Thanks to the recent comments on Ross’s blog, just a few days ago, it dawned on me with a slight jolt of guilt that we hadn’t actually shared the news here on the blog of the passing of the Xitsalala Male. In short, he found himself in the crosshairs of the formidable Tortoise Pan Male and the equally notorious Tiyani Female, just north of our borders.

Let’s rewind a little.

The Xitsalala Male was a young and up-and-coming male leopard, battling to establish himself as a dominant leopard in this area. Born in 2019 and originally coming from much further north of Londolozi, he was firmly engaged in his nomadic exploration stage. Seeking out a territory of his own. Now, as a six-year-old leopard, he was growing in size and stature but probably not capable of driving out any of the dominant male leopards that we see on Londolozi.

Many of the sightings we had of him were within the Maxim’s Male’s turf. And honestly, challenging Maxim’s would’ve been a bit like trying to steal a steak from a lion, brave, but ultimately, a terrible life choice. So the Xitsalala Male did what any clever leopard would do: he retreated north of the Sand River, slinking back to test the boundaries and take stock of who was where.

For context, the Londolozi leopard landscape is like a patchwork of powerful personalities. In the south, the Maxim’s Male is an absolute tank. In the southwest, the Mawelawela Male holds court. The northwest is technically under the Hlambela Male (well, when we do see him). And then there’s the central-north and northeast, firmly in the iron grip of the Tortoise Pan Male, a brute of a leopard with a fierce and growing reputation.

So, with prime property hard to come by, the Xitsalala Male was wedged between powerhouses. Still, you had to admire his optimism. He patrolled, scent-marked, called, and even managed to mate with the Xinkhova Female.

But in leopard society, pretending to own land you don’t actually control is a dangerous game. The real landlords tend to notice. And it was just a matter of time before the Xitsalala Male was to be put in his place.

Now, as competitive as things are out here and as fierce as territorial battles can be, every leopard knows the golden rule: fight only when you must. Leopards live solitary lives, no backup and no second chances. A bad injury can mean the end, so most confrontations end before they get truly ugly.

But not this one.

We don’t have photos of that fateful morning, so let’s fire up the imagination.

Wandering about early one morning, the eager young gun crossed paths with the reigning heavyweight of the north, the Tortoise Pan Male, and the Tiyani Female. A leopardess known for her fierce nature, who, at the time, was raising a cub and would have been sporting a full “don’t even think about it” attitude. The Xitsalala Male, being the intruder, had unknowingly wandered into a perfect storm of territorial fury and maternal instinct.

The scene must have erupted fast — both aggressors riling each other up, instincts flaring, and chaos breaking loose. They brutally attacked the Xitsalala Male. Usually, when one leopard gains the upper hand, the other waves the white flag of surrender, and the submissive behaviour slows the assault. The victor is likely to drive home his authority, deliver a few more blows, but then let the loser walk away, tail between his legs, knowing that he is not welcome here.

But this wasn’t your usual dominance spat. The Tortoise Pan Male laid into him properly, the kind of fight where you can hear the impact of the bodies hitting, the ripping and tearing of skin as claws lash out, teeth puncturing flesh.

It must have been over in seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

Eventually, he had Xitsalala in a crushing grip around the head, canines pressing dangerously close to his eye and ear. A bite like that can shatter bone.

When the dust settled, the Xitsalala Male staggered off, battered and broken. By that afternoon, the rangers of the north found him lying lifeless.

A brutal end for a leopard who showed such promise. But that’s nature, raw, unforgiving, and honest to the bone. It’s survival of the fittest in its purest form, ensuring that only the strongest and smartest genes endure.

So, here’s to the Xitsalala Male — bold, determined, and brave enough to dream big in a landscape ruled by giants.