From being a leopard we once encountered fairly often, the Nhlanguleni Female has become a much rarer sight. Her territory has always been to the west of our camps, but recent months have brought fewer and fewer sightings, leaving us to wonder. Has she shifted her range, or are we simply not in the right places at the right times? Often, it is the frequency and spread of sightings that help us mentally map a leopard’s territory, but with those observations now sparse, the picture of her movements has grown a little hazy.
The Nhlanguleni Female rests high up in the boughs of a large Jackalberry tree after feeding on an impala carcass she had caught the previous day.
Initially skittish female who transformed into a regular presence. Made history by raising first intact litter since her own generation.
Perhaps this change is part of the subtle shifts that come with age. Much like what was observed with the Inyathini Male a few years ago, whose territory eventually shrank to a narrow sliver along the Sand River. The Nhlanguleni Female is only a year older than the Nkoveni Female, who still carries a strong presence across the southeastern parts of the reserve, looking strong and commanding for her age. In the wild, however, no two paths are the same, and each leopard must navigate the cards they are dealt.
![Nhlanguleni Female Sitting [rcb]](https://media.londolozi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/26095234/Nhlanguleni-female-sitting-RCB-1598x1065.jpg)
The Nhlanguleni Female’s life has not been easy. She has raised just one litter of cubs to independence, a testament to the many challenges she has faced. Over the past few years, she has also sustained injuries, each one requiring longer to heal than the last. The most notable one recently was a sprain of sorts to her back leg or foot, which has taken nearly two years to recover. While it is much improved, it is still not entirely without limitation, as she has lost quite a bit of muscle mass around that area of her body.
She has had a very tough time trying to raise cubs in the area west of our camps. Here she carries one of them as she moves it from one den to another.
Rangers and trackers are forever hopeful that we will get to see her with at least one more litter.
Another possibility for her apparent absence is the inaccessibility of the core parts of her territory. Much of it lies deep within dense vegetation along and between the banks of the Sand River. These are simply areas vehicles cannot reach. It is prime leopard habitat. Though we may not see her as often as we once did, one thing we can be certain of is that she is living out her days in one of the most beautiful and suitable places any leopard could call home.
Tracking the Nhlanguleni Female in the Sand River.
As winter approaches, the thick vegetation along the river will thin, and access to parts of her range will become easier. Perhaps then, we will be lucky enough to see her more regularly. It has given me some feelings of nostalgia as I drive out to the west of our camps, passing certain places I’ve seen her many times before. She has been a solid presence on Londolozi for many years. It makes you really appreciate the time you do get to spend with a leopard, because one day they won’t be there anymore. And all we will have left will be the many special memories of them.
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on A Quiet Presence – The Nhlanguleni Female Leopard