This week I had a reunion that I thoroughly enjoyed, and one that was probably long overdue.
A leopard I haven’t spent real time with since before the pandemic turned up in the north with a carcass hoisted in a marula tree. Two full drives with her. She fed, she groomed, she descended, she climbed back up. Completely unbothered. Completely herself.
Before that, the Gijima Males reminded everyone why they are in control of this territory. A mating sequence that turned into something more interesting, and the dynamics between the two brothers played out right in front of us. And the following morning, a young leopard in a leadwood tree showed us she’s learning the rules of this place faster than I expected.
A week of knowing your place. Some animals have worked that out completely. Others are getting there.
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A confident and curious young leopard, that is nearing independence after a remarkable start to life alongside her resilient mother.
The only surviving cub of the Nanga female, currently territorial northern Marthly. Currently denning north of boundary
Excuse my ignorance, but I can’t find the ‘Play’ button.
Hi Ian, try again now.
Thanks Sean, much appreciated. Yes, I did get a ‘play’ button second time around. Is there a reason I didn’t find one on the first attempt? Cheers
Great video.
It’s nice to know that the Makomsava Female is on Londolozi’s territory again. Maybe you will be able to see her cubs one day when she has made a kill and takes them to it.
I remember having seen her father, the Anderson Male.
Why, do you think, was the Tinxiya Female so nervous? Because of the lions or because of the second car one could hear in the video? She is such a beautiful young leopard. Keep my fingers crossed that she won’t get killed by lions like her mother was.
NIt’s always so nice to see your videos, so one is always up to date to what is happening at Londolozi. nearly as good (joke) as being there.
Tinxiya’s nervousness was almost certainly the lions. The second vehicle wouldn’t have unsettled her given how well habituated she is to us. Young leopards in situations like that are running a constant risk assessment. She made the right call staying put. Makomsava carries a lot of good genetics. Thanks Christa, glad you enjoyed it.
The dark maned Gijima male appears to have an ongoing problem with his left rear leg…..?hip. Are hip problems common in felines?
I imagine this will be a progressive problem, and will eventually compromise this animal’s ability to maintain his superior status, interfere with hunting and other activities as he ages.
Yes, he has got an issue with his left hip. It is probably a result from a fight as opposed to a hereditary issue. It will be a bit of an issue if he is caught by surprise and in a fight. But for day to day life, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Fantastic virtual safari today Sean. It was fascinating to see and hear the vocalizations of the black-maned Gijima and the Ntsevu lioness during your first segment – almost as though they were participating in a contest. Then later it was evident who Top Lion is – almost felt sorry for his brother…. Tinxiya seems to be growing in stature and confidence and I hope for her sake, that she keeps a low profile when around lions and other leopards. She has not been independent for very long so I am assuming this continues to be her “learning the ways of the wild” cycle.
Makomsava is a stunning leopardess and it was great you were able to spend some time with her, since her territory is north of your borders. It must be frustrating at times when you know a former Londolozi resident is just across the road, but you can’t drive in closer to get a better view. In l0oking at the photos you posted of the Anderson male, it brought to mind one of my favorite males, the Senegal Bush leopard, who always mesmerized me with his deep-set, eyeliner rimmed eyes. I was sad when he disappeared. So, until next week’s video, thank you, and cheers to amazing days in the bush.
There is some resemblance between the Anderson Male and the Senegal Bush Male. And yes, Makomsava being just across the boundary is one of those bush frustrations you learn to accept. You can see them, you just can’t follow. Thanks Denise, glad it landed well.
Hi Sean, the Makomsa female is a beauty, and was not bothered at all by the two inquisitive cold squirrels. She is so relaxed feeding and sleeping up the Marula tree. The Tinxiya female is becoming such a prominent female know that her mother as been killed. Those eyes and eyebrows are to beautiful. Well the Gijima males are beasts and the darker one is the dominant one so he will mate with both of the females. Hopefully soon we will be viewing tiny cubs soon.
She really was completely unbothered by the two squirrels. Tinxiya is coming along well. Those eyes are something else. Fingers crossed on the Gijima cubs — the timing would be right.
Hi LGR. Although this lioness hasn’t been in a video clip for quite a while now, but just out of interest, do you know how the Nkuhuma breakaway lioness is, and also if she has fallen pregnant with her first ever litter of cubs, there at all? I’ve not seen her in a clip or blog since she was last seen mating with the 2 large Gajima males a few months ago. I don’t know if she’ll be successful in raising her first ever litter of cubs without the protection and support of a pride. It’s just impossible to know if her old birth pride will be warm and welcoming to her, and let her and her own new cubs stay with them.
If you’ve got any information on her for me to know about, then I hope you will be able to tell me how and where she is as well as if she is a mother at all or not. I’m just so interested to know. She will be having a struggle to raise her cubs all alone and by herself, and they’ll be so very vulnerable when she leaves them to go out hunting for food to feed her and her growing cubs. I think it’s fair to say that she’s got a bit elusive fairly recently. It would be so interesting to know if her many matings with both of the Gajima males was successful at all or not. After all, I know she was at the right age for it. I don’t know where she resides a lot of the time whenever she’s no where to be seen/found in a game of hide and seek.
Do you know if the Tsalala lioness has still got all 4 of her cubs at all? I saw a bit of news on Facebook several days ago, & it said that she lost all 4 of her cubs to the 2 Plains Camp males some days back. I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but if it is, then it’s left me wondering to myself how and when she’ll raise a litter of cubs safely and successfully all the way to hard independence and adulthood. Even if there weren’t any photos of the cubs, I thought she was doing quite well of getting them to three months old. But I was so hoping that she would beat and defy the odds stacked against her, and get them all to the stage that she hadn’t been able to get her previous two litters to. If all of her cubs are dead, then she’ll have to start mating with the big Gajima males all over again already. All I will do is just hope that the news was false. She is and has had a hard time in the last couple of years trying to raise cubs well past one year old, but she’s lost them all to other lions unfortunately. I hope she’ll be found with a successfully raised litter of cubs after another at some stage one day. At seven years old, she has still got plenty of time to mate, produce and raise a few more litters of cubs more better. If there is one thing we all want her to do, it is raise a few cubs to independence and adulthood successfully, and rebuild her old birth pride back up with them. It is fingers crossed that she’ll do that very well and successfully soon one day.
Hope to hear from you shortly.
Robert 21.6.26
Thanks for the detailed message Robert. We have nothing to confirm whether she is pregnant yet. She’s been seen occasionally but nothing conclusive to report. Yes, we believe that the Tsalala Female has lost her cubs. We will try put something out on it soon.