As we move into the autumn months, April and May have brought with them a collection of moments worth holding onto – cooler mornings settling over the Sabi Sand, and the land beginning its quiet, unhurried shift toward winter. It’s a genuinely special time of year: golden light, crisp air, and wildlife sightings that stop you in your tracks.
In this blog, I’ve gathered some of our favourite Instagram Reels from the past two months – from the extraordinary first glimpse of the Xinkhova Females’ first cub and a rare lion-versus-porcupine encounter, to the ongoing story of the albino zebra foal. We also step beyond the reserve, with highlights from the Londolozi x Assouline book launch in London, celebrating Londolozi: The Safari That Changed Everything.
Let us know in the comments which clip was your favourite!
1. An Extraordinary First Glimpse of the Xinkhova Female’s New Cub
A rare and tender moment captured in this reel – the first time mother, the Xinkhova Female, carrying her brand-new cub.
Hidden away during the first fragile weeks of life, cubs this young are rarely seen, making encounters like this all the more remarkable.
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2. The Msuthlu Lion Pride Meets Its Match
Not something you see every day.
The Msuthlu Pride were mid-feast when an elephant arrived and made it very clear their presence was no longer welcome…
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3. From Bankrupt Cattle Farm to Safari Blueprint
This reel is a snippet from Courageous Acts of Healing – the first in a three-part documentary series telling the extraordinary story of Londolozi.
A degraded, worn-out piece of land along South Africa’s Sand River that two teenage boys refused to give up – and in doing so, began one of the most remarkable acts of ecological restoration the African continent has ever witnessed.
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4. Lion vs Porcupine
In this reel, a rare sighting plays out as eleven lions surround a single porcupine.
Numbers, it turns out, are not always everything – the porcupine managed to escape the pride.
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5. The Fragile Beginning of a Buffalo Calf’s Journey
Few things stop a game drive in its tracks quite like this – a newborn Cape buffalo calf, umbilical cord still attached, finding its feet for the very first time.
Within hours, it will need to be mobile enough to keep pace with the herd. For now, it stays close to its mother, sheltered by the herd around it.
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6. The Process of a Chameleon Shedding Its Skin
Among the greenery, a chameleon moves through a quiet transformation as it sheds its skin.
Rarely seen – and absolutely worth stopping for.
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7. Londolozi x Assouline Book Launch
There are books that document the world, and there are books that change how you see it. The Assouline family has always known the difference. In our hundredth year, they chose to tell our story.
In London, we celebrated the arrival of Londolozi: The Safari That Changed Everything – a centennial collaboration years in the making, held in a room full of people who understood exactly what it meant to hold it. Some of them have been part of this story for nearly sixty years. Others were finding it for the first time. All of us, in our different ways, were there because of a piece of land in the Sabi Sand that has always had a way of drawing the right people toward it.
We are still catching our breath at the honour of it.
In our hundredth year, we hold the light. This book is one more hand on the lantern.
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8. Honouring Sir David Attenborough on His 100th Birthday
This reel is a snippet from our three-part docuseries, honouring the pure genius of nature – shared in tribute to Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday.
For a century, he has helped the world see the natural world differently – not as a backdrop to human life, but as something sacred, interconnected, and worth protecting. His storytelling and reverence for the Earth have shaped how generations understand the living world.
Londolozi was born in the same century. And while few people can change global consciousness in the way Sir David Attenborough has, he has inspired so many of us to play our own small part – to believe that daily acts of care, stewardship, and restoration matter. Those small, courageous acts, repeated over time, can become powerful forces for healing.
For 100 years, that is what we have sought to do here.
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9. Nap Time for the Xinkhova Female Leopard, High in the Treetops
The Xinkhova Female has found the perfect spot for a nap.
Life in the wild is constant movement and awareness – yet here she pauses, suspended above it all. In this quiet space, even a leopard takes time to rest and simply be.
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10. The Albino Zebra Foal’s Journey Continues
We’ve been watching her closely. A pale coat in a landscape built on camouflage carries its own risks – but week after week, she keeps appearing. Always in the middle of the herd, always moving with purpose, always keeping pace.
She’s doing more than surviving, she’s thriving!
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11. A Tender Moment Between Two Young Elephants
Two young elephants engage in a playful exchange, testing strength and balance as they move through the space around them.
Within the protection of the herd, these moments of play are an essential part of growing up – and a genuinely heartwarming interaction to witness.
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12. A Winter Sunrise and a Clan on the Move
A winter sunrise paints Londolozi in soft light as a clan of hyenas moves through the landscape on a morning game drive.
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That’s a wrap for April and May – we hope you enjoyed the highlights.
We’ll be sharing many more reels and stories as winter unfolds at Londolozi, so be sure to follow along on Instagram if you’d like to stay connected to life on the reserve.
Excellent videos excellent work love. It thank you
Thank you, Lyn. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank You Megan for this April & May review, we just returned from our stay which was the last week of April first week of May. This all brings back wonderful memories!!
It’s impossible to pick one to say it’s my
Favorite but for sure the Little Elephants
Playing , the Xinkhova Female carrying her cub are top of my list .
Thank you again !!
Thank you so much, Tirso. It is really special to hear this brought back such wonderful memories of your stay!
Thanks, Megan, for these special videos. Real Highlights.
Thank you, Christa. Glad you enjoyed the highlights!
Hi Megan, all videos are worth a prize…. youngsters are a bonus in our case, and surely the Xinkova female with cubs, the newborn buffalo calf and the young zebra, along with the young elephants are fantastic candidates…. I hope the Xinkova female will be successful next time, thank you for such sweet and unique moments..
Thank you Francesca, it is lovely to hear what stood out for you!
Hi Megan, this was so refreshing watching all the snippets from the last two month. So special each one of them in their own right.
Thank you Valmai, I really appreciate your kind words!
Very difficult indeed to chose one – I will chose all – the Essence of Londolozi combined.