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.
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on Always One Step From The Den