It’s been a fairly heavy leopard week, with a couple of Londolozi’s better known individuals taking centre stage.
As spectacular as isolated sightings can be, seeing the same leopard on consecutive days is usually the best way to enhance one’s appreciation of these creatures. By following its life as it hunts, scent-marks, calls, fetches its cub, feeds, escapes from danger, or performs any of a hundred and one things they do during their day-today, one is able to gain a far better understanding of their place in their environment.
This was the scenario for a couple of leopards over the last seven days, with the Ximungwe female in particular giving us some wonderful insights into her life.
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
The Ximungwe female on an evening that she didn’t go back to her cub. When a mother leopard is on the move there is always the hope that she is going to lead you to a den, but on this afternoon we were out of luck. Not to complain about a leopard sighting, but if I’m being completely honest we were just the tiniest bit disappointed…
A grey heron stands vigil at a hippo pool. These tall piscivores can sometimes be seen standing on the backs of the hippos themselves, using them as convenient perches from which to fish.
Head Tracker Jerry Hambana, waiting patiently for a very rare bird to emerge from the grassy fringe of a small pan.
The bird in question. I’m cheating a bit as this was actually from last week, but is worth a mention. This is a Striped Crake, and extremely rare bird species in these parts that was a lifer (a bird species seen for the very first time) for everyone who saw it. It was around for only a couple of days (that we know of) before the pan was dry and elephants had walked the area flat. Intra-African migrants, Striped Crakes head back to Central and West Africa during the South African winter.
On the subject of birds, some of the migrants have been hanging around longer than we would have thought. This was the last Woodland Kingfisher of the season – at least for me – and it, like all its counterparts, are also no on their way back towards the Equator and further north.
The Ximungwe female again, on a day in which she gave us a proper run-around for about an hour before she was found. Impalas alarming brought us into the area, then a combination of tracks, monkeys chattering, squirrels alarming, excellent work by trackers Advice Ngwenya and Joy Mathebula, and a lot of patience resulted in her being found as she walked briefly on a road before diving into a thicket once more.
Eventually though, she emerged onto a different road, and we were able to enjoy spectacular views of her before she headed into the bushes once more, and we left her to her own morning.
There’s no better way to enjoy a misty Autumn morning in the bush than on foot…
Elephant calfs start learning the ins and outs of trunk control by playing with small objects like sticks and leaves; anything light enough to not cause them too much bother.
A hadeda ibis – one of South Africa’s louder and more ubiquitous bird species – has its iridescent wing plumage on display in the golden afternoon light.
A pied kingfisher hovers above the Sand River, waiting for a fish to drift unwittingly close to the surface. Water refracts light, so fish under the surface look like they’re in a different spot to where they actually are. Kingfishers are able to compensate for this, recalibrating their dive to make sure they spear the fish accurately.
The Ximungwe female did eventually allow us a view of her cub. She had made two impala kills and hoisted them in separate marula trees, and brought the cub to the site. It is till young and nervous of vehicles, and we had to wait quite a while for it to pluck up the nerve to emerge from the thicket after its mother had called insistently for quite a while.
This purple-crested turaco hopped onto a branch outside the Londolozi offices, and thankfully stayed put long enough for us to slowly squeeze a window open and snap a photo.
The Plaque Rock female was discovered on a hoisted impala kill. She was sleeping peacefully here, but by the next morning she had been robbed by her own mother the Nkoveni female.
The Nkoveni female brought her cubs to feed on the hoisted impala (one cub is in the higher branches here but can’t be distinguished), and we left them at last light, one cub in the marula, the mother resting in the main fork, and the second cub about 100 metres off, sheltering in a small Apple Leaf Tree.
The purple-crested turaco is very striking; don’t think I’ve seen one on your blog before? Stunning photos, especially the last one of the sunset with Nkoveni in the tree. And what a gorgeous one of the Ximungwe cub.
Special picture this edition with the leopard cub and the turaco catching our attention for long! It’s always a delight to see wildlife thriving
Great post James – demonstrates the wider diversity of what Londolozi has to offer, rather than a concentration on cats (comment coming from a keen birder 😊) 👍👍
The leopard cub is so cute and off course mommy is beautiful. Little elephant playing with a stick is so funny, as it learns how to use it’s trunk. Beautiful foto’s James and the birds are spectacular in colour. Loved the leopards!!! Last foto of the Nkoveni leopard in the fork of the tree and at last light makes it so much more stunning.
Have you guys seen anything about the Makhomsava females cub haven’t heard anythiny in ages?
Don’t recall ever seeing purple-crested turaco–beautiful bird.
Again a wonderful series of photos. I think the various versions of kingfishers are my favorite birds.
Great photos, James.
Great birds pictures today. And nice shot of Tracker Jerry. I have done many of those sits myself when it comes to birding!
Sublime……the leopards of Londolozi doing their best Oscars red carpet appearances this week! Great photos!
Awesome week again. You guys were so incredibly lucky with all the amazing leopard sightings.
James, I loved purple crested turco
This was an enchanting week in pictures and I loved each one – the cub young shy cub and the baby elephant learning to use his trunk. The young leopard asleep with her dinner. Iy is raining and cold here which makes me wish I was there. ThNk you fir sharing!! Victoria
What can I say?? .. Other than that this weeks pictures are SOOO CRISP! Each speaks for itself upon what was captured and felt during seeing the experience. The picture of the baby calf and the Leopard cub are just precious! .. The finale of the evening sky says it all. No drama. Just serenity within the Bush.
The cub photo says it all! Thanx for another wonderful week of photos.
How fortunate to see a Striped Crake James !! Super bird photos, the Turaco was one of my fathers favorites ☺️ ..I never got to find one myself though. Love the shot of the cub with mum blurred in the foreground and of course… the baby Eli 🙏🏻💕💕. Another special week to keep us ever present and close to Londolozi ! Thank you
For all the well deserved talk if leopards, the birds shone nearly as brightly!! Excellent week of wonderful and memorable images James!