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RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Ngala - 07-13-2016
Photo and information credits: Photowildsa
"The Teardrop female leopard investigating a buffalo carcass!"
*This image is copyright of its original author
"The West Street male leopard patrolling his territory!"
*This image is copyright of its original author
Photo and information credits: Messham Photography
"The West Street male on patrol at Kirkman's Kamp Private Game Reserve. This photo was taken in the early morning under some gorgeous soft light. Such a privilege to have spent over an hour with this incredible animal."
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Tshokwane - 07-13-2016
Amazing throwback.
Fight!!
Both of the rivals already dead, a stand off in Mala Mala between the Airstrip male and the Newington/ Tu-Tones male, son of Camp Pan and brother of Maxabeni.
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Tshokwane - 07-14-2016
Mbavala male on a playful mood. Credits to Fotoart de Chalain Wildlife and nature.
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Ngala - 07-14-2016
From Mala Mala Game Reserve, The Airstrip male (June 2006 – June 2016) by Pieter van Wyk
Photographs: Pieter van Wyk, Daniel Bailey, Matt Meyer, James Moodie, Dave Landey, Dean Wraith, Jonno Short, Jacques Proust
fighter /’fī-tər/
Someone who does not easily admit defeat in spite of difficulties or opposition.
The textbooks tell us that to truly appreciate nature it must be looked at void of any human emotion, especially when doing so through the eyes of conservation. However, six years with the Airstrip male taught me more about leopard behavior than any textbook possibly could and indeed, in many cases, taught me that the textbooks on panthera pardus are in need of some rewriting. So, in the spirit that embodied his life, his obituary will at times read somewhat against the grain.
A unique start to life
In June of 2006 the Dudley female gave birth to a litter of two male cubs fathered by the Bicycle Crossing male. Both were successfully raised to independence but they would part ways earlier than most and under unheard-of circumstances. At a young age the cubs were feeding off a kill with their mother when hyenas sniffed it out. Confusion ensued, and they were all separated. The Dudley female managed to locate one of her cubs and she successfully raised him to independence- he became known as the Charleston male and was territorial in the southern parts of the property. The Newington female, the grandmother of the cubs, happened to be in the vicinity when the cubs were lost and coincidentally had also just temporarily lost a cub of her own. The aging leopardess called gently for her cub and the remaining cub of the Dudley female responded to her calls. He was adopted by his grandmother and also survived to independence. This extraordinary event was only the first chapter in what would turn out to be the Airstrip male’s remarkable life story.
A crowd favourite
*This image is copyright of its original author
First impressions
I can clearly recall the first time I saw him scent marking around the airstrip- a young male confidently strutting his stuff in an area that encompassed the overlapping territories of three huge dominant males. He was, and would continue to, punch above his weight. Even at his prime the Airstrip male was by no means a big male leopard. Short and stocky but what he lacked in size he easily made up for with courage.
Making his mark by Matt Meyer
*This image is copyright of its original author
Making his mark
Upon engaging in the task of expansion, his first obstacles were the three aforementioned males. His father, the legendary Bicycle Crossing male was not particularly old at the time but was perhaps past his prime- he shifted his territory further south in response to pressure from his son. The Princess Alice Pans male, who was a large specimen residing further to the west was next on the list. Against the odds, the Airstrip male was able to intimidate his larger adversary enough for the big male to retreat. As a sign of his rising dominance, the Airstrip male was then seen mating with the Western female who had preferred the Princess Alice Pans male on many occasions in the past. The threat to the east possibly presented his greatest challenge and this came in the form of the Emsagwen male. Arguably the largest male leopard to have graced MalaMala in recent memory, he too was an influence in pushing the Bicycle Crossing male south. In an unexpected turn of events, the Emsagwen male disappeared in the winter of 2011. He was a mature male controlling a large territory, and we can only speculate as to how he was killed. His disappearance meant that there were now large tracts of land up for grabs and the Airstrip male was on hand to reap the benefits.
He quickly came to control an enormous empire from the Airstrip and a couple miles westwards, to Marthly in its entirety, the Mlowathi and northwards into the Tslebe Rocks male’s kingdom and finally east of Emsagwen and southwards along the Matshapiri River. After a while he began to change his territorial routes and abandoned a portion of his new kingdom. This was perhaps a smart move. Male leopards will try and control as big an area as the individual can effectively control, limited only by his ability to cover ground and to dominate other males he may come into contact with. The result of establishing a large territory means that it will incorporate the territories of many females, which has obvious benefits for the male. The areas that the Airstrip male neglected were mainly to the north and east. He ceased to visit the areas anywhere north of the Gowrie boundary and east of Emsagwen.
His list of opponents grew to include the Tslebe Rocks male, the Gowrie male, the Hogvaal male, the Newington male, the West Street male and the son of the Tslebe Rocks male but the honour of being his nemesis would be bestowed upon the Marthly male (aka ‘Tyson’)- a brut of a leopard who boasted a unique blonde ‘mane’. We witnessed many an encounter between these two as the Marthly male advanced deep into the Airstrip male’s territory. It’s fair to say that the Airstrip male was on the receiving end of all the encounters but he simply refused to surrender an inch of his land. One day we’d watch him get dominated and the next we’d see him defiantly scent marking, seemingly sporting his new battle scars as if they were medals of honour. Despite clearly winning all the battles the Marthly male lost the war. He did however leave his mark.
Battle scarred one eyed wonder- by Dan Bailey, James Moodie, Dave Landey and Pieter van Wyk
*This image is copyright of its original author
One eyed wonder
Blog extract from September 2013 by Ranger Gary Hill:
“The Airstrip male leopard has sustained an injury to his left eye as a result of an aggressive encounter with the Marthly male leopard. The photograph shows the injury clearly. At first glance it would appear that he cannot see through that eye, however, what you see is the inner membrane or inner eyelid, also known as a nictitating membrane. This eyelid, apparent in all cats, plays an important role in maintaining the surface of the eye. The photograph indicates that both outer and inner eyelids are badly bruised, causing the eye to appear shut. Upon closer examination, we noticed that when the Airstrip Male looked intently at an object, the nictitating membrane would fold back. This allowed his eye to be used normally.
We hope the Airstrip male recovers from this injury. Secondary infection is unlikely, but would worsen the condition substantially. Although we do know of other male leopards with only one eye, having survived such an injury, a full recovery is possible.”
His eye never recovered but yet again he soldiered on. Being blind in one eye never seemed to hamper his abilities.
Companions by Pieter van Wyk
*This image is copyright of its original author
A family man
Leopards are solitary. Lions are the only social big cats. Well, if that’s the case then my eyes must have deceived me because I’m sure I watched the Airstrip male spend some ‘quality time’ with members of his ‘family’. I’ll admit that’s being economical with the truth but the fact of the matter remains that on several occasions this male was viewed in the company of related leopards and the atmosphere was anything but hostile. On a couple different occasions I saw this male spend time with the Kikilezi female and her/his cubs. Just as with male lions, he was never overly affectionate but was also far from aggressive and tolerated the inquisitive cubs. Even when the youngsters became independent he tolerated their presence. There were also accounts of him sharing meals with his aging mother.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Interspecies
Some of my most memorable sightings with this leopard involved interactions with other predators, most notably lions and hyenas and indeed it was his nonchalant approach to the former that won over much of our respect but would also ultimately lead to his demise. Between the rangers there are many accounts of him strolling towards a pride of lions, way past the point where most leopards would’ve chickened out. He would then normally observe them for a brief period before moving away but on the odd occasion the lions detected his presence and gave chase. Every chase that we witnessed ended in a safe escape for the Airstrip male however I can recall at least two instances where we found him sporting deep gashes along his hindquarters with lions nearby. The Airstrip male also treated us to many spectacular and peculiar sightings with hyenas. One of them took place at a giraffe carcass and had the Airstrip male and a hyena peacefully feeding together and by ‘together’ I literally mean a foot apart. They would take it in turns to chase off the vultures before continuing to feed side by side.
Another one of my favorite sightings took place close to midday in sweltering summer heat when we watched him kill an adult warthog. The kill itself was a rush but it was the aftermath and his dual with an enormous female hyena that will stick with me for many years- the patience, stealth and calculated aggression he displayed optimized his ‘never-say-die’.
“…Just as we were about to leave, chaos broke out 30 meters from us and three young warthog came tearing past the car. We then heard the distinct sound of a warthog in some serious trouble. We moved the vehicle forward and there the action was, the Airstrip male had caught a rather large female warthog and the fight was on. Initially the warthog held its feet with the leopard hanging off, key for the leopard at this point was to flip the warthog over onto its back. The Airstrip male being a smaller male leopard but tenacious, managed to do just that and flip the warthog onto its back and that was all she wrote. Well so we thought. As the warthog slowly but surely was fading, a hyena started to approach the scene, realizing that it was a leopard the hyena stormed in and the Airstrip male was off to into the bush. The hyena had scored a full meal but not before the warthog had one last burst of defiance and had a go at the hyena. The damage had however been done and the warthog breathed its last breath as the scavenger began to feed.”
The Airstrip male had expended much energy and with the sun beating down took refuge in some nearby shade. The hyena had also succumbed to the heat and barely fed off the carcass for a couple hours. This fight was far from over. As the sun descended towards the horizon, the temperature cooled and the hyena began to feed again. The Airstrip male was laying just ten meters away and would soon initiate his plan to recover what was his. At first he made cautious approaches and snatched up some of the scraps before the hyena charged at him. As he got closer the hyena’s attacks intensified. Like a battering ram she pummeled him backwards multiple times. On a few occasions she made solid connections that saw the leopard tumble backwards in a rather embarrassing fashion and I even shared a few laughs with my guests at the leopard’s expense. In our view this battle was over but yet again the Airstrip male defied the odds. You know in the movies when a street-fighter, smaller in stature than his opponent, gets knocked to the ground repeatedly but keeps on rising to his/her feet again and again? Remember how he/she licks the blood that’s dripping down his/her lips, smiles defiantly and then runs in again? Yeah, that’s pretty much what this looked like. As darkness fell the leopard’s advances became more and more aggressive despite being pinned back every time. It must be added that most of his advances at night started with remarkable displays of stealth. He’d stalk up to within feet of the hyena without being detected. Eventually, when the time was right, he attacked with no holds barred and after a brief but intense scrap the hyena threw in the towel.
Killer instinct by Dan Bailey, Dave Landey and Pieter van Wyk
*This image is copyright of its original author
Killer instinct
It was never beneath the Airstrip male to scavenge a meal from another leopard or to feed off a fresh or rotting carcass when he stumbled upon it (like that four meter plus rock python near Bicycle Crossing). That being said he was also a great hunter and often went after warthogs and baboons- both challenging targets even for a male leopard. One kill that left me somewhat in disbelief occurred near Maurice’s Pan.
We were following the Airstrip male as he marched along one of his usual patrol routes when he noticed a troop of baboons and before we knew it he was out of our sight. It was summer and the vegetation was lush. The baboons were roughly forty meters away and most of them were foraging on the ground, barely visible if at all except for three baboons; the big alpha male and two adult females. These three were perched on a horizontal branch about a meter and a half off the ground and only a foot or so above the sea of green. We had no idea where the leopard was or which of the twenty plus baboons he was setting his sights on so we just sat and waited. A couple minutes passed. I was rummaging through my center console and when I looked up the scene that met my eyes initially played out in slow motion- the horizontal branch now only supported two baboons with dislodged leaves floating gently around the space that was occupied by the third. Then in frenzy all hell broke loose with an explosion of panic, ear piercing distress calls and resounding alarm calls. The troop had no idea what was going on and the leopard was still out of sight. Our eyes scanned every inch of the vegetation in front of us but only after a minute or so did we realize that the Airstrip male was already forty meters behind us and with a dead baboon in his jaws. He managed to stalk, kill and extract undetected. Undoubtedly one of the most impressive sights I’ve ever ‘witnessed’.
At this point in time we cannot state without doubt which offspring are his. The reason for this is quite interesting indeed- female leopards in this part of the world have learnt that by mating (and pseudo-mating) with two males during the same period increases the cubs chances of survival as both males will assume paternity. A nifty trick that also leaves us at a loss especially when the female is literally mating with both males at the same time- yes, sightings of three leopards mating. DNA samples have been submitted to determine who (if anyone) will carry on the Airstrip male’s bloodline. We’re waiting for the results and will share them as soon as we can. We know of at least eight female leopards that he copulated with.
Do not go gently into that good night. By Jacques Proust
*This image is copyright of its original author
Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light
By all accounts the Airstrip male went out fighting. Reports state that his body was found under the shade of a bush. He’d dragged himself to this position before passing away. Tracks nearby suggested that he’d been involved in a scrap with two lions- two varying reports both point the finger at the members of the Marthly pride, either the two lionesses with cubs or two of the sub-adult males. I’d like to think that it went down something like this… The Airstrip male noticed one lion on it’s own and advanced figuring “Hmm, just the one… yeah, I got this.” Only to realize, when it was too late, that his blind eye had let him down and there were in fact, two lions. I’m sure he went out like he lived: all guns blazing!
In conclusion
The Airstrip male will always hold a special place in many a ranger’s heart. His fighting spirit and ability to overcome the odds combined with the ‘affection’ he showed towards his own will always be remembered. A true legend of MalaMala Game Reserve.
The Airstrip male lived and died like any wild animal should- in the wild. We as a people are already doing a lot for conservation but much more needs to be done. The world is dealing with an unprecedented spike in illegal wildlife trade, threatening to overturn decades of conservation gains. Stamping out wildlife crime should be a priority because it’s the largest direct threat to the future of many of the world’s most threatened species. It is second only to habitat destruction in overall threats against species survival.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
Gone but not forgotten by Pieter van Wyk
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Tshokwane - 07-15-2016
A very fiting tribute for this legend.
Surrender simply wasn't in his vocabulary.
He showed that you don't neccesrily have to be the biggest to be the best that you can. Amazing leopard.
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Pckts - 07-15-2016
(07-15-2016, 03:00 AM)Majingilane Wrote: A very fiting tribute for this legend.
Surrender simply wasn't in his vocabulary.
He showed that you don't neccesrily have to be the biggest to be the best that you can. Amazing leopard.
Sometimes it's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.... Or "cat"
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Ngala - 07-15-2016
From Londolozi Game Reserve, Is the Mashaba Female Moving On? by James Tyrrell
A few weeks ago we ran a post on the impending independence of the Mashaba young female. At the age of 14 months, we speculated that it probably wasn’t too long before her mother the Mashaba female abandoned her for good.
A mother leaving it’s female cub does not generally mean that the cub will be completely out in the cold; although the mother leopard won’t be providing food for it (them) anymore, she will usually tolerate female cubs of hers in her territory for awhile before putting proper pressure on them to leave permanently.
For the past six days, the Mashaba young female has been seemingly abandoned. She has been seen on a number of occasions over this time period in the same location: a deep gully where her mother denned her for a few weeks when she and her brother (now deceased) were only a couple of months old. Wandering around, almost certainly waiting for her mother to return, she has been getting thinner and thinner, and if her mother doesn’t return to her, she will have to start hunting for herself or face starvation. This is pretty much the standard formula for a young leopard being pushed into independence, although it is not yet confirmed that the Mashaba female has left her for good, since she has been preoccupied herself of late.
She (the Mashaba female) has been mating with the 4:4 male, a leopard well known for his enigmatic nature, and the pair have been moving in a big loop around the periphery of the male’s territory, sticking mainly to steep drainage lines and riverbeds. At one point they were spotted moving past where the Matimba male lions were feeding on a buffalo carcass, but continued in safety down the Maxabene river. The last point at which the two of them were seen together was to the south east of camp, heading for the Sand River itself.
The Mashaba female follows the 4:4 male through a Tamboti thicket near the Maxabene riverbed.
*This image is copyright of its original author
A rare photo of the 4:4 male looking at the camera, as he pauses on the bank of the Maxabene riverbed with the Mashaba female trailing in his wake.
*This image is copyright of its original author
This morning tracker Euce Madonsela caught a brief glimpse of a leopard on foot while following tracks of a male, and from the size of the tracks and the brief glimpse he got of the leopard he believed it to be the 4:4 male. There were no tracks of a female with him, so it is presumed the pair has split up.
Losing sight of the 4:4 male briefly, the Mashaba female stopped to listen for any sound of him moving nearby.
*This image is copyright of its original author
About an hour prior to Euce spotting the male, ranger Chris Goodman, whilst prepping a plunger of coffee at Varty Camp deck before the sun was up, heard the squeals of an animal in distress just in front of the deck. When he shone his torch down into the riverbed, he caught sight of a female leopard killing a small bushbuck, before she dragged the carcass north into a date palm thicket. He didn’t get a good enough look to ID the leopard, but reckoned it to be bigger than the Nkoveni female, who along with the Mashaba female is also known to frequent the riverine vegetation near camp. If it was the Mashaba female who made the kill, and she has indeed separated from the 4:4 male, then her next step should seemingly be to fetch her cub and take it to the kill. If she doesn’t do this, we can probably assume that the cub is now officially on its own.
Senior Londolozi tracker Jerry Hambana is of the opinion that the Mashaba female is not yet ready to abandon her cub into independence. He thinks she will be returning for it, and only once she is ready to birth her next litter (which she may be in three months if the mating with the 4:4 male was successful) will she finally leave it to its own devices.
So far the Mashaba female has raised one cub to independence (the Nkoveni female). She lost a litter of three in 2014 (we suspect to the 4:4 male), but it looks as though she is on the brink of her second success in raising offspring. With the drought still firmly upon us, and the bush offering only sparse cover for hunting, it will be fascinating to see if the Mashaba young female can cope with the conditions should she be forced to go solo.
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Ngala - 07-15-2016
From Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve:
"There was also the male leopard known as Mahlathini hovering around on the outskirts."
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Ngala - 07-15-2016
From Londolozi Game Reserve, “My” Leopards of Londolozi… by Kevin Power
Ever since I was a young boy I can remember having an absolute fascination with leopards. The first time I can remember seeing a leopard was when I was about six years old, in the Timbavati nature reserve. I was on a game drive with my family one afternoon, obviously as a six year old my attention span was equivalent to that of a labrador at the beach, so my head was racing from side to side trying to take in all my surrounds. Then it happened; as my young head was facing the road up ahead, a female leopard emerged onto the gravel track. My dad immediately cut the engine, as he knew the leopards in the area were rather nervous of the vehicles. As we slowly rolled to a stand still, she stood and watched us, standing ever so regally. We were relatively far away, but close enough for me to see her golden coat catching the last rays of the afternoon sun. I was in awe! No sooner had she appeared than she had vanished into the bush onto the other side of the road. The sighting may have been an extremely quick one, but the memory will last a lifetime. Ever since that day I have been incredibly intrigued by these animals.
Their secretive and solitary nature absolutely captivates me. The way they are so seemingly assured in all their actions and so comfortable in their environment is something admirable. They are masters of stealth and disguise, being able to appear and disappear within seconds, just like that fleeting glimpse I had when I was six.
Every time I see a leopard I feel privileged, as I understand how good these animals are at hiding themselves and staying undetected. I always say to my guests, “If we see a leopard, it’s because the leopard is allowing us to see it.”
Working at Londolozi has been a dream of mine, as growing up I was always aware of the “Leopards of Londolozi.” The fact that there were so many leopards in one area that were habituated with vehicles was something quite difficult for me to fathom after my brisk encounter when I was still so young. To be able to spend time with these animals at close range and be allowed into their daily lives was something I really wanted to be apart of.
Having been at Londolozi for just under two years now, I’ve certainly had my fair share of leopard sightings, and what a treat each and every one has been. I’ve kept a record of all the different leopards I’ve had the privilege of laying my eyes on up until this date on Londolozi’s property. Today my list stands at 29 different individuals. These are all leopards that are at least one1 year or older. From the legends like the Camp Pan and Marthly males to the current territory holders in the form of the Piva and Inyathini males and of course, the future of the area in the form of the Mashaba Young Female, I’ve tried my hardest to capture each moment and photograph each individual, but unfortunately haven’t succeeded with all of them, nonetheless I’ve captured a few…
Here are a few shots of mine of some of the different Individuals I’ve seen.
Enjoy…
Possibly the most viewed leopard at Londolozi these days, the Mashaba female investigates a herd of impala from the vantage of a Maralu tree.
*This image is copyright of its original author
One of the larger males of the area. The Makhotini male certainly imposes a huge presence on the territory he patrols
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Maliliwane Young Female. I first saw her about a year ago, she then disappeared off our radar for a few months only to appear about three weeks ago looking as healthy as ever.
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Inyathini male is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the central south of our property. Very difficult to find on foot, but always a treat to spend time with once found.
*This image is copyright of its original author
A young female I have only seen twice, the Ntoma female. Her territory only overlaps slightly with Londolozi’s property, so sightings are very far and few between.
*This image is copyright of its original author
The stunning Tatowa female. She’s moved quite far south of her mothers territory (Ximpalapala Female), but seems to be setting up a solid territory of her own.
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Gowrie male. Unfortunately assumed deceased, but still one of the more dominant leopards the north of our property has seen in recent years.
*This image is copyright of its original author
The last time I got to see the iconic Dudley River Bank female. She was chased up this leadwood tree by the Tsalala pride, just before she came down she paused briefly in the afternoon light for us.
*This image is copyright of its original author
A young female who is very new to the northern parts of our property; the Ingrid Dam young female. Although this was one of the first times she was viewed on our property, she was very relaxed around the vehicle, making for an awesome sighting.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Possibly the biggest leopard I have ever seen, the Anderson male. The first time I saw this leopard, he had managed to hoist a giraffe calf up a tree – an epic feat of strength.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Two of the older females in the south east of our property, the Tamboti female (back) and the Xidulu female. Here they were exchanging growls, deciding who would be the one to mate with the Piva male.
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Tutlwa female. Not opposed to climbing the occasional Marula tree, she always makes for an awesome sighting.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Its difficult to choose a favourite leopard, but the Piva male has to be mine. Having watched this male grow up from the young age of two, it’s been a privilege to spend time with him and see him succeed. A close up shot reveals the scars he has had to have inflicted to become one of Londolozi’s most dominant males.
*This image is copyright of its original author
The 4:4 male came from an area unknown to us. When one looks at the battle scars on this males face, we can see he has surely endured a few fights to get to the prime territory he now reigns over.
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Nhlanguleni female rests in a Marula tree overlooking her territory. With two young cubs at the moment, she is constantly on the hunt for food to feed all three stomachs.
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Tamboti Young Female has yet to establish a set territory of her own. When she does appear (not as often these days), she is instantly recognisable by the 5 spots on her right cheek.
*This image is copyright of its original author
One of the rare opportunities I’ve had to photograph this leopard, theNdzanzeni female. She’s adopted her mother’s territory (Dudley River Bank) territory, and seems to be doing well established despite her small size.
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Mashaba young female, always an amazing young leopard to spend time with, as her youthful playfulness is still very much a part of her character.
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Ngala - 07-18-2016
From Londolozi Game Reserve, The Birds and Bees of Being a Leopard by James Souchon
To witness animals mating in the wild is always an intriguing spectacle. It provides amusement and wonder for everyone watching and sometimes a few awkward giggles as well. As a guide you choose your words very carefully as you try and interpret what’s going on in front of you, and if there are kids on the vehicle you sometimes gladly sit back and listen as either Mum or Dad is tasked with giving an impromptu “Birds and the Bees” talk. Either way, it’s a special sighting because it’s not the everyday animal behaviour one gets to experience and it also signifies the beginning of a new life that in a few months time will be faced with the daunting task of trying to survive in the African bush.
When the mating pair happens to be leopards the excitement is compounded. The thrill of spotting just one leopard is usually enough in itself, so when a second leopard comes into view you struggle to believe your luck. The fact that you are watching two adult leopards, solitary and elusive by nature, engage in behaviour that is not observed on a regular basis and together with the knowledge that this behaviour could be responsible for the next generation of leopards in Londolozi, it makes for an incredibly special and memorable sighting.
Now keeping all of this in mind, imagine the excitement a few mornings ago when TWO pairs of mating leopards were found a few kilometres apart! The first pair was the Mashaba female together with the Robsons 4:4 male which James Tyrrell wrote about earlier this week. The second pair, which I was fortunate enough to see, was the Tamboti Young Female and the Piva Male.
They had first been found together two days before in the Maxabene riverbed not too far away from our eastern boundary and on this particular morning they were tracked from there all the way to the Sand River. One of the benefits of the dry winter is that the grass is really short and so when we arrived in the sighting we saw the Piva male lying out in the open, fast asleep in the morning sun. We scanned the thicket line in the direction of where we were told the Tamboti young female was hiding, but to no avail. After a short while, the lure of hot chocolate and coffee was too much and so we left with the idea of coming back afterwards to see if anything had changed. Luckily, it had!
We got back into the sighting to find the Piva male with his head up this time and then we spotted the Tamboti young female peering in his direction from behind a fallen over tree. She stretched and yawned and walked over to him before proceeding to parade herself back and forth in front of him willing him to get up and mate with her which he eventually did.
The Tamboti Young Female positions herself in front of the Piva Male, trying to encourage him to mate with her. Photograph by James Souchon
*This image is copyright of its original author
Seemingly reluctantly he stands up ready to mate. Photograph by James Souchon
*This image is copyright of its original author
Born in January 2013, the Tamboti Young Female is still a young leopard who hasn’t sired a litter just yet. She has been seen mating once before earlier this year but failed to conceive, perhaps due to her young age. As she approaches 4 years old this will hopefully change. She will become increasingly fertile and, when in oestrus, will look for every chance to mate in order to have her first litter of cubs.
Mating is a prolonged, aggressive affair, as seen in the photos and video. It can go on for as long as 5 days and at an average interval of 20 minutes between sessions it means that by the end of it the two individuals could have mated over 300 times. It is a painful experience for the female due to the barbed end of the male’s penis and as a result there is a lot of biting and clawing as the female lashes out at the male. The whole process lasts no longer than a minute and after a ferocious and lightning quick squabble it’s all over and they lie back down or carry on walking just as they were before. Sometimes, you only hear them due to the thick area they may be moving through but on this particular morning we were treated to the whole spectacle right in front of us and out in the open.
The above series of pictures show how aggressive the mating process can be. The female rolls onto her back and swats at the male and he responds by jumping out of the way and walking off. She does this because of the barbed nature of the male leopard’s penis which causes her pain and it’s his way of ensuring a better chance of mating success. Photograph by James Souchon
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
Hopefully this time for the Tamboti Young Female the mating is a success and she will fall pregnant. Her gestation period is between 90-105 days and so we will continue searching for her and keeping a watch to see if there is any sign of a “baby bump” growing. In the greater scheme of things, this could potentially be the next generation of the famous Sunset Bend female leopard’s lineage and at the same time add the next chapter to the story that is the Leopards of Londolozi.
Short video:
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Ngala - 07-19-2016
From Inyati Game Lodge:
"Dewane keeping low to remain out of sight of a family of Nyala."
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From Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve:
"Male Leopard Quarantine was located with a very large warthog kill this morning. This young male is proving to be a very efficient and successful hunter. Image by Andrew Khosa"
*This image is copyright of its original author
From Idube Game Reserve:
Dewane male
*This image is copyright of its original author
Nyeleti male
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Ngala - 07-19-2016
From Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve, credits to Hugo Breed Wildtography:
"Ravenscourt is currently mating with Boulders."
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
"Nyeleti busy absorbing nutrients from some fresh Buffalo dung..."
*This image is copyright of its original author
"Torchwood finding some shade to have his mid morning nap..."
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
"Torcwood putting some distance between himself and Dayone, after Dayone found him trespassing in his territory."
*This image is copyright of its original author
"Dayone surveying his territory after an encounter with Torchwood in the morning."
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
"Nyeleti is starting to push back into Dayone's territory again."
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Tshokwane - 07-20-2016
Kashane male, credits to Rob the Ranger.
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Tshokwane - 07-20-2016
Mvula vs Sindile, his son. Here Mvula is helping himself from the meal his son got, watch the interaction when the young leopard tries to protect his kill.
Click on it to play.
RE: Leopards of Sabi Sands - Tshokwane - 07-22-2016
Dewane roaring, credits to Rob the Ranger.