Welcome to another week in pictures, and once again, what a week it’s been.
From leopards and lions to wild dogs, Londolozi has had plenty to keep us busy. On the leopard front, Ngungwe Female continues to be seen just north of the Sand River, opposite camp. She is still thriving and even had an interaction with her now-independent daughter. More on her coming soon. There was no real contact between the two, but it still made for a beautiful sighting. Further southeast, the Tinxiya Female and Nkoveni Female have both been seen looking healthy and settled in their respective areas. The Shingi Male has been seen once or twice. At just over two and a half years old, he is still living the life of a nomad, moving between areas while remaining within the territory of his father, Maxim’s Male.
The lions have been just as active. The Gijima Males have been seen on two or three occasions, including the blonde-maned male whose right eye looks to have suffered an injury, as you’ll see in the photo below. Fortunately, it does not appear to be affecting his vision or daily life too much. He is still moving, hunting, marking his territory, patrolling and roaring as normal. The Gijima Males have also been spending time with the Ntsevu Pride, mating with the lionesses, and there may be some exciting news on the horizon, with one of them looking as though she could be pregnant. We have also had one or two visits from the two Kambula Lionesses and their eight growing cubs, all of whom are still looking healthy. To end off the week, the Styx Male, who normally hangs out with a former Kambula lioness, was seen mating with a Mhangeni Lioness in the south-western parts of Londolozi.
The wild dogs have been brilliant too. The Ottawa Pack of nine has been moving through Londolozi, often seen in the northern parts around our famous Ximpalapala Crest, and even heading south towards our airstrip for an afternoon hunt. Our resident pack of four adults and five pups continues to thrive, with the pups looking healthy and well fed.
Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
To start off this week’s TWIP, a herd of impala stand at attention while the sun sets in the background. After leaving a female leopard on a mission, I can only assume they spotted her as she walked up and over the crest.
This was a spectacular sighting. The Ngungwe Female found a beautiful boulder to lie on after interacting with her newly independent daughter. As stated above, there was no physical interaction, but it was clear she is no longer welcome around her mother.
Born 2020 during lockdown to Piccadilly Female. Once skittish, now confident mother denning her first litter in Marthly's rocky terrain.
The eight Kambula Cubs have been a treat the last few weeks and especially the week that has just passed. While nursing, one of the cubs decided to peer over its mom, almost asking for its picture to be taken.
Not your normal subject to feature in a TWIP, but who could give up the opportunity to photograph a tree squirrel scurry up a marula with a blade of grass in its mouth.
The Nkoveni Female at her best. Already over 14 years old, she is still, and will always be, one of my favourite Londolozi leopards.
Londolozi's most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
The Styx male is still hanging around the south-western parts of Londolozi and has recently been seen mating with one of the Mhangeni Lionesses. Although these lions have been seen hanging out with the Nkumati Males, it is not uncommon for them to mate with multiple males to ensure the safety of their cubs.
Wow, is the Shingi Male looking more and more impressive every day. I envy the day he decides to leave Londolozi in search of his own territory and can only hold thumbs he sticks around long enough to establish himself somewhere on the Londolozi reserve.
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
A buffalo bull and a rainbow. The open grasslands of the south west produced some amazing opportunities this week. This particular photo was one of those opportunities.
Both my favourite images this week are in black and white. A side-on image of the Tinxiya Female is one of those photos. She is beautiful.
A confident and curious young leopard, that is nearing independence after a remarkable start to life alongside her resilient mother.
We have been blessed this year with the pack of four wild dogs denning on Londolozi, so when we arrived at the airstrip to find nine wild dogs, it was even more of a surprise. The Ottawa Pack, which is normally found in the northwestern parts of Londolozi, decided to make an appearance in the south, and we were luckily enough to be right in the action.
The Gijima Males have been hanging out a lot with the Ntsevu pride recently, and after following them for two days, they finally split off on their own patrol. The blond-maned Gijima decided this clearing was the perfect place to rest.
And now for my favourite photo of the week. A single elephant bull walks across the open grasslands in the southwest. The Drakensberg mountains in the background and a moody, cloudy sky created the opportunity for another black and white edit.
A young giraffe is welcomed into the world. Its umbilical cord still hanging from its belly, this giraffe would not be any older than 10 days.
What’s a TWIP without a photo of the most beautiful bird on safari? The Lilac-breasted Roller.
As mentioned before, we have been so lucky with the wild dog action we have had this year. Often following the adults out on their daily hunts or some time spent around the den.
One of the females from the pack of four stands against the morning glow of the rising sun.
Never think you too small to make a difference. After flies had annoyed this pup to no end, it decided revenge was the best option.
Another moment with the Tinxiya Female allowed for a narrow window and a concentrated eye to take centre frame.
Another little update on the blond-maned Gijima Male is that it looks like he has taken an injury to his right eye. The eye has turned into a hazy shimmer and darkened quite severely. It does not seem to have hindered his vision but does seem to annoy him somewhat.
Lastly, to end off this week in pictures, we have a White-fronted Bee-eater perched perfectly with a fly in its beak. What a week it has been!!
All great photos Bryce. Favourite? Nkoveni, suddenly, seemingly looking her age …. no mention of her cub? Has anyone seen her cub?
Thanks!