For the past year, cheetah sightings in this area have been few and far between. In that time, most of our encounters have been with the resident male, while the female seemed to have disappeared completely. Given how elusive cheetahs can be, we had begun to wonder whether we would see her again.
Fellow Ranger Kate Tennick took a photo of the female cheetah in the recent sighting. This is just after she was perched on top of a termite mound.
The other morning, we were on our way to see the white zebra foal when tracker Life made an incredible spot. Resting on top of a termite mound was a cheetah. At first, we assumed it was the male, but as we got closer, we realised that it was in fact a female. This immediately made the sighting even more exciting.
Could this be the Makhatini Female?
About a year ago, our last sighting of the Makhatini Female was when she was raising her three sub-adult cubs. She had done an impressive job of getting them to this age, and they were beginning to become more independent. Shortly after that, we received a report from a neighbouring reserve that she had been seen heading east towards the Kruger National Park. Since then, there had been no confirmed sightings of her.
Makhatini Family walking through green grass. This photo was taken about a year ago, before the youngsters would have gone independent.
Looking at this female carefully, I believe it was her. She has a very pale coat, and her spots are particularly dark and stand out clearly against the lighter fur. These markings matched my memory of the Makhatini female.
This is also a photo from the recent sighting. Here you can clearly see the pale front and the very dark spots on her back. Could it be her?
If this is indeed her, it is likely that her cubs have now dispersed. This is the natural next step for young cheetahs once they become independent. The two males have most likely stayed together and formed a coalition, which is common for brothers. We have also heard that two young and incredibly relaxed young male cheetahs were seen outh of Londolozi, so this could quite likely be the Makhatini Female’s two sons. The female would almost certainly have gone off on her own to establish her own territory.
The three youngsters and their mom on a fallen tree using it as a vantage point.
The return of the Makhatini Female would be a very exciting development. Not only would it mean that one of the area’s most successful female cheetahs is back, but it would also raise the possibility of future litters. Female cheetahs play a critical role in maintaining the population, and having her back in the area would be excellent news.
This is a photo from a while ago of the Makhatini Female on a fallen tree.
For now, we cannot say with complete certainty that this was the Makhatini Female, but all signs point in that direction. After such a long absence, seeing a female cheetah again was a special moment and one that gave us plenty of hope for what lies ahead.
I’m pretty sure it’s Makatini, but the two young male cheetahs to the north aren’t her sons; they belong to another cheetah family from Kruger. Makatini’s cubs are still in the Orpen region of Kruger, where she separated from them. We saw the cubs last month.
Hi Ross, was very fortunate to spend two mornings with the Makhatini Female and her cubs last year when at Jacana in the northern SSNR! From initial glance on that left profile spot pattern, it does look like her!
I hope to see the cheetah when we return! That would be amazing.
Hi Ross, great news! I have been wondering where was she…. cheetah are long- distance runners. It’s such an emotion to see her again! And being updated about her offspring. Let’s hope she is going to stay….
How exciting. I believe we saw her and the cubs on our safari in September of ‘24. Great to read a follow up.
I do hope she has returned and will have another litter. I can’t believe it’s already been a year since was last seen with her three growing cubs.
Great news, Ross, whether it’s the Makhatini Female or another female.
Of course, it would be ever so nice to have her back on Londolozi and with her the possibility of new cubs.
I keep my fingers crossed that she will stay with you so that everybody can enjoy the great pleasure of watching her.
I saw that beautiful cheetah family in 2024 and enjoyed it so very much!
Exciting possibilities. That male cheetah did look rather lonely a couple weeks ago…!
Hi Ross, that is good news to hear that it is maybe the Makhatini female back on Londolozi ground. Seeing this female makes a person excited and let’s hope that this is her. She is absolutely stunning. Thanks for the update Ross.
It seems as though there’s enough evidence from previous sightings to indicate Makhatini has returned – great news! Although I missed seeing her and the cubs on each of my visits, I followed their story and was thrilled the three cubs reached adulthood – not easy for a female cheetah living in an environment that is not necessarily cheetah friendly. Hopefully she will stay in the area, mate and give birth once again. That would be exciting
I know Lond0lozi has tons of pictures from last year of her and you are the experts here. But just comparing the images taken recently with the last image of the Makhatini Female taken “a while ago” appears to match when you look at the spot pattern on the left neck area and left front of shoulder. Sure would be nice to have some more little ones around.
i hope it’s her…loved seeing her and the cubs when they were only months old in Sept. 2024. We spent an hour or two then with her courtesy of Megan & Veatence
Do cheetah have specific spot patterns, like leopards, so you can recognise them?