The Plaque Rock Females cubs! This revelation sent ripples of excitement through the ranks of rangers and trackers, all of us determined to uncover the mystery of the location of her den. Last spotted in mid-October, her swollen belly hinted at impending motherhood, but no suckle marks left us in suspense. November brought clarity – unmistakable signs that she had become a proud mother.
Undeterred by scorching heat and endless hours in the bush, my mission was clear, I had to find her den. A breakthrough unfolded when she appeared in the heart of her territory, feeding on two impala lamb carcasses. Seizing the opportunity, I committed to the cause and nestled into the shade, patiently awaiting her midday mission to nurse her cubs between her own hearty feasts.
Hours passed in anticipation, the relentless sun bearing down. Despite surrendering to its unforgiving rays, the wait wasn’t in vain. That afternoon, my perseverance paid off as she remained in the same spot, gracefully returning to feed after a brief respite.
The next day brought a new twist – she was nowhere in sight! Determined to solve the mystery, I joined forces with fellow rangers on a quest for fresh clues. Tracks in the river teased us, yet the den remained elusive.
Then, fate smiled upon us. Twenty-four hours later, she reappeared. With unwavering determination, I shadowed her until a soft chuffing contact call filled the air – she was summoning her cubs. Success! There it was, the hidden den, sheltering three pint-sized, heart-meltingly adorable cubs.
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Thank you Sean for this wonderful discovery…. What a way to start the Advent season ! So exciting to see these three little cubs, they are awesome. Looking forward to their follow up. A lovely sunny Sunday to you from a wintery and cold Brussels day…
Thank you so much, Annick-Jean-Dennis. It was such a welcomed discovery and we aer so excited to see what else this brings during the festive season.
That’s fabulous, Sean…..well done to all of you, your perseverance certainly paid off! Let’s hope it’s 3rd (or 4th?) times lucky – I know she’s lost all her litters so far. Can’t wait to see more next week.
Thank you so much, Suzanne. Let’s hope that it is 4th time lucky.
Yay! 🥳
It is such exciting news
How very precious to see cubs!
It really is so awesome.
Wonderful that the Plaque Rock Female has cubs! They are so tiny and so cute.
Keep my fingers crossed that they will make it.
Great video, Sean and you really had a lot of patience searching for the cubs.
These cubs are so cute so lets hope that their mother manages to keep them safe. Thank you, I got a bee in my bonnet and was willing to go through whatever it took to find the den.
Yes Sean that long wait in the blistering sun paid off you. So very appreciative to you for sticking it out in that hot condition, to finally see those three tiny cubs. Oh how I wish I could see just one of those little bundles of fur with mom. So very precious. Can’t wait for the follow up video to see the three cubs nursing with mom.
Th elong wait and patience certainly did pay off in the end. Although I did not find the den straight away or on that day, it didn’t take long before we did.
Great video of tracking the Plaque Rock female to her den. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much, William. I am so happy that we have found the den and can now hopefully, get some great viewing of the tiny leopard cubs.
Way to go Sean! You stuck it out in the heat and we were all rewarded. Thanks for taking us along! Can’t wait to see the follow up.
Thank you so much, Rob. Thankfully, all the patience paid off in the end.
OMG, perseverance and patience truly paid off in the search for Plaque Rock’s cubs! How cute were those little fluff balls of spotted fur that looked to be weeks old, and three of them is really amazing. Definitely sitting in the heat of the day, watching a new mom eating, drinking and resting in the hopes that she’ll treat you to a view of her little ones is totally worth the wait, even if she doesn’t follow your script. Well captured Sean.
The perseverance certainly did pay off in the end, Denise. They are incredibly cute and we hope to have many more great sightings with them.
Sean, What a fantastic sighting and great news about the new cubs! Well done!
Thanks so much, Michael. I am so happy that we found the den.
Soooooo sweet! I can’t wait for the next installment!😍😍😍
Thank you so much, Ann. I can’t wait to share the next instalment with you.
The suspense and then just a little sneak peak! OMG!
The little sneak peak, just enough to keep everyone coming back for the next episode.