I had just dropped tracker Advice on foot, following up on a brief visual only he and I had of the Nsuku Male Leopard around Siding 61 Dam, I decided to loop around the dam to see whether the male would pop out onto a nearby road. Fortunately, we came across this beautiful elephant bull walking right down the road toward the vehicle. Elephants always look great in black and white!

The Shingi Male was peacefully resting on a fallen marula when he spotted a small herd of impala in the distance. He quickly tried to change his pose, tucked himself as low down on the branches as he could, trying to remain hidden and out of view. His body language and movements changed considerably in a matter of seconds.

In a recent sighting of the Shingi Male, he was using this fallen marula as a vantage point. For a young Male leopard, he already has a very impressive presence. His pink nose and continued presence in the South-eastern realms of Londolozi make him instantly recognisable.

After an incredibly exciting morning, finding three leopards in the first hour, we were treated to the Xinzele Female circling the surrounds of a nearby waterhole for the safest place to grab a drink. She may be using Ximpalapala Koppie as her den site, as she has been seen frequently on a set of granite boulders on the southern side of the koppie. Fingers crossed!

Part of the same exciting morning referred to in the previous picture, we initially found the long, draped tail of the Ngungwe Female hanging from a marula tree on the northern crests. As the morning warmed, she lifted her head among the dappled leaves to assess her surroundings before descending the tree and retreating toward the thickets.

After a lengthy search of the area and numerous rasping calls heard deep in the drainage line of the Tugwaan riverbed, tracker Advice and I were over the moon to find the Ximungwe Female scanning her surroundings from the upper realms of this jackalberry tree. I really love and appreciate the incredible way leopards are able to balance themselves among the branches of trees. What a sight!

Following a night of loud vocalisation on the airstrip, it was a no-brainer to head to the airstrip first thing in the morning. It certainly did not disappoint. The Msuthlu pride were interested in hunting a large herd of wildebeest about 300 metres down the airstrip. As the pride got up and moved toward the airstrip apron, this female walked down the centre line and provided us with a glimpse into her eyes and a beautiful story.

As with the picture above, the Msuthlu Pride, and specifically the younger offspring in the pride, couldn’t resist the urge of potential food in the form of wildebeest who were waiting anxiously on the airstrip apron.

I love this picture of the side profile of one of the now dominant Gijima Males. Lions live incredibly complex and brutal lives in the bush, and I always ponder on the incredible things these eyes must have seen.

Sitting next to the lions while they were finishing off a buffalo kill they had made that morning, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the beautiful sunset behind us, and I actually managed to convince everyone on the vehicle that just for a moment, we’d leave the lions to feed and simply just enjoy the beautiful sunset and silhouette it created of these White-backed Vultures in a leadwood tree.

This pack of two wild dogs has provided the field team with fantastic viewing and surprise over the summer months. Incredibly difficult animals to follow due to their lack of individuals in the pack, they provide great excitement when they are spontaneously found during game drive. On this afternoon, the sunlight was perfect, and their coat patterns and beautifully orange eyes were mesmerising.

Whilst stopped in the clearing, thinking and talking about various micro-biomes that exist across Londolozi, I couldn’t help but quickly grab my camera to capture this beautiful male, with his golden coat against the lush and dense greenery of the Sand River in the background.

And, how could I forego a picture of this curious hyena cub whose curiosity led him to come very close to my driver’s seat door and capture this close-up, as we locked eyes for a brief moment, before he scurried back to the comfort and safety of his den.

Lastly, one of my favourite animals to see in the bush is a Flap-necked Chameleon. I actually jumped out of the vehicle and lay in the road with this little guy to capture this eye-level shot of him swaying in the road to mimic a leaf and avoid predation.