Wildlife books will inform you that leopards are opportunistic animals and are predominantly Crepuscular hunters, i.e. hunting during dawn and dusk. Whilst this is their general behaviour, it is however not entirely accurate. At Londolozi, we regularly see leopards attempt to hunt during the day. On one particular day I witnessed how a hungry mother leopard went from opportunistic to desperate.
The sagging skin around the Mashaba female’s belly is a clear indication that she is lactating.
We were fortunate to have viewed the Mashaba female leopard three days prior; on that particular day she was not far from where she was known to be hiding cubs. After attempting to stalk some Impalas, she was spotted by the herd and their subsequent alarm calls alerted us and resulted in us fortunately finding her. After then observing her for a few hours attempting to hunt an Nyala cow, she eventually gave up and made her way back to the den site as the morning progressed.
The Mashaba female is currently Londolozi’s best-known leopard. Her relaxed nature means she is comfortable around the vehicles.
Fast forward 72 hours (plus change). The evening approached and we set out on our drive. Tracker Bennet Mathonsi with his X-ray vision spotted the Mashaba female from at least 200 meters away. She was in an area far east of her territory and extremely far from the cubs. Having travelled so far, she had one thing on her mind; to hunt. We spent the better part of the afternoon with her, observing her stalking and moving from one herd of impala to the next. Over the course of about an hour she made several failed attempts on a scrub hare, female warthog and two impala ewes in separate herds. Female leopards raising young cubs have to produce milk for them, and the demand on their bodies is extremely high as a result, resulting in swift hunger between meals.
After watching her rehydrate at a shallow pan, we started to lose hope that she would catch something; these were now desperate times for her. We could tell she hadn’t eaten much – if anything – since we last saw her three days ago and her body was in desperate need of fuel to sustain milk production for the cubs.
After a hot summers day and several failed attempts at hunting, The Mashaba female takes some time to rehydrate an a nearby pan filled by the recent rains.
She moved on from the pan making what was now a fifth attempt at hunting on a nearby bachelor herd of impalas. Due to the previous commotions, a single hyena was lurking behind her. No one could see the leopard now when all of a sudden we heard a squeal followed by a cacophany of frantic impala alarm calls. We raced to where it was coming from but we were not alone; the hyena was also rushing in, realising the opportunity for an easy meal. The leopard had taken down a young impala from out of a herd, but the hyena had got there at the same time that we did, and was busy trying to steal her kill. The Mashaba female let go and the impala ran off with the hyena still in chase. How bad can one leopard’s luck be? More missed opportunities? Desperate decisions now?
She subsequently lay down to rest under a fallen marula tree, not uncommon behaviour for leopards at this time of the day. Bennet, my guests and I decided to skip the usual drinks stop and stick with her. She rose from her brief rest and used that same Marula as a vantage point to scan the surrounds.
After climbing on top of fallen over tree to use it as a vantage point, the Mashaba female then focused her eyes on a nearby Grey Duiker.
With nothing in sight, she started moving back in the direction of her core territory. We had looped around a large termite mound in predicting that she was going to use that to view her surrounds.
Suddenly, there in the nearby thicket was a grey duiker; we spotted it at the same time as she did. She was within 15 meters of the small antelope, it was now or never!
She gave chase and squeals from the thicket echoed all around us, she finally had her prey! Within 30 seconds, two hyenas came running in, forcing her to climb with a kicking duiker into a thorny, unstable acacia tree; uncomfortable but safe.
With Chase of hyenas, The Mashaba female is forced to hoist a kill up a thin Acacia Tree to save her hard efforts from getting stolen.
After a few minutes she caught her breath and started to feed. The sun set and whilst night crept in, we silently watched this well deserving mother leopard finally feed. A night I will never forget but a regular night in the life of a leopard.
Wow! Great video. An amazing experience.
Thank you Marinda.
What an interesting story to tell! I enjoyed your photos and video too. The leopard does not have an easy life, especially the mamas! I am so glad she finally got to eat! Thanks so much for sharing, Dean!
Thank you for the amazing comment Darlene.
What a wonderful account and good to have patient guests
It more than often pays off. I was very luckily
This is a great write up! Really interesting and really captured the sense of desperation setting in.
Thank you so much Lachlan, so glad you enjoyed.
I know some animals must eat meat, but here’s to a quick death for the duiker.
Yes always pay respect to both parties.
Fantastic Dean! Relieved to know the Mashaba female finally caught and kept a meal. The lives of predators are difficult enough, and when there are other mouths depending on them, every opportunity has to be followed.
At least in the animal world, the majority of kills are for food – not for malice. There are exceptions, I know…… another topic.
Thanks for the great comment Denise. That is an interesting topic, maybe some ideas for a next blog topic
Mashaba is so beloved that it gave me an uncomfortable pause reading about her desparation. Not only for her, but for her cubs. Relieved!
Luckily it had a happy ending.
Patience DOES pay. Also DETERMINATION born of desperation. Lessons we can all benefit from. What a wonderful mother she is. The cubs of course don’t realize this. All they want is their milk bar. Lovely photos Dean and a very good story. Wendy M
Very true words Wendy, thanks so much for the comment.
What a great story. Finally she had something to eat,
Thank you Henk.