This week’s Virtual Safari is packed with surprises, drama, and pure magic. From leopards on boulders to cheetahs outwitted by vultures.
We begin by following the Nhlanguleni Female, whose story always seems to unfold with mystery. After monkeys alerted us to her presence, we found her — a little battered and bruised, but still regal as ever. She led us toward an area where she’s denned before, immediately raising our hopes that she might have cubs again. Pausing atop a stunning boulder and investigating the area while a pair of hyenas lurked nearby was both thrilling and tense. While no cubs revealed themselves, the sighting gave us a chance to reflect on the last time she was seen here, with two tiny cubs tucked safely among the rocks.
Next, we turn to the Gijima Males, who continue their steady march northward, now bringing sightings of the Msuthlu Pride (formerly the Talamati Breakaway Pride) back onto Londolozi. Their presence is adding a new spark to the ever-shifting lion dynamics.
But the bush wasn’t done showing off. In one of the most intriguing moments in recent memory, Andrea and Sersant found the Ndzanzeni Female literally in a waterhole, covered in mud, dragging an impala out of the water. What followed was pure chaos.
And finally, the Makhatini Family of cheetah put on a show for Megan and Veatence, catching an impala, only to be robbed by a wake of vultures. Four nearly full-grown cheetahs scattering from a bunch of birds… come on, guys, you can do better!
Enjoy this Virtual Safari…
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You can practically see the anger and frustration radiating off the Ndzanzeni Female. Wet AND covered in mud–what an awful way to lose a meal.
I can only imagine how ticked off she must have been after that hyena stole her carcass.
So good to see the Nhlanguleni female again! She clearly needed a meal but am pleased to see her! The same goes for the Ndzanzeni female. Pretty plucky of her to try to defend that kill from a hyena! Glad she a chunk in the end.
She was looking rather hungry. Hopefully she managed to find something to eat after we left her. Yes, at least the Ndzanzeni Female managed to get something in the end.
What a brilliant and varied Virtual Safari, Sean….and many extra thanks for including the video of Nhlanguleni with her cubs from 2 years ago, absolutely gorgeous. Am I right in thinking though that the last time she brought cubs to independence was when she had Finfoot and Nkuwa?
Thank you so much, Suzanne.
Yes, the last cubs and the only cubs she has raised to independence was Nkuwa and Finfoot. She has had numerous litters since then but no luck with raising them.
Hi Sean, so glad to see the Nhlanguleni female again, she looks very thin and saw she was injured. But I am sure she will heal quickly. It was so rewarding to see her with her 2 tiny cubs in 2023. Gijima males are beautiful and they want to be the main coalition on Londolozi. Shame poor Ndzanzeni female got nothing out of the impala kill that was in the dam. Just muddy paws and her back full of mud. Off course the hyena will take her kill all for himself once again. I am disappointed that 4 Cheetah could not fend of the vultures. They should not give up so easily. Stunning video clips this week Sean.
She was looking rather thin, hopefully she managed to eat something after we left her.
I am glad you enjoyed all the clips this week.
Hi Sean, what a special edition, with the Nhlanguleni, Ngungwe and Ndzanzeni females! All absolutely elegant beautiful ladies, I appreciated a lot the Ndzanzeni ‘s bravery in opposing to the pesky hyena! And then all dirty with mould, poor she! Great action by lions, always a pleasure to see them. Do you think the Nhlanguleni female may have cubs now? It would be absolutely amazing, hyenas around are always a sign of food detectors … bothering leopards as usual! Wonderful cheetah, so unlucky and who knows why they gave up, maybe the mother doesn’t want to risk a beak. Thank you for this emotional edition
Thank you, Francesca. So I don’t think she has cubs at the moment. We thought she might have cubs, but based on her behaviour and the lack of sucklemarks, I do not think she is currently raising any.
And yet again we see how vulnerable leopards and cheetah are after securing a meal when other predators are nearby. I especially felt bad for Ndzanzeni after taking down that impala in the pan, no easy feat, and one hyena snatched it away from her. She fought for it but seems she decided it was better to walk away rather than endure an attack by the hyena. However, I was surprised that 4 cheetahs could not fend off the vultures, taking turns chasing them away, whilst others ate. I did notice one stayed with the kill as long as it could. Nhlanguleni is beginning to look her age, especially with her scrapes and cuts, as well as a bit hungry. Now that more lions are spending time on the property, I’m guessing the leopards will need to adjust their territories a bit to avoid attacks. Have the Ndhzengas been seen in their territory lately, spending time with the Kambula females, possibly mating? This would then lead those females to mate with the Gijimas for possible cub protection. Terrific video today!
I agree, the Nhlanguleni Female is starting to look a little tattered.
We haven’t seen the Ndzhenga Males for about 3 weeks. They might venture into the northern parts of Londolozi but I highly doubt we will see them down in the deep south any more.
Another fantastic video of the week,Sean.
I was just wondering: Didn‘t the Nhlanguleni female have her last litter in March/April 23? And she lost one cub to a hyena and the second one soon after?
Bad luck for the Makhatini family and the Ndanzeni female to lose their meal to scavengers.
A really exciting week for everyone at Londolozi.
Thank you so much, Christa. Yes, she has had a few litters since then (I think), but my point in the video was that the last time I saw her in that exact position was when she had that litter of cubs.
Love that footage from 2023 so much!
It was great to throwback to some sightings from then.