car, first carrying the cub upside down later the right way up and into the bushes and rocks of the new den side.
It really took our breaths away and we were so moved.
Thank you, Christa. I am glad you also got to see the cub.
Why do you blur the mating process of the lions? It is pure nature and natural, not point footage
Because we have had videos removed in the past where we showed lion mating. So with this video being so exciting, I did not want to risk having this one removed by YouTube.
Too bad Sean 😞
….typo….point should read porn
AMAZING!!! Always makes me nervous when she has to leave one to move one tho! Why did we start pixelating the lions mating? Seems weird! And I got virtual safari in my email this time so thanks for whatever you did! xo
It is quite a worrying time when she separates the cubs to move them. We did it because we have had videos of mating lions removed on youtube in the past and I did not want this one to be taken down.