You might have seen some of these photos in my recent blog, but I thought it would be fitting to share the story behind them.
Early one morning, Tracker Trevor and I decided to try crossing the river to search for the Xinzele Female leopard, who we suspected might have been denning on Ximpalapala Koppies at the time. Many of you who have visited before will know exactly where I’m talking about. Ximpalapala Koppies is a rocky outcrop formed millions of years ago by a geological fault.
We had a lovely couple on the vehicle who were very passionate about photography, and we felt there was no better place to potentially capture a leopard on the rocks.
Not too far from the koppies, Trevor found tracks of a female leopard, which we believed to be the Xinzele Female, heading straight toward the outcrop. Our excitement quickly grew as we imagined the possibilities.
Fresh evidence of a leopard that has just walked down the road early one morning. Leopards will often use roads as pathways upon which they demarcate their territory through scent marking and scraping of their hind feet.
However, we were humbled fairly quickly. After searching the outcrop for around 30 minutes, we found nothing.
Trevor and I got out of the vehicle to confirm where we had last seen the tracks and which side of the koppie they were heading toward. He followed the leopard’s path, reading the flattened grass where she had walked, and then waited about 50 meters away on a fallen tree, scanning the area while I went back to fetch the vehicle.
I hopped in and started driving toward him, deciding to take a photo of him sitting on the fallen tree—something I thought he’d really appreciate.
Just as I was taking the photo, Trevor spotted the leopard on a boulder about halfway up the koppie and quickly called us in. We picked him up and were rewarded with a magnificent sighting of the Xinzele Female.
She then descended from the koppie and walked straight to where Trevor had been sitting moments before, using the spot as a vantage point over the surrounding landscape.
A stunning female found in the north. Successfully raised the Thumbela Female while establishing dominance in NW Marthly.
We followed her down the road until she disappeared into a thicket where we could no longer continue.
It was incredible to think that I had captured a photo of Trevor sitting there, and only ten minutes later, the Xinzele Female was in that exact spot.
Timing is essential out here, and this was a clear reminder that even when it feels like you’re driving in circles, there’s always a reason.
So, has anyone else had a memorable sighting near or on Ximpalapala Koppies?
0 Comments
on Where Trevor Sat, a Leopard Stood