As we approach the end of April, this week’s collection of images feels like a gentle shift between seasons, where the last breath of summer still lingers in the landscape. The bush remains richly saturated, lush greens stretching across clearings and drainage lines, a reminder of the rains that have shaped the year so far. Against this backdrop, the light begins to soften, with autumn sunrises casting a golden glow and skies building into bold, expressive canvases that draw the eye upward.
Leopards feature strongly throughout the week. From the ever-composed Nkoveni Female resting effortlessly in the trees, to the rising presence of the young Shingi Male, and moments of tension between the Three Rivers Female and her newly independent daughter, we’ve been blessed with a number of incredible sightings (and perfect views) of these elusive cats. There is a quiet balance between stillness and movement, whether in a yawn between branches or the subtle act of scent marking along a well-worn path.
In addition to the leopards, the Gijima Male lions have made their presence known across the reserve, and the airstrip was stage for unexpected encounters, playful chases, cautious stalks, and fleeting bursts of energy unfolding in the open right outside camp. Altogether, it has been a week defined by contrast and colour.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
The Nkoveni Female leopard in all her glory glances over her shoulder towards sunrise.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
The backlight of sunrise set the scene perfectly as we watched a journey of giraffe walk across a glowing clearing. Autumn sunrise at its best!
In sync. Although not quite… the Three Rivers Female and the Tinxiya Female leopards were found snarling and growling at each other as the Three Rivers Female reaffirms her territorial boundary with her newly independent daughter.
Forced into early independence at 11 months. Despite her small size, she's proven resilient, currently raising a cub in SE Londolozi.
A confident and curious young leopard, that is nearing independence after a remarkable start to life alongside her resilient mother.
The iconic male lion head shake. After spending a good 30 minutes simply trying to keep up with the two Gijima Male lions as they marched with purpose reaffirming their dominance in the area, they (to our delight) decided to take a moment’s rest on the road.
A young Msuthlu lioness takes her chances at seeing how close she can get to a VERY alert herd of wildebeest on our airstrip. With no cover, her chances were slim. But hey, I’m sure she learned a thing or two.
Annnnnd, run!
The Shingi Male resting gracefully. A beautiful young leopard, and as a team, we are loving every sighting of this relaxed male leopard!
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
With a clean backdrop, I couldn’t not try a high-key edit.
The Styx Male has been spending more and more time in the south-western parts of Londolozi. Here, he was seen scent-marking multiple times on the road up ahead.
We drove a young girl recently who, every time we stopped to take in the beautiful sunrise/sunset, she would say, “it looks like God is rising”. Whoever or whatever you perceive God to be, this young girl constantly reminded us to look up and really take in all its beauty.
The Nkoveni Female climbing a fallen trunk and getting herself comfortable before settling on the trunk for a rest. See the image below to see how she ended up finding the perfect nap position.
More chaos on the airstrip. A few hyenas were spotted playfully chasing zebra around the airstrip as we set off from camp early one morning.
Dramatic clouds frame this young elephant bull roaming around in the open grasslands.
The Shingi Male yawns perfectly in the gap between the branches.
Playing around again with some black and white edits, I cannot decide which one I prefer most?
An impressive Verreaux’s Eagle Owl posed for our vehicle on our drive back home to camp.
A super cool perspective of a flap-necked chameleon with its independent eyes staring back in our direction after spotting it climbing a branch in the daylight.
Playful elephant bulls framed perfectly with the lush greenery of the landscape and the afternoon golden light.
The Nkoveni Female blends into the scenery after finding a perfect position for a nap.
We spent a morning with the Ximungwe Female away from her cubs on a territorial patrol. This was her as she was approaching the base of a marula tree, where she proceeded to rub her cheeks and leave her scent on the bark.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
Hi LGR. Thank you so much, as usual, for putting up those fascinating photos of the lions and leopards, as well as telling a little bit about what they’ve been upto in the last 7 days of the week. I don’t suppose you’ve managed to sex the 2 tiny cubs of the Ximungwe female leopard there yet at all. I know you haven’t seen them in the last couple of weeks, but I’m just very interested to know what they are. After very well raising 2 single and elusive young males from her first and second litters respectively to independence, and also having 2 failed litters, I really do hope that her current 2 cubs both make it to independence very well.
Regardless if her two cubs are two boys two girls or one of each, they are very cute and tiny indeed. I wonder if they’ve grown in size and confidence since they were last seen and viewed at the densite. It’ll be so nice to see them again as well.
I’m sure she is, as she has been in the past, a very good, caring, devoted, and highly protective mum to them. As they will be about three months old now, not only will they still be nursing, but I bet she’ll soon be taking them to a big kill.
I hope she’ll soon bring them out of their densite and take them out into the open under her supervision and protection, as she leads them to a very successful kill that she made during the night or in the early hours of the morning. It’ll be good.
Even though she yet again didn’t feature in today’s TWIP, but I’m just thinking that if the Tsalala lioness has given birth to her third litter of cubs yet again on old Singita, then if anyone there has seen the cubs or her moving them individually, then could you contact the rangers there to find out just out of interest, how many cubs she’s got altogether in total please? That will be so very greatly helpful.
I’m often keen and hopeful that she’ll be featuring in a lot more video clips each weekend, as I don’t get to see enough of her in them, plus as her cubs will all be close to two months old by now, I’m also hoping she’ll bring them to you one day.
I’m so looking forward to the time when she surprises you all by revealing her third new family to you. As she looked so heavily pregnant early last month, I bet she had a litter of three or four in total.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s got a litter of three or four cubs altogether, as it is clear that her tummy was as big as a balloon just over a month and a half ago. Plus, I, like you, would love to see her rebuild her birth pride’s numbers, existence & dynasty back up a fair bit to what they once were so many long years ago. I know she’ll be such a great mum. As she procreated/mated with the 2 bigGajima males towards the end of last year, I’m also sure they’ll know that they sired her cubs with her. I hope they’ll do their job of helping protect them and keep her & all the cubs born to her, safe and well. I’d so like to think that the much loved Tsalala lioness’s cubs will all survive to adulthood successfully. She will feel so pleased with herself as well.
Is it known if the 2 heavily pregnant adult lionesses of the Kambula pride have given birth to their new cubs there yet at all, and if so, then how many have they got each altogether currently? I expect it won’t be long now before they either lead you to their densities, or you find the cubs with their mothers one day.
I think the two Gajima males seem keen and determined to sire as many cubs as they possibly can together and with each other. There were more leopard photos than lion photos in today’s twip. How are the other 2 mother lionesses with their 6 – over 1 year old cubs doing together? I hope they’re all doing and looking well.
Hope to hear from you shortly.
Robert 17.4.26
Great photos, Kate.
Lovely photos – as always .
The email saying This Week In Pictures is my favourite email of the week
Hi Kate, all pictures as usual are exquisite, which one to choose? They are all so meaningful and perfectly taken…. maybe the Shingi male, he has such an expression, naive and dreamy, his eyes seem to say” what a wonderful world!” His mother is an eternal beauty. A portrait of power and resilience. Is the Styx male still with the Breakaway Female? The child is perfectly right, the aura around looks full of spiritual meaning. A pleasure to see the Three Rivers female and her daughter, as well as the exciting perspective to see new cubs! Elephants, lions, owl, chameleon and gorgeous lions all make a great series!
Beautiful group of photos Kate! I love the color photo of the Shingi Male.❤️
Thanks for the beautiful photos, Kate. I adore the one of the Shingi male yawning….but most definitely in colour. The black and white version looks very arty, but is lacking in natural beauty. The colours of the tree and sky, with that gorgeous golden coat are just stunning.
Hi Kate all the images of the Leopards are stunning. Nkoveni is one of my favorite females. Shingi is a magnificent male and loving every moment of seeing him in the e-mails. Hopefully soon we will see Ximungwe females beautiful cubs as soon as she brings them out in the open. Sunsets and sunrises are extraordinary beautiful.
Dear Kate, another wonderful TWIP, love the shadows and colours, leopards, the elefants, but my favorite is that amazing eagle owl. Wow.
Fantastic images Kate! I’m so happy to be here right now to enjoy the incredible greenness. Your leopard photos are amazing and I loved the Flapnecked chameleon.