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Leopards of Sabi Sands
Leopards of Sabi Sands
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Leopards of Sabi Sands
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Londolozi Game Reserve, 9 February 2016: A Surfing Leopard: My Day with the Mashaba Female by Nick Kleer
It is no secret that I have a deep love for leopards, but one female in particular has captured my attention in the last year and has provided many guests and guides alike with unparalleled quality in sightings. She has a calmness about her that fascinates me. The privilege of being allowed into a leopard’s personal space is still something that blows my mind. These animals are by nature elusive and secretive and yet here we find ourselves being accepted into their world and they allow us to sit just metres away from them while they go about their daily activities. Just last week I had a day where the Mashaba female and her youngster captured our hearts. I got to see them in the early morning and again later in the afternoon and both sightings were out of this world! It all began with us following mother and daughter as they walked through some thick brush alongside a drainage line, effortless for them but certainly not as easy for us. At this point, the Mashaba female headed towards a Marula tree that she climbed for a quick scan of the surroundings, which in itself had already made for an amazing sighting. When she came down though, her daughter was ready to give us the sighting of a lifetime. The Mashaba female scanning the surrounding area for any food or threats  *This image is copyright of its original author The Mashaba female’s cub posing in perfect light under a Gardenia tree  *This image is copyright of its original author The following is a series of pictures of the Mashaba female pouncing into a tree from which her daughter had been watching her. Although this youngster is growing up and gaining strength and skill fast, she is still a little clumsy in a tree.  *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 We left the two leopards late in the morning when they disappeared into the nearby drainage line, having decided that it was time for a rest in the shade. We headed for camp, all buzzing with excitement from what we had just witnessed. Later in the afternoon we returned to the area and it seems the bush gods were smiling on us. The two of them were lying on a termite mound and once they had a drink together, they were once again full of life and energy. The Mashaba female was up and on the move with her cub stalking from a distance.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author A slightly different shot of the Mashaba female with her cubs tail the focus.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author What ensued was a joy-filled afternoon, watching these two cats interact and play together. Knowing that these are solitary cats who will eventually go their separate ways, we revelled in this special bonding moment and felt very lucky to have been a part of it. From Londolozi Game Reserve, 16 March 2016: No Holds Barred in Treetop Brawl by Sean Cresswell
Being a spectator to nature’s incredible events is all we can ask for. Isolated and non-impactful viewing of wildlife is a privilege and reveals to us the smallest window of what truly happens in the wilderness. At the beginning of March a lucky few of us witnessed a battle of leopards for the ages; one which culminated in the tops of a massive Marula tree.
The morning was without a sunrise as gloomy, dark clouds lined the sky, and we found the Nkoveni female patrolling the outer edges of her territory. Just when she looked to start settling down on a termite mound, clearly after a long night spent walking and scent marking, the clouds opened up for some beautiful photographic opportunities.
A large Weeping boerbean atop a termite mound was a chosen tree on which to scent mark for the Nkoveni female during her elaborate patrol first thing in the morning. Photograph by Gillian Evans.
 *This image is copyright of its original author Interrupting this moment, though, was the unmistakable (and very reliable) alarm call of a Side-striped jackal in the distance. This not only made tracker Rob Hlatshwayo attempt to start my vehicle himself to investigate the jackal’s call but it got the leopard’s attention too. Also knowing that the alarm could signal the presence of another leopard, her attention was set and her body language changed from restful to high alert. Ranger Ntsako Sibuyi, who had by then joined us in the sighting, drove off in the direction of the alarm while we kept our eye on the Nkoveni female, who soon vanished amongst the expansive bushwillow thickets, but was last seen heading in the direction of the jackal’s cries.
Within a minute, Ntsako and tracker Exon Sibuyi had found the reason for the alarm calls of the jackal, as chaos was breaking out between two other leopards not too far way. A heavily salivating 4:4 male had chased the Tamboti young female up a tree and was pacing back and forth at its base, perhaps not willing to follow her up. As we joined Ntsako, the 4:4 male began moving away, scent marking as he did. But before he disappeared, the Tamboti young female descended the tree and began moving away too, which enticed him to turn and chase her again. She quickly clawed her way up another tree; again being followed to its base by the male. Evidently the two of them had been doing this several times as both looked uneasy and fairly out of breath. A loud territorial call from the 4:4 male finalised his departure from the scene and he quickly disappeared in the direction of the Sand River.
The Tamboti young female in full sprint. With the approaching 4:4 male, she dashed away which just so happened to be in our direction! A unique frontal view of a running leopard. Photograph by Gillian Evans.
 *This image is copyright of its original author While at the base of the tree up which he had chased Tamboti young female, the powerful 4:4 male spent some time walking around. The intense salivating is a sign of scent detection and analysis, as he had most likely been investigating her intrusion into the area. Photograph by Gillian Evans.
 *This image is copyright of its original author As the male now seemed far enough away, the Tamboti young female descended again and spent a minute looking towards the river to ensure there was going to be no further chase from the enigmatic and far ranging male. Avoidin any physical contact with him, she began moving in the opposite direction to most likely try and find somewhere quiet to rest. The Tamboti young female, as her name suggests, is still not territorial and constantly explores potential areas in which to settle, but the one she in which she currently found herself was the Nkoveni female’s; also a young leopard but about 6 months older, territorial and nearby.
With the arrival and help from ranger Dave Strachan, we quickly spotted the Nkoveni female in a nearby thicket looking very focused. The commotion has led her straight to Tamboti young female who was now somewhat more relaxed and unaware of the other female’s presence. With intent, the Nkoveni female began approaching from a distance as the intrusion of the Tamboti young female was clearly not about to be tolerated. Only then did the Tamboti young female become aware of the other’s sudden appearance and reacted quickly by trying to flee. She dashed to the nearest Marula tree, a particularly big and tall one, and climbed fairly high up while the pursuing Nkoveni female approached the base; both leopards growling deeply unlike during the previous confrontations involving the 4:4 male, in which both parties were relatively silent.
We had just repositioned ourselves for a fairly unobstructed view of the tree when the Nkoveni female launched herself into the Marula. The Tamboti young female was forced higher and outward onto flimsy branches, and then with nowhere further to go, turned to confront her charging rival. It was only through viewing photographs and frames of video that we could see that it was Tamboti young female who swiped first, which was followed by a retaliating tackle from the Nkoveni female which sent both leopards tumbling from the leaves in a tight ball of claws, fur and twigs. It all happened so fast, but the thing everyone remembers the most was the sound of them hitting the hard ground far below. The deep thud only interrupted their growling and snarling momentarily as both resumed the fight, now in a cloud of dust. After a brief grapple there, the two exploded apart and another chase began, with the Tamboti young female doing the fleeing once more. By the time we caught up to the two of them the chase had slowed and eventually the Nkoveni came to a standstill, following up with a territorial call and a scratch into the ground with her hind legs as she watched the Tamboti young female depart. Her battle was won, but at such a high risk? Pun intended.
More than just a balancing act. The Tamboti young female (right) backs herself towards the end of an already high and weak branch, but strikes first at the fast-approaching Nkoveni female (left) who holds nothing back. It was the far right side of this branch from which they fell. Photograph by Gillian Evans.
 *This image is copyright of its original author A (surprisingly) death-defying tumble; only half way down. Both leopards explode from the canopy at the top of the frame and roll with each other toward the ground below (still further out of frame). Photograph by Sean Cresswell.
 *This image is copyright of its original author A final moment before the two, still clawing at one another, disappear amongst the bushwillow leaves and smash into the hard ground below. Photograph by Sean Cresswell.
 *This image is copyright of its original author Half a kilometre away we managed to catch up to the two again, the fall clearly not slowing either female. The Tamboti young female (left) managed to keep her distance and continued to move, while the Nkoveni female (right) soon stopped to watch her rival move off. Photograph by Gillian Evans.
 *This image is copyright of its original author What followed was a thorough walk around the surrounding area where the Nkoveni female marked every prominent Marula that we could see with her scent, continuing to vocalise every minute or so. Besides heavy panting, all she was sporting was a small trickle of blood from her left cheek and below her left eye. In fact, both leopards seemed in surprisingly good condition considering the height of their fall and the fact that they definitely did not land in the supposedly typical feet-first way we are meant to associate with cats.
It was a horrific height from which they tumbled and we subsequently went back to the tree to remind ourselves what we had just seen. Opinions varied, but the height at which they engaged one another was about 10-12m (around 36ft) above the ground – some say more, and there was nothing breaking their fall on the way down. This was not even the first altercation of this kind in which the Tamboti Young female has been involved, although at least last time she wasn’t the one doing the falling.
A tight portrait immediately after the final chase ended, revealing only a small sign of blood on the Nkoveni female’s face and whiskers; unlikely to even leave behind noticeable scars. Photograph by Gillian Evans.
 *This image is copyright of its original author The Nkoveni female scent marking one of the dozen Marula trees shortly after. She even glanced up a few, as if to be reaffirming the Tamboti young female was not still nearby and hiding. Photograph by Gillian Evans.
 *This image is copyright of its original author It is incredible that both females were able to avoid any serious internal injuries or broken bones from the impact. Neither showed any sign of discomfort in the immediate aftermath of the fall. Both the Nkoveni and Tamboti young females were viewed, separately, the following day by various rangers and neither showed any signs of the brawl at all. They have since continued their daily routines; the Nkoveni female patrolling and the Tamboti young female hunting and resting, albeit outside of her rival’s territory.
The determination of the Nkoveni female to prove her dominance and solidify her territorial boundaries by any means could be stemming from maternal instinct. Stains and suckle marks, as well as regular movement into a hidden and dense area of the Sand River indicate she has a young litter nearby. As such, she would be taking no chances in allowing foreign females into the area. As for the 4:4 male, it is accepted that he fathered the cubs as the two mated for quite some time leading up to November last year. His movements around that area have not been observed yet but any presence would most likely be tolerated by the mother.
The following day the Tamboti young female was further south and away from Nkoveni’s territory, and without any signs of the fight or fall visible. Photograph by Gillian Evans.
 *This image is copyright of its original author Witnessing a brutal spectacle like this reaffirms how tough and resilient these big cats are. Not only that, but it reminds us of the powerful maternal instinct of a mother leopard and the lengths a solitary cat in the wild will go to ensure the survival of her offspring.
Being in the right place at the right time, and seeing the subsequent lack of injury to both females, furthermore illustrates how often these types of altercations can (and probably do) happen far more regularly than we realise. Just another feather in the ever impressive cap of a wild leopard.
Footage courtesy of Iain Evans
Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve:
After resting during the heat of the day, Maxabeni awoke and continued to scent mark his massive territory into the night.  *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
Kirkman's Kamp Private Game Reserve:
MATING LEOPARDS Over the last few days we have been observing the Tear Drop female and the West Street male mating along the Sand River. Although this has made for amazing leopard viewing. One has to ask, is the Tear Drop female mating again becasue she has lost her cub? Only time will tell. Photo ~Messham Photography~  *This image is copyright of its original author
Mbavala Male Leopard aka Vin Diesel, credits by Arno Pietersen:
"Just now on H11." Taken on 23 February 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author "Rumour is he is mating close to kruger gate at the moment." Taken on 23 February 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author "Mbavala taking a stroll down S1 as usual." Taken on 28 February 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author Beautiful boy, really impressive.
From Londolozi Game Reserve, 18 March 2016: The Week in Pictures #223 by Trevor McCall-Peat
"The Inyathini male. A year ago I saw this male for the first time. He erupted from the side of the road and headed for the hills but through the great work and patience of the guiding and tracking team he has begun to relax around vehicles, allowing us into his personal space to capture images like this."  *This image is copyright of its original author "Any time you capture two of these elusive animals in one shot is incredible. The Mashaba female and her 10 month old cub treated us to a morning full of life lessons as the adult showed off her well-tuned skills of climbing, stalking and pouncing, things the youngster is learning fast and will use more and more of in the months to come."  *This image is copyright of its original author "Using picture styles in-camera allows one to change sharpness, contrast, saturation and colour tone which is advantageous as very little work – if any – is needed in post processing. A leopard on a rock is always a great photographic opportunity." The Nhlanguleni Female  *This image is copyright of its original author From Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve: "Warthog Wallow was spotted moving close to the Charleston males' and Southern Pride's kill site, and eventually managed to find and catch a Leopard tortoise."  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Londolozi blog: Lessons From a Squirrel: The Piva Male and Kudu Calf:
Moving his hand swiftly upwards, tracker Freddy Ngobeni indicated for me to stop, as he had just heard the chattering alarm call of a squirrel. I immediately switched off the vehicle, and looking in the direction of the distressed rodent, Freddy, without saying a word promptly got off his tracker seat and proceeded to make his way into the front seat of the vehicle. Instantly I knew he had spotted a leopard and began cheering internally, quietly yet with excitement explaining to my guests what had just happened. Upon approaching the leopard, we were amazed not only to see the Piva male but also the Tamboti young female, lying a few metres away from him! Little did we know this was only the beginning of what would turn out to be a phenomenal morning safari!  *This image is copyright of its original author The Tamboti young female was in what can only be described as an amorous mood and began rubbing herself up against the Piva male, fluttering her tail in his face and subtly growling to win his affection. Reluctantly, he was persuaded by her persistence and they began mating. It is always such a privilege to witness leopards mating. They repeated their copulation on a number of occasions whilst slowly moving through the thicket and out into a clearing.  *This image is copyright of its original author Whilst my guests were photographing the Piva male to our right, I noticed the gentle ear twitch of a kudu calf in a nearby thicket to our left. It was only a few seconds later that the Piva male turned his head and got a glimpse of the young kudu himself. Still in its infancy, the kudu was oblivious to the imminent danger stalking through the patchy grass. There was relatively scant cover for the Piva male to conceal himself behind, but he crouched as low as he could and made a swift yet methodical approach, pausing whenever it looked as if he might be spotted. Although we could see both predator and prey, it appeared as though the leopard made his stalk to perfection, as at no point did the kudu give any indication that it was aware of any danger. Being only young, maybe a couple of weeks old, the kudu probably wasn’t exhibiting the same kind of awareness an adult might have, nor did it have the relative protection and guidance of its mother, who must have been feeding elsewhere. Although she would probably not have had a chance of defending her calf against an adult male leopard, the mother’s extra pair of eyes and ears may have detected the danger in time. With the Tamboti young female looking on, the Piva male took full advantage of the situation, raced in and quickly subdued the calf.  *This image is copyright of its original author Having successfully made the kill, the Piva male dragged his prey through a clearing to a nearby thicket line. He proceeded to drag it onto a termite mound, roughly one hundred metres from the kill sight, thereafter laying down to catch his breath. All this time, the Tamboti young female was slowly trailing him, hoping for a free meal at some stage. After resting for a few moments, the Piva male began feeding whilst also scanning the trees above looking for a suitable place to hoist his kill and keep it away from the prying hyenas and lions.  *This image is copyright of its original author After dragging their kills to a relatively safe spot, leopards will generally check to see if any other predator might be approaching.  *This image is copyright of its original author The Piva male looks towards where the Tamboti young female was sniffing around.  *This image is copyright of its original author Although the superb eyesight of Freddy Ngobeni made the initial discovery of the leopard pair, I believe that a more a powerful and profound lesson can be rendered from such an experience. If it had not been for the alarm calls of the squirrel, we may never have seen the leopards nor witnessed such an incredible sighting. It is a lesson that we can all learn from, and take with us in our daily lives; never disregard the small things in life, you never know what they might lead you too… The video of the hunt is posted on the Leopard Predation thread.
From The week in Pictures #224:
Evening light made it difficult to photograph this sighting of the Inyathini male and Mzanzeni female mating. With a large aperture and steady rest, the sharp male is foiled by a motion-blurred female as she enters the frame; a pleasing alternative to usual sharpness all round. I love his expression, so grumpy as if he was thinking: "Oh, not her again..."  *This image is copyright of its original author The Piva male waits in the branches of a tree for some young Hyenas to move away. Our view of him through many thorns contrasted with the sunlight highlighting his golden coat and made for an interesting photograph.  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, 24 March 2016: LISBON: QUEEN OF THE SOUTH by Mike Palmer (Bush Lodge Ranger)
"Lisbon is definitely the “Queen of the South”. This female leopard has dominated the southern reaches of Sabi Sabi Private Game for well over ten years now and is always a pleasure to spend time with. I’ve seen several different females, both young and old, attempt to establish themselves in the area and even thought that a couple would have some success, but Lisbon just wouldn’t accept the idea of sharing resources with anyone else. This does mean though that she is pretty much the only female leopard that we are likely to encounter when traversing the southern section and it’s a very large area, but when you find her she’s almost guaranteed to put on a show for you and your guests. We were treated to just that yesterday afternoon."  *This image is copyright of its original author "We found Lisbon lazing about in a large Marula Tree in the late afternoon, but it wasn’t long before she descended. She was looking rather thin and it was clear to us that she hadn’t eaten anything in a while so I was pretty confident that she was searching for her next meal. We followed her for less than five minutes when her body language changed and it was clear that she had picked up on something, but we were blind to what it was. She immediately began stalking through the bush very quietly, all the while keeping focused in a particular direction. We still couldn’t see anything that may have peaked her interest as the bush was quite dense, but she was definitely sure about her next move. She climbed up onto a termite mound and paused for a while, staring into the thicket of Bushwillows."  *This image is copyright of its original author "Again, she was on the move, meandering through the dense scrub with purpose. I discussed with my guests my thoughts on what she was up to and what she was after, but at this point it was all speculation. We spend a lot of time with these animals and as hard as it is to believe, we get to “know” them and their behavior quite well so I knew she was locked onto something and by the looks of her, she wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip by."  *This image is copyright of its original author "As a result, we backed off a fair distance to give her some space and limit the vehicle movement so that she could concentrate and also so that we didn’t scare off whatever it was she was stalking. At this point she climbed the second termite mound, lying comfortably at the precipice. One thing is for sure when you follow Lisbon and that is that you will get some great photographic opportunities. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was a model somewhere in her previous life!"  *This image is copyright of its original author "She moved off again and at last we could see what she was stalking… a Common Duiker. I had been explaining to my guests how she loves duiker and that she was an expert in catching them. They more than abundant in this area, but are not the easiest of quarries to pursue due their acute senses however she is somewhat of a specialist in this field. Of course I had no idea of knowing what she was after, but I have seen many predators show a preference for certain prey animals so it was an educated guess at best. She was now in full stalk mode and not from the duiker. It really had no idea that she was even there. Lisbon had planned her attack perfectly with the wind direction, cover and sun position all being in her favour and it wasn’t too long before she made her move. Like I said…specialist."  *This image is copyright of its original author "It was an amazing catch and I must admit that I had my doubts as I’ve seen many failed attempts before on these small antelopes, but not Lisbon. She made it look easy. Now I’ve said this before and it will always ring true…it is not easy or even pleasurable to watch an animal losing its life to another, but it is the way of the natural world. It’s most exciting before and after to be honest, but documentation of these events certainly have their place. We observed her almost immediately after the deed was done, moving the duiker to a more secure location so she could venture off to collect her young son and bring him back to the kill. If she was looking hungry then he must’ve been starving!"  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author "It’s hard work carrying a lifeless body between your jaws and she paused frequently to catch her breath. As the crow flies, she probably moved the kill about 300m towards a really nice Marula Tree and she knew exactly which one she was going to put it in too."  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author "She hoisted the animal with relative ease and continued to try find a suitable position where she could ‘hook’ so that it was secured to a branch and wouldn’t fall out and into the jaws of a hyena, not that there were any present at this stage, but they are never far away and almost having a sixth sense when it comes to locating leopards on kills. Once secured it was clear that she was not going to eat until she had collected her son. Before she descended again the tree again to search for him she was making contact calls and looking intently in the direction of their usual ‘den’ area along the Umlechwane River course. By this time the sun was already kissing the horizon and we’d had an unbelievable experience with this old girl so we took one last image of her in the tree and then watched as she ventured off into the bush in search of her boy."  *This image is copyright of its original author "We were told later that she was successful in finding him and that both fed quite generously on the meal she had worked so hard for. It’s great to know that they finally got something to eat because it looked as though she hadn’t eaten anything for several days. All’s well that ends well I suppose, at least for the leopards anyway. It’s days like these that make living in a place like this so incredibly special…I just hope my luck continues." Video: Lisbon: Queen of the South
From Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve:
"Last night guests where treated to a spectacular kill by the young Basile female." 29 March 2016  *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 "Basile seems to be doing well. Last night she managed to kill a big female Impala. It seems however that throughout the night some Hyenas stole it from her." 29 March 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author "This morning we had a rare glimpse of the Dam 3 female as she was busy strolling through her territory." 28 March 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author "Dayone watching as two Hyena approach the tree where he was busy feeding on a Nyala." 28 March 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author "This morning Dayone was found on the remains of a Nyala kill that he hoisted into a tree out of reach of a Hyena." 27 March 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author "And we have launch. Xikavi's cub kept us entertained as he played around in a Marula tree." 26 March 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author "Scotia taking a break from feeding on the Grey Duiker that she killed." 26 March 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author "Dayone being agitated by some Impalas barking at him." 24 March 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author
Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve
"Hlarulini was stalking impala last night, but did not make a move. This morning we moved into the area we left her in to find that she successfully pulled down a large male impala. A spotted hyena making its way home picked up on the scent, chased her up a tree and took off with her meal, being kind enough to leave her two pieces of meat which she then hoisted into two separate trees."  *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 Hugo Breed Wildtography "Dayone strutting his stuff."  *This image is copyright of its original author "Dayone in the dark."  *This image is copyright of its original author Lion Sands Game Reserve "The Mashutu female leopard snarls at a hyena that got a little too close to her and her hard-earned kill." by Anthony Hattingh  *This image is copyright of its original author Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve Son of Mvula."Young Male Leopard, Quarantine, was using the elevation of a marula tree this morning to scout out some potential prey. After locating some in the distance, he headed off to attempt to hunt an impala (as there was a herd nearby)." by Andrew Khosa  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Chitwa Chitwa Private Game Lodge:
"Tsakani, Kwatile's young female cub has been wandering further and further away from her mother's territory. We have been seeing her regularly around one of the big dams west of Chitwa. When we found her this afternoon she was relaxing on a fallen knobthorn tree. The sun was setting behind her and added just that little more to make it seem even more special. The setting sun gave her coat a rosy colour which she seemed to be showing off as she turned this way and that way, grooming herself. When her grooming session was done, she got up and walked straight past the vehicle disappearing into the bush."  *This image is copyright of its original author From Londolozi Game Reserve, The Week in Pictures #225: "The Mashaba female eyes out some distant impala from her marula tree perch." Photograph by James Souchon  *This image is copyright of its original author "The Mashaba female and cub share a puddle of water. Like the Mhangeni pride in the first photo, leopards can be particular about the water source they would prefer to drink out of." Photograph by James Souchon.  *This image is copyright of its original author From Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve, by Hugo Breed Wildtography: "Scotia scanning her surroundings, listening and looking for possible prey."  *This image is copyright of its original author "Torchwood finishing the remains of the Civet that he killed."  *This image is copyright of its original author From Kirkman's Kamp Private Game Reserve, by Jarryd du Preez Wildlife Photography: "Teardrop female had a Rollercoaster of a night..... The Teardrop female was seen salivating due to some very unfortunate events. After making a Kill, the West street male arrived with the Flockfield female leopard and stole the kill. While the West Street male was feeding on the impala the two females got into a scrap, to which the Teardrop female came out on top. The Teardrop female then thought it be a good opportunity to try mate with the male. He was not so impressed and chased her off. This morning we could hear two leopards mating but unfortunately couldn't find them. With the Charleston Male Lions seen in the west this morning, guests have lots to look forward to."  *This image is copyright of its original author From Ngala Private Game Reserve: "The black dam youngster was playing hide and seek with us. He led us over and under a whole variety of obstacles and eventually lay to rest in this small dry river."  *This image is copyright of its original author From Umkumbe Safari Lodge: Kigelia young female leopard.  *This image is copyright of its original author Tingana Struggles with his Power Lift Nighttime Leopards - Karula female
Umkumbe Safari Lodge:
Guess who we saw? Mxabene the male leopard! He weaved between our game viewers while patrolling his turf. Nice to see this male back on his "home ground". Mxabene casually strolls past the vehicle and guests get a close-up sighting of one of Umkumbe's favourite cats!  *This image is copyright of its original author Mxabene is a very strong, stocky looking male leopard and has quite a thick neck. He is one of our dominant males who has sired many cubs on our turf. Our boy returned and guests managed to see him in the daylight!  *This image is copyright of its original author Leopards sleep during the daytime and often seek out drainage lines or thick vegetation to sleep. They hunt at night when the temperatures are cooler. Mxabene was clearly lacking in energy and we managed to follow him until he found a suitable resting place.  *This image is copyright of its original author On a second pic of him with the Warthog, I wanted to make a comment on it. The pic is from Sabi Sabi Private game reserve. Look at the size of his freaking arm!!!  *This image is copyright of its original author Amazing leopard, he's one of my favourites. (04-02-2016, 02:46 AM)Majingilane Wrote: On a second pic of him with the Warthog, I wanted to make a comment on it. The pic is from Sabi Sabi Private game reserve. Wow, this shot is fantastic!! Really impressive. The power of these big cats... Amazing, thanks @Majingilane
From Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, A Week in the Bush Vol.96, by Sheldon Hooper (Bush Lodge Ranger)
"Leopards have been on the move in a big way and we see them ranging far and wide, marking their territory as well as defending it tooth and claw. Mahlathini and Maxabeni were seen on our north eastern most boundary having a go at each other. It has been a long while since we have seen old Mahlathini and it warms the heart to know he is still around. White Dam and her cub have been spotted on several outings with each other and Hlarulini is making inroads into becoming a more regular resident with many fantastic sightings of her throughout the last week."  *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  *This image is copyright of its original author
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