Over the past few weeks, there had been a growing sense of anticipation around the Ximungwe Female. We knew she had denned, we knew she had two cubs, and we knew they were still alive. Yet, despite all of this, we had not been able to spend any meaningful time with them at a fixed den site.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
There had been tracks. There had been brief glimpses from other guides and trackers. At times, we had even followed promising signs, only for them to disappear into thick cover or onto difficult ground. It was clear that the cubs were moving and that the Ximungwe Female was keeping them well hidden.
One of the only shots Sean Zeederberg got of the curious and particularly alert cubs of the Ximungwe Female.
At roughly three months old, the cubs were at an age where things begin to change. This is typically when a mother will start introducing them to kills and moving them more frequently between den sites. It is also the stage where sightings tend to improve, as the cubs become more mobile and slightly less dependent on staying concealed in one place.
So why had we still not found them properly?
One likely factor was pressure from other leopards in the area, particularly the Shingi Male. As mentioned in the recent blog on his movements, he was now just over two years old and beginning to disperse more confidently. While he still spent time within and around his mother’s territory, he was starting to push further afield.
The Shingi Male walking through the long grass at sunset.
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
This was where things became more complicated for the Ximungwe Female.
Her territory lies adjacent to that of the Nkoveni Female, which meant there was a natural overlap zone where the Shingi Male was likely to move as he explored and established his independence. For a female with young cubs, this presented a real risk.
It is well understood that young male leopards will kill cubs if they encounter them. It is not unusual behaviour; it is part of the natural dynamics of leopard territoriality and reproduction. For the Ximungwe Female, avoiding this risk was a priority.
This could explain why we had not been able to locate a stable den site. Instead of settling in one area, she appeared to be moving the cubs more frequently than usual, keeping them hidden and away from any potential threat. Each relocation made it harder for us to piece together their movements and predict where they might be. Despite the challenges, there was still a strong sense of optimism. The fact that multiple people had seen the cubs, even briefly, was encouraging. The tracks confirmed their presence, and everything suggested that the Ximungwe Female was doing exactly what she needed to do to keep them safe.
For now, it was a waiting game.
As the cubs continued to grow and began accompanying their mother to kills more regularly, the chances of a proper sighting would improve. It might happen suddenly, as these things often do, when all the pieces finally come together.
Until then, we would keep searching, following tracks, and checking all the likely areas.
Since writing this, the situation with the Ximungwe Female and her cubs has changed. We will share a full update as soon as we have a clearer picture of what happened.
Morning LGR. Thank you so much for putting up such a interesting update on the Ximungwe female leopard and her 2 tiny cubs. It was so greatly interesting to see and read, but though I’m sure she’s doing a very good and impressive job at raising her little cubs right now so far, but she is just very clever at playing a game of hide and seek with you, when it comes to searching for her densite. I do hope of her 2 cubs are still alive and well somewhere there to this very day.
At three months old, I’d guess she will very soon start taking them to kills that she has made successfully. I hope the next update on them will be good news, as I do feel a bit concerned about them as her older sister’s son, who is in fact her nephew, could well have killed them in his tricky quest for his own territory.
But if you could tell me now to allay my worries about the progress and welfare of the cubs, then that will be great. I do not have a particularly good feeling of the cubs, but I hope they are both still alive, well and healthy. Her nephew so easily could have killed them, but I hope that he hasn’t discovered them at all.
If she ever sensed any type of unwanted danger nearby or closing in, then I know she wouldn’t leave them so exposed and vulnerable if any other leopards, lions, hyenas or wild dogs were either prowling around below a tree in which they were perched in safety. Would she? I’d think she’d stay with the cubs and keep a very close eye on them to make sure no harm came or comes to them until the danger has gone and passed having g given up. She’s a very good & alert mum. If danger was in the form of another leopard, then I expect she’ll stay with her cubs and fight and chase the other leopard of and away. She wouldn’t tolerate any type of unwanted danger anywhere near her cubs there at all. Have you had the chance to sex them there yet at all?
I hope it’ll only be a matter of time before she possibly might lead you to her brand new densite containing her 2 tiny cubs somewhere which she cleverly hid. Do keep me updated on them and their progress and welfare very soon please. As she’s raised 2 single male cubs from her first and second litters respectively all the way to independence ever so very successfully and also having had 2 failed litters as well, I hope she’s successful in raising her current 2 cubs just as well all the way to hard independence there.
Hope to hear from you shortly.
Robert 25.4.26
Hi Ross, hopefully we will soon be able to see the cubs even if it is a brief moment. Just knowing that she and the cubs are alright is a relief in itself.
Hi Ross, since I found out the documentaries on the Mother Leopard and Manana, I tried to get info on Leopard conservation in their areas and discovered Londolozi. The Mashaba female was under the spotlight, I then followed her daughters lives through your blog, I feel like they were some sort of friends in spite of the fact that I never met them, I can imagine you all over there… the Ximungwe female is one of the most followed Leopard, I was waiting to reading about her. Like her family, her life has been incredibly rich of events. It feels like a dynasty movie series! She’s exceptional, I hope the Shingi male will not go further into her territory… I hope you have good news about next life chapter!
Hi Ross. As one of the fortunate guests of Nic M, we had quite the sighting of Ximungwe and her two cubs last week It is an afternoon I will not forget nor take for granted as far as sightings go. Considering the density of leopards living around Ximungwe’s territory, she must be fraught with concern to continue to hunt to sustain her own wellbeing and her cubs whilst she is away. I await the next update as to what actually happened…..
Obviously the Ximungwe Female has been very successful in protecting her cubs from Male leopards as well as from all the other possible sources of disruption of and trouble for their safety. Good mother.
However the ending of your blog seems to mean a lot of trouble for mother and cubs; I don’t hope that one or even both have been killed in the meantime. Would be so sad because she also lost her last litter as far as I remember.
During my last stay I was told that only 10% of all leopard cubs make it to adulthood. Does this number refer to any environment in the wild?