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02-06-2017, 07:50 PM( This post was last modified: 02-06-2017, 08:10 PM by Ngala )
Credits to Londolozi Blog - Leopards of Londolozi.
Tu-Tones 3:2 Male (Newington Male)
Mother: Maxabene 2:2 Female (Western Female)
Father: Camp Pan 4:3 Male (Xmobonyane, Princess Alice Pans Male)
Littermate: Makhotini 3:3 Male (Maxabene Male)
Sons:
2013: Tamboti 5:3 Young Female (Island Female) -----> Mother: Tamboti 4:3 Female
2008 - 2015
*This image is copyright of its original author
Unique Markings: Wonky eye.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Pink nose.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Originally the Maxabene 3:2 young male, and born in the same litter as the Makhotini male, the Tu-Tones male was an individual that single-handedly rewrote the textbooks on leopard behaviour.
His movements upon independence were probably a result of a combination of factors, but essentially what happened was that he didn’t disperse as young males generally do, but instead stayed pretty much within the confines of his father’s territory. Another behavioural anomaly was that his father (the Camp Pan male) seemed to accept his presence; although there was some snarling and aggression towards each other when they met, there was no physical confrontation witnessed. The death of his mother and the fact that the one female cub she raised to independence had dispersed a long way away meant that there was no real genetic pressure for him to disperse either.
Whatever the case, the Tu-Tones male was an almost constant presence in the territory controlled by the Camp Pan male, and the two were even seen sharing mating rights with the Tamboti female on at least two separate occasions.
Unfortunately for this young male, his unusual co-territorial occupation with his father was to be his downfall, as once the Camp Pan male became unseated in 2014 by the Piva male, the Tu-Tones male, having not been properly territorial himself, seems to have been unable to maintain any kind of hold on the territory his father had been defending, and was forced into a nomadic lifestyle almost overnight. His condition deteriorated very quickly from there, and he was last seen on Londolozi in the late Summer of 2015.
He was found dead to the east of our boundary in late March of that year, and tracks in the area suggested that a troop of baboons had killed him. His emaciated condition would have made him incredibly vulnerable.
Territory: A remarkable story in which this leopard established his territory in eastern Sparta within the territory of his father (something that is typical of female but not male leopards). He died prematurely at the age of 7, close to the time of death of his father and thus we were not able to see how the extension of his territory would have played out.
