Some moments in the bush only make sense once you piece them together. A sighting here, a behaviour there — and suddenly the bigger picture starts to form. Over the past few days, we had only been seeing the Tinxiya Female, while her mother, the Three Rivers Female, had been noticeably absent. At the time, it felt unusual, but as the morning unfolded, it began to make sense. The Three Rivers Female hadn’t vanished; she had simply shifted out of her core territory, likely moving more widely as she searched for a male to mate with.
We were out on our morning game drive, heading into Ximungwe Female territory after reports that she had been seen again, now looking pregnant. As guides and guests alike, speculation has naturally begun to build around where Ximungwe might choose to den next, the final weeks of pregnancy always sharpening our attention to detail.
But on our way there, not far from where Ximungwe had been seen, another report came in: two leopards moving through the dense thickets.
At first, only one was obvious. The powerful build, confident stride, and unmistakable presence of the Maxims Male emerged between the vegetation. The second leopard, moving sporadically and partially obscured — as leopards often are during mating behaviour — was clearly a female, but difficult to identify at first.
We waited.
When they eventually paused, and we managed to get binoculars onto her, there was no mistaking it. It was the Three Rivers Female.
Almost as soon as we confirmed their identities, she stood, flicked her tail deliberately across the Maxim’s Male’s face, and in that simple, intimate gesture, the moment was clear. Right there in front of us, the Three Rivers Female confirmed what we had been quietly anticipating.
She is beginning again.
Having successfully raised the Tinxiya Female to independence, she is now starting the process all over. For months, every sighting of mother and daughter together carried the same question: when will the last shared meal be? When will the moment arrive that signals the end of one chapter and the beginning of another?
Here, the Three Rivers Female and the Tinxiya Female paused for a moment, looking around in the surrounding clearings for their next target to hunt.
That moment, it seems, has arrived.
With her daughter now navigating independence, the Three Rivers Female’s priorities have shifted. Over the coming weeks, we can expect to see her range more widely across the reserve, taking calculated risks as she moves beyond the edges of her core territory. This is the phase where she seeks opportunity — mating with multiple males to ensure the strongest possible genetic future for her next litter.
It is a vulnerable time, but also one filled with purpose.
Seeing her with the Maxim’s Male felt like confirmation rather than a surprise. It was something we had been expecting, just not something you can ever predict the timing of.
The bush doesn’t draw clear lines between endings and beginnings. Things overlap. One leopard prepares to den. Another begins mating. And life continues quietly in between.
For the Three Rivers Female, this is the start of her new chapter.
Thank you for describing the next chapter in Three Rivers’ life so lovingly Megan. I saw the two together in September 24 and I hope to see the newly independent daughter again in April. Perhaps, by then, both Three Rivers and the Ximungu Female will both be caring for new cubs….
Thanks for this news about the Three Rivers Female. The Maxims Male might be the father of her new litter again. That sounds really great.
I do hope that I might see either the Ximungwe’s new cub or cubs in April or the Three Rivers. Well the latter ones might be still too young to be seen. It’s always nice when newborn cubs another mother can have some privacy first.
Hi Megan, the previous called Three Rivers young male, I didn’t remember his new name- have you got any news on him? And who was his father? The Ximungwe female is denning… I can’t think of her without melancholy. She such a brave and resilient mother, who fought to feed her son in desperate condition, be was such a character, so unique… I still remember his smile and large ears. As the Nkoveni copycat young female. Fate and nature are particularly hard sometimes… but let’s hope for the best. And the Ntomi male?
Hi Megan, a new love affair in the bush has began. Something to look forward to then, new cubs from the Three Rivers female. Ximungwe female is also pregnant and we are awaiting her cubs.
This is such a thoughtfully written blog Megan updating us on the movements of the Three Rivers female since her daughter became independent. Hopefully she will mate with a couple of other males so her next litter will be protectedMawelawela would be a good choice… it’s fascinating that as soon as females’ offspring become independent, they begin to widen their territory in search of mating partners. I suppose Nkoveni is mating as well so come spring there could be a few cubs to see. It might be good timing for my visit mid-April to finally view some little cubs. Great news Ximungwe is pregnant and ready to den. As I recall she likes a very rocky, inaccessible spot to hide them after giving birth.