As we approach the end of yet another spectacular year in the bush, with many exciting stories and adventures to look forward to in the next, we’re also excited to follow along into a new chapter of one of the lives of the Londolozi leopards.
We’re excited to officially announce that the Three Rivers Young female will now be referred to as the Tinxiya Female.
The newly named Tinxiya Female Leopard.
Tinxiya is the local Shangaan word for ‘eyebrows’. This is a very fitting name for her, as the word itself, pronounced ‘tin-she-ya’ sounds beautiful, but it is also in reference to her unusually long eyebrow whiskers she had as a cub, and the prominent brow ridge she now shares with her father, the Maxim’s Male. This almost gives her a constant frowning appearance, just like her father.
My first ever glimpse of her as a very small cub, peering out at us from within the safety of her den which was a cavity within an ancient Zulu Milkberry tree.
Here you can see her prominent brow ridge that gives her a constant frowning appearance.
Her father, the regal Maxims Male Leopard.
She was the only surviving cub from a litter of two, born early March last year. Initially, she was a very skittish and unrelaxed cub. Though over the months, through careful consideration of the way we viewed her in those early stages and by placing sensitivity at the forefront of operating sightings of her, she has now become supremely relaxed around vehicles, which was a huge win for the Ranger and Tracker team.
She keeps a watchful eye on her mother, who was feeding on an impala carcass nearby.
As the only cub at such a young age, it was crucial for her to have many regular hours of play with her mother, the Three Rivers Female.
At 20 months old now, she is right on the cusp of independence but is still seen occasionally sharing kills with her mother. She is the Three Rivers Female’s first independent daughter, and this will also mean that she might shift territory on her own account to accommodate the Tinxiya Female needing her own space.
Mother leopards will always place their cubs’ success above their own at the stage of their independence, and would rather bear the brunt of any territorial conflict as a result of territory shift, rather than their daughters. This will ensure that the Tinxiya Female is on her best foot going forward into adulthood. Ultimately, the goal for all leopards is for their cubs to continue their legacy, long after they are gone.
This period in a young female leopard’s life is always fascinating to observe. No one can say for sure where she eventually might settle and how she will fit into the dense network of territories across the reserve. It will be interesting to see where the Three Rivers Female goes and what lies on the horizon for her. The constant state of flux in leopard territories always keeps us rangers and trackers on the edge of our seats.
Londolozi guests enjoyed a spectacular sighting of the Three Rivers Female and the Tinxiya Female as they played and chased each other about.
At the moment, her future territory remains uncertain, as she will need to navigate a very competitive landscape with pressure from the Nkoveni, Xinkhova, Ximungwe and Ndzanzeni Females who are nearby.
The Tinxiya Female definitely inherited more of her father’s genes as she is already larger than her mother, who will be 10 years old next year.
However, we are absolutely thrilled to have yet another independent female leopard on the reserve, and it truly has been a great privilege to have shared in some of the many magical sightings this mother and daughter duo have provided us with over the past year and a half. We’re looking forward to providing more updates on her progression through adulthood in the coming months.
She’s a beautiful looking leopard great photography Matt wonder what her future holds so young and impressive
Loved spending time with the two of them in Sept 2024 and enjoying the playful interactions! She is so pretty and I hope that she does well!
Lovely, Thnx Matt!
Hi Matt, very exciting news! She actually looks a lot like her father, still she has something in her eyes, crown markings and else like ears placement that resemble her mum, one of the most beautiful leopards. This is a crucial point for the Three Rivers female! And how big her daughter’s paws are! She looks like a teddy- leopard! Also the strict dependency she had from her mum makes it even sweeter. It will be a thrill to follow her steps and see if she manages to navigate among those celebrated rivals, lions and hyenas…
Has she reached her full size or has she still got some growing to do? Although she’s a stunning leopard, being that size I wouldn’t call her pretty. If she was a tall human female I would call her a handsome woman. Do you think her size alone would make it easier to gain territory?
Thanks, Matt, for this great update on the Tinxiya Female It’s always so fantastic to hear that one of those mega cute little leopard cubs made it to adulthood.. The Tinxiya Female is really beauty and has these special long eyebrows which make it easy to identify her.
When I saw her in 2024 she was already such a relaxed cub around the safari cars that it was such a pleasure to observe her and her mother.
Matt, Chuck and I were excited to learn the name given the Three River female’s cub and especially, interested in the derivation of Tinxiya ( and thanks for the proper pronunciation). We had lots of fun watching this pair when we were with you and Terrence in 2024. I think you may remember how Terrence assisted in making sure we got a really good view of mom and daughter. We are looking forward to reminiscing about this when we see you and Terrence again in June, 2026.
She is lovely <3
Matt, Hooray! Another one makes it through!!! At first, we didn’t understand the name, but when you explained it, that was really helpful – and pronunciation is clear now too. 😉 It will be interesting to see how the dynamic between her and her mother develops over time.
Dear Matt, great . she is a wonderful leopard with a special face. For me she looks a little bit like Tatowa. Hope to see her in the future.
Hi Matt, thanks for informing us the Three Rivers cubs New name. She is quite spectacular and large just like her father. Hope she survives for many years to come. Beautiful name by the way Tinxiya it suites her.
Tinxiya is definitely her father’s daughter, sharing some of his notable characteristics. Considering her rocky beginning, extremely skittish and not wanting to eat, she has grown into a stunning, relaxed leopardess. Given the plethora of female leopards in that particular area of Londolozi, it will be interesting to see if territories shift, hopefully without altercations or injuries. Thanks for your update Matt with your accompanying photos.
What a beautiful young leopard! What a great story. Three Rivers has been a good mother and has raised Tinxiya well. I loved meeting them both last September, and have enjoyed following them through this fantastic blog/site.
I can’t wait to get back to Londolozi to see these beautiful leopards again.
Loved this introduction! She is a distinctive looking cat with those eyes/eyebrows. I went back and looked at the photos I took in October of ‘24 and, sure enough, I see those brows. Her resemblance to Maxim’s male seemingly confirms his fatherhood!