We had been searching for leopards all morning when reports came through of a possible mating pair in the northern parts of Londolozi. Naturally, we headed in that direction, hoping we might be lucky enough to find them. But instead of finding a mating pair of leopards, we found two very familiar faces.
Ngungwe Female and her young daughter were together, but this was not the warm reunion one might expect between a mother and daughter. The two were engaged in a tense exchange, snarling and chuffing at one another as they stood their ground. There was no real fighting, but it was clear that the Ngungwe Female was making her feelings known.
Between snarling at her daughter, the Ngungwe Female took a rest upon this boulder. Out of the way of the approaching hyenas and away from her daughter, who was visibly annoying her.
Born 2020 during lockdown to Piccadilly Female. Once skittish, now confident mother denning her first litter in Marthly's rocky terrain.
As we watched, a pair of hyenas began moving towards the commotion, adding another layer of tension to the encounter. Their arrival seemed to hasten the process, and slowly the two leopards began to move apart, each heading in their own direction. It was a brief interaction, but one that said a great deal. Both leopards showed clear signs they were ready for the next chapter of their lives. This interaction got me thinking, though: what has the Ngungwe Female been doing the last few months, and what does the future potentially have in store for her?
The Ngungwe Female was asserting her dominance over her daughter and reminding the younger female that she was still in control of this part of the landscape. Her daughter has now reached a stage where she is completely independent and no longer needs her mother beside her. The boundaries between the two are becoming clearer, with the young female beginning to establish her own space while Ngungwe continues to hold on to the areas she still frequents.
If I’m very honest, this is only the second opportunity I have had to properly look at the Ngungwe Young Female (who should be named in the coming months) and she is beautiful. She is the perfect mix of mother and grandmother, the Piccadilly Female.
For the mother, however, this is not simply a story about her daughter becoming independent. Her own story appears to be entering another interesting chapter. Recently, a conversation with our next-door neighbours told us the Ngungwe Female has been seen mating on their property. This is particularly interesting given the uncertainty surrounding what happened earlier this year.
For some time, we had reason to believe that she may have given birth. There were signs that suggested she could have been denning with a cub, but despite our hopes and continued observations, no conclusive evidence ever came to light.
The same boulder but a different angle. The contrasting colours of the evening light and bright pink flowers of the impala Lilly make this photo for me.
Her recent mating activity now gives us another piece of the puzzle. While mating does not guarantee that a female will fall pregnant, it does make it increasingly likely that the Ngungwe Female did not have a cub from that previous period, and if she did, she likely lost them very early on.
If this recent mating bout has resulted in a pregnancy, we could once again see the Ngungwe Female entering one of the most important stages in the life of a female leopard. Should she have conceived, the coming 100 days could potentially bring the arrival of a new generation into the Ngungwe Female’s story.
Few words can explain how beautiful the Ngungwe Female is. Her nature has relaxed considerably, making her a leopard in the northern parts of Londolozi that you have to look for on any stay with us.
It would create an interesting contrast between mother and daughter. While the young female is stepping confidently into independence and establishing herself, the Ngungwe Female could be preparing to begin the process all over again with a new cub. For now, there are more questions than answers. Whether she is pregnant, where she will settle, and how much of her former territory she continues to use are all things that time will reveal.
That is part of what makes following individual leopards so rewarding. Their stories rarely move in straight lines. One chapter is closing as a young leopard leaves her mother’s side, while another may just be beginning for the Ngungwe Female herself.
0 Comments
on The Ngungwe Female Leopard’s Next Chapter