This week, it started before sunrise. Lions roaring through the night, who didn’t give me much choice about getting out of bed. What I found in the dark was worth every minute of lost sleep.
On another morning, this time hearing mating leopards from camp we couldn’t resist and eventually found them slinking through the thick vegetation along the banks of the river. Now, once you know who’s involved its going to mean something to those of you who’ve been following this closely. I’ll let the episode do the explaining.
There’s also a sighting of a leopard who caught a scrub hare, hoisted it and put on a bit of a show.
And we finish off with a pride of lions on a carcass that I have not seen in a very long time.
But before I go, a lot of you are going to be quite excited about next week’s episode.
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Born 2021, daughter of Nkoveni. Young dynamo actively claiming territory near camps, showing promise as next generation's dominant female.
This week was chock-full of variety. When the Xinkhova female caught the scrub hare, it got me wondering if leopards still instinctively try to suffocate smaller prey like that, even though it’s more likely that its neck just snapped and it died instantly?
Great question. Leopards do instinctively go for a suffocating throat or muzzle hold on larger prey, but with something as small as a scrub hare the kill is almost always a quick bite to the back of the skull or neck — the prey is simply too small to require the prolonged suffocation technique. It is likely the hare died almost instantly from the neck snap, but the leopard may still hold on briefly out of instinct before releasing. The suffocation technique really comes into play with impala or bushbuck sized prey and larger, where the animal needs to be kept still and subdued over a longer period. Really observant catch on that one.
The cycle of life is continuing, as this fantastic video show. The Xinkhove will probably soon have a new litter and obviously the Nkoveni Female already has one. Her last one? Would be great if both could raise their new cubs successfully .
These lions, the Plain Camps Males are really powerful looking ones. What exactly were they doing at one stage of the video? Were they kind of mock mating?
And the lionesses who caught a wildebeest: life is going on for them , life is ending for the Gnu.
I loved the part of the video where the lions were crossing the river.
Great video, Sean and thanks!
Really hoping both Xinkhova and Nkoveni get to raise this next round successfully — they have both more than earned it. On the Plains Camp Males, what you saw was indeed a dominance or mock mating display — two males from the same coalition will occasionally do this as a way of reinforcing the bond and hierarchy between them. It looks strange but it is fairly normal behaviour within a coalition. Not true mating, just a reminder of who defers to whom. The river crossing is amazing — there is something about lions in water that always delivers.
Thank you Sean, there’s nothing like large male lions roaring and walking right past you….spine tingling!
I’m not at all surprised Xinkhova has been mating with that male, makes total sense. Do you know anything about him yet? Also are there any other males nearby, or is it part of her father’s territory?
Spine tingling is exactly the right description — there is nothing quite like it. On the mating male, we have not been able to get any more info on him yet. This would be part of the Maxim’s Male territory.
Hi Sean! This is the raw life of the bush as you show it perfectly! The two male lions in the darkness are incredible! Walking among lions eating… close to those two beasts… and the lovely Xinkova has come back to a proper leopard ‘s life, mating and hunting… I just didn’t get it properly, was that the same male who killed her cubs or another one? Oh, the Nkoveni Female… clock is ticking for her, but if I should bet on a leopard females success, that would be her…. and her sister Ximungwe. I’m sad their mother Mashaba disappeared without leaving any trace… for good it seems…. but her legacy goes on in her daughter’s and grandchildren…. and the Ndzanzeni female? She’s not so old after all… she was a tough guy…
The darkness made those Plains Camp Males even more dramatic — there is something about lions at night that just hits differently. On Xinkhova’s mating male, we believe it is the same skittish male who has been seen in her area and is believed to be responsible for the loss of her cubs.
Hi Sean, your video this week is jammed pack with excitement. Firstly it is so good to see the Plains Camp males, they have always been my favorite coalition. Huge and absolutely stunning two males. Those passersby of the two males are spectacular. Good to see and hear the Ximungwe female mating again, I did not catch if you mentioned who the male leopard was. Ximungwe is a fabulous female and a fighter right up till the end. Oh that is absolutely good news to hear Nkoveni, my favorite leopardess has suckle Marks. Can not wait to see little fur balls again.
The Plains Camp Males are hard not to love — just absolute units of lions. As for the mating male with Xinkhova, we have not been able to confirm his identity yet. The footage gave us a good look but not enough to pin him down conclusively. We are working on it and will update as soon as we know more. And yes — suckle marks on Nkoveni is very exciting news. Fingers crossed the den gets confirmed soon and then we can really start following this story properly. Watch this space.
Big, bold and loud, the Plains Camp males don’t seem to be nervous about running into the Gijimas. The lion dynamics seem to continue to evolve as the duo coalitions move in and out of the territory. It will be interesting to see how long the Gijimas will continue to control their territory and its prides before one of the other coalitions either chases them away or one or both are killed. Luckily the Ndhzengas were able to move north….. It is good that female leopards’ memories are short so that those who lose their cubs to male leopards, begin the search for a territorial male in order to fall pregnant again. Perhaps this time, more motherly instincts will surface enabling her to raise at least one cub successfully. It’s fantastic to see the Mhangeni pride looking strong once again. I’ve followed this pride since first seeing them in 2016 when they were at least 16 strong, through their gains and losses. As I recall, it seems the Nkumati coalition has been seen mating with a couple of the females.
Anyway, have a great week and thanks for today’s safari..
You are right that the Plains Camp Males seem completely unbothered — two very large, very confident lions who know their size does the talking for them. The Gijimas have had a long run and the pressure from multiple directions is real. Whether they hold on or eventually get pushed out is one of the more compelling ongoing storylines out here right now. And yes, the Nkumati Coalition has been mating with a couple of the Mhangeni females — more cubs likely on the way from that pride.
Sean, Spectacular sightings! Man, those lions are huge and loud! The ground shots are really cool. Also the aerial videos of Xinkhova are amazing. Do you control it from your vehicle?
Thanks so much. They are huge males. The visuals from above are a fantastic way to see what was happening. Yes, we do.