What a weekend this turned out to be.
It started with something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. An albino zebra foal. .
From there we turned our attention to the Ximungwe Female. She’s denning at the moment with two cubs that we estimate to be around ten to twelve weeks old, and we were desperate to get a good view of them. Our first attempt was an afternoon session at the den site, and honestly, the bush humbled us. We sat for hours and saw nothing but a few lizards warming themselves on the rocks. No leopard. No cubs. Nothing.
So we were back at first light the following morning. And this time, as we pulled up to the den site, there she was. Sitting out in the open. Moments later, she began contact calling, that low rasping sound a female leopard makes when she wants her cubs to come to her. But instead of the cubs emerging, she got up and disappeared into the thickets to go to them. And then we waited. And waited.
After more than an hour of patience, we were finally rewarded with the most incredible sighting. The Ximungwe Female out in the open with both cubs. It was one of those moments where all the time invested, the failed afternoon, the early morning start, the long wait, all of it just falls away because what you’re looking at is so special.
To close out the drive, we swung past two of the two Gijima Male lions. These are enormous males in their prime and they were resting on the banks of the Sand River with the most stunning view stretched out behind them. It was one of those scenes that just stops you.
What a weekend. Three completely different sightings, each one remarkable in its own right. And the exciting news is that next weekend is shaping up to be just as good. The Gijima Males have been seen mating with a new lioness, which is always dramatic viewing, and we think we may have found another leopard den site. So make sure you come back for that one.
Enjoy This Virtual Safari…
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Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
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on From an Albino Foal to Leopard Cubs at the Den | Virtual Safari #316