Today’s Virtual Safari sees us following up on the mother cheetah and her sub0adult male the following morning after last week’s story. We find them perched on a termite mound taking in the early morning light and scanning for any danger and prey. After a while, the mother notices something and begins to stalk. The young male watches very closely, absorbing all the hunting experience he can from his successful mother.
We take the afternoon drive to find the Birmingham Coalition who were in separate areas. Starting with the Nkuhuma Male who reveals himself and rests on the edge of the airstrip. Then we head across to the Birmingham Male who had found two of the Ntsevu Females nearby to where we left him in the morning.
Lastly, we have some exciting news about the Tsalala Female which we have not yet released. She has found a companion and has been roaming around with a Mhangeni Lioness for the last few weeks.
Enjoy this Virtual Safari…
To view the YouTube link, click here.
Such an amazing video this week Sean! I enjoyed seeing the cheetah duo, although disappointed the mother was not able to unleash her strength after spotting the Steenbok. It’s interesting to see the Birmingham and Nkuhuma males still very much in the heart of Londolozi given their rivals are close by. As the Birmingham male was with the two Ntsevu females, could they be the mothers of his or his brother’s remaining cubs?
Tsalala looks wonderful and it’s terrific she has an aunt to take the place of her mother, so to speak. They seem to be very affectionate now, but things may change if the Mhagene female gives birth. Time will reveal Tsalala’s reaction when the time comes.
It is very interesting to see them here indeed, however they are still somewhat displaying nomadic behaviour with many other coalitions in the surrounding areas. The two Ntsevu lionesses that he was with are the mothers of his (or his brother’s) remaining cubs. Those two lionesses as well as their cubs were seen elsewhere on the reserve during this time (quite far away). Time will indeed tell, Denise!
Great video this week. I loved seeing all the characters – from the cheetah mother and cub, the Birmingham and Nkuhuma males to my favourite Tsalala female and her new companion, the Mhangeni Lioness. I’ve been praying that the Tsalala female finds a female companion so it warms my heart to see the affection between the two. I hope things get better and better for the Tsalala female as she has had such a difficult start to her young life. Her mother was formidable and was so cruelly taken, but it’s comforting to see her offspring thriving.
Thank you so much, Lisa. It has been a great week, with wonderful sightings. We look forward to sharing further updates on the Tsalala Lioness in the future.
Thanks for an entertaining Sunday morning Sean! First the two Cheetah – so cool to see them in “hunt mode”. Then the Nkuhuma Male – we think he needs a freshen-up of his mane 😉 and we look forward to seeing him develop. The finale with the two females intertwined was great to see. We hope that they can stay close as there is definitely strength in numbers. When will Tsalala be ready to mate?
I’m very glad to hear that you enjoyed the video this week, Michael & Terri! We assume that the Tsalala Female will be ready to mate towards the end of this year, as we have not seen her mating yet.
It’s great to hear from the Tsalala lioness again, and that she is doing so well with her companion.
The video of the cheetahs is also amazing. They also look so healthy and active.
And of course, also the news of the last Birmingham male is so good. Nice to be able to see all these favorite animals again from time to time.
It’s always so interesting out there in the bush of Londolozi.
When is the best time to visit? February or May?
It certainly has been interesting, Christa. Take a look at this blog, https://blog.londolozi.com/2019/07/12/when-is-the-best-time-to-visit-londolozi/ to get a better idea of when the best time to visit Londolozi is, it’s very much up to personal preference.
Hi Sean, fantastic to see the Tsalala female with her aunt, the way they hold each other is quite adorable. Gorgeous video of the Cheetah and her adult cub, he just wants to play with mom. Wonderful to hear the Birmingham male lion is back and spending time with two Ntsevu females, hopefully there will be cubs soon.
It is certainly a very exciting time, Valmai. We look forward to sharing further updates with you in the future.
A very special video for the week! The brave cheetah mum and her son are a delight. The Birmingham male’s return with his relative… and in the end the Tsalala female, a history of loneliness finally has a happy end! The” smile ” on the lioness’ faces is the treat for today- how greatly they bond together!
Thank you Francesca, it has indeed been a great week of sightings.
Thanks for the update, Sean, the Tsalala pride is one of my favorites.
Seeing that she is no longer alone, I am really happy for her. The magic of nature always brings us unexpected surprises.
By the way, Sean, do you think the Mhangeni is pregnant? I’m a little confused. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed our updates, Michael. At this stage, we can only speculate that the Mhangeni female may be pregnant, as she was seen mating with the Plains Camp Males a few months ago. Time will tell and we look forward to sharing any updates with you in the future!
Very cool to see the Cheetah in stalk mode! I also loved seeing the interaction between the two Lioness’ Tsalala and her aunt. Great week in video thanks.
Thank you so much, Kara. It has been a great week!
The cheetah family have been so great to have around on Londolozi! They are very beautiful!
Agreed, Lise. They have been such a delight to watch, and have on Londolozi.
Thank you for the updates on the Nkuhuma & Nhenha. Always a pleasure to see Cheetah. Have a wonderful week
You’re very welcome Mj. I hope you have a great week too!
fascinating. really interesting video.
Great week in video Sean! I always love the cheetah, and am glad they have become regular features in TWIP and the video highlights! It would have been cool to see the mother in action at full speed, but grateful for the video you got. And super heartened about the young Tsalala female bonding with the Mhagene female. Wishing her the very best luck!!