The Leopard Hills Weblog

Rangers Report January 2012

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:12:05 +0200

The wettest month for at least 12 years has not dampened the wildlife dynamics in the slightest! Mother Nature has her unique way of cleaning things up and the waters have no doubt washed away all the stagnant material bringing new life and growth! Many previously inaccessible areas will now be opened up once the waters fully subside, especially along the river!Leopards

Hlaba Nkunzi

6 weeks have passed since she gave birth in the rocks just below Leopard Hills and we are very happy to share that her cub is well and she was seen this morning moving the cub further east! It seems that she has moved her den site 4 times and has moved steadily east since relocating the cub from it�s place of birth.

Here she is carrying the 3 week old youngster from Leopard Hills to a new den in the beginning of January.
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She is spending more time east and we hypothesise that this has much to do with the security provided by the massive dominant Kashane male! The accomplished regal lady possibly feels that the younger Xhinzele & Dayone males further west don�t offer as much protection for her cub as the older and more imposing male does!

Here she is during one of her visits to Leopard Hills towards month end drinking from the suite 5 pool.
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Let�s kick off 2012 with an updated approximate territorial map of the female leopards as some change has occurred recently.

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Hlaba Nkunzi is still ruling the central western sector but as mentioned is spending more time in the east.

Thlangisa�s home range is marked in blue because she is not truly territorial as yet but has begun to scent mark in the apparent vacant territory north west of leopard hills. Hlaba Nkunzi and Metsi may cede this land to her as they spend more time in the east and south respectively.

Thlangisa

Again she was our most consistently viewed female, mostly due to her relaxed playful nature and habit of using trees, rocks and termite mounds as vantage points but also due to the fact that she currently moves in a smaller area than the older territorial females.

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Metsi and cubs

Judging by her movements it seems she has a rather unusually shaped longer narrower territory (See map) and although mostly frequenting the south she has been seen right up in the north west close to Leopard Hills where she is scent marking heavily with the presence on Thlangisa in that area.

She may also be pregnant and reinforcing her territory in preparation for having to provide for her next litter.

Her 2 sub adult male offspring have not been seen this month, they are approaching 2 years of age now so we assume they are fine but may have moved off in search of new terrain.

Xikavi

As we know she is one of our least viewed females as a result of her riverine habitat along the sand river, she is a stunning animal and we were spoilt to view her on the northern bank during the beginning of the month when we could still cross the river.

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A really special behavioural sighting was watching her scent mark her territory (above image), only to be distracted from her duties by 3 nyala�she patiently inched herself to within 6 feet before being spotted without launching her attack!

Shangwa

No sightings this month of our most mature female leopard (13 yrs, 2 months)

Xhinzele

It�s been a quiet start to the year for our most consistently viewed dominant male! After putting in a few commanding appearances in the south of his territory he has been missing in action after the rains plummeted down, possibly he has been caught north of the sand river�we will keep you posted!

Mashiabanje

Again there have been no sightings in January, we will have to wait for the sand river to subside and can only expect an update on his whereabouts in a month or two.

Kashane

He was seen mating with the Tasselberry female in the south during the month and has put in one or two brief yet striking appearances in the east.

Dayone

He has continued reinforcing the central south western areas which he has claimed as his own.

He did spend early Jan up near Leopard Hills and displayed his brute power again when he made another kudu cow kill in the Mabrak river bed before the floods came down.

There was some interaction with a young male hyeana which darted in every now and again to steal a scrap, here is the spotted hyaena with an earful of kudu.
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Lions

Mapogo Coalition

The elder of the Mapogo and the short maned male have again been prowling together for most of the month, spending a lot of time east, looking after the ever present threat from the Majingilane's.
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The other less dominant male has joined up with the other 2 briefly but has been on his own or with the Ximungwe pride for much of the month.

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There has been some competition amongst the coalition for the Ximungwe lioness coming into oestrus but nothing too serious as yet! This behaviour often gives us a more clear idea of the current dominance hierarchy amongst the coalition�it appears the short maned male is currently the largest and most dominant.

Ximungwe Pride

The 3 lionesses have remained with their four cubs (Ages ranging from 6 to 12 months) for most of the month. Spending most of their time in the south where there is abundant prey available at the moment and they have made a wide range of kills�buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe and waterbuck that we know of.

The lioness coming into heat has been roaring every evening towards month end, looking for the attention of the Mapogo, hopefully we will see mating lions soon!
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See video highlights below of some the above mentioned lion behaviour (Crank up the volume and enjoy all the thunderous roaring!)

Painted Dog Pack

A pleasant surprise during the flooding period was that the whole pack of 9 returned briefly from the east looking as healthy as ever. The soggy ground limited our ability to follow them, as we all know a painted pack on the move is difficult enough to follow at the best of times on dry ground!
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Spotted hyaena sightings are on the increase, this serengeti like scene below unfolded in the southern grasslands as 2 females finished off the leftovers of a Ximungwe pride waterbuck kill!
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Hippo

Waterholes have changed shape and resident bulls are noticeably a little more cantankerous as they have had to find new resting places of the right depth at their old hang outs!

All the flooding has really unsettled the resident rafts along the sand river which has received a facelift and as the water subsides in the coming weeks we will find the newly formed hippo pools.

Elephants

Parades have been in abundance and relishing all the new growth and of course the marula fruits are ripening�take care not to approach a large bull that is very protective of �his� tree!
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Waterholes filled to the brim are a young bull elephant�s delight! Enjoy the below video of some sub adult bulls sparring in a muddy waterhole during a rainy drive. It always pays off to throw on a warm poncho and head out into the rain!

Buffalo

The large obstinancy has again been seen frequently in the south along with regular sightings of �Daggaboys� up north long the river.

Bird quiz, see if you can identify this one!

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Clue!
This is one of the �lesser� seen of this family in our area(in the south of it�s range), only present from early December to March. It breeds all the way up in Eurasia! See if you can identify it!

Interesting and unusual sightings captured in January

The gargantuan old crocodile has made an appearance once again in a waterhole close to the sand river due to the flooding of the river.
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Dwarf mongoose peeking out of his termite mound shelter and checking if the rain has eased off!
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Excellent general game sightings of zebra as well as giraffe during the bountiful summer months!
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A bored spotted hyaena built a dung tower during the rain�
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A majestic juvenile martial eagle
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Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:03:25 +0200

Dangerous Dando!

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:39:57 +0200

Perched high atop our solid hill during the torrential cloudburst caused by Cyclone Dando, we were constantly alert and aware of the danger yet felt totally safe and secure as some lodges around us were evacuated, especially those on the sand river.Somewhere beneath the floodwater in the below images is the sand river causeway that we usually cross over!

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285mm of rain in around 60 hours transformed our western sabi sand traversing area into a wetland reminiscent of a muddy brown Okavango Delta. Dry river beds swelled into raging rivers fed by a myriad of newly formed drainage channels.

This is the view from Leopard Hills of the �dry� Mabrak river which surged into life, rose to record levels and came thundering below our camp.
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Leopard Hills lodge faced the challenge and stood firmly, recording absolutely no damage and were up and running immediately, our biggest concern was making sure our guests made it through the muddy roads in the reserve and onto their trusty Land Rover.

The last few days' game drives have been an adventure as the sun has returned to dry up the land, bringing us some great sightings in between one or two fun water crossings.

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The sand river has widened, deposited lots of sand and opened up previously inaccessible areas for viewing the rest of the year!

The popular tegwan drinks spot has been transformed and the view of the river improved!
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As the Mabrak river has begun to dry up some catfish were washed down and left stranded in isolated pools. Abraham, who many of you know very well relished the opportunity and showed our guests his fishing or should I say soccer skills!

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Sleepless Nights

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:25:32 +0200

The War Rages on and it is spiralling out of control.I think there are very few people out there that are not aware that Africa is facing a severe crisis pertaining to the rapidly dwindling population of Rhino roaming free in its Reserves. I am not being melodramatic when I tell you that we are facing the real possibility this Species faces extinction in the not too distant future unless there is a radical turn around in philosophy, education and method in the way we deal with this present situation.

Roaming Wild

Statistics tell us there are fewer than 15,000 Rhino roaming the African Continent and on the present downward spiral, it will not be long before this number is decimated.

In South Africa in 2010, 333 of the magnificent animals were slaughtered, last year 447 died. As we enter the dawning of this New Year, 25 Rhino have been slaughtered already.

I have deliberated long and hard about posting this article, it is obviously not the usual �feel good� article you have come to expect on our Weblog, but the Bog is, and always has been a place we have always been brutally honest, no matter how good or bad the news is. What we need you all to do is spread the word to as many people as you can, in an attempt to get the message across, and put as much pressure as we can on the worlds Governments to step in and use their power to help us fight the fight.

We are constantly on alert and are ever active out here in the field, we are doing what we can, but without the rest of the world�s help, this species is facing a dark future. I am honoured to work here on the ground with so many dedicated people, who are relentless in the amount of hours they put in fighting this war, often with no regard for their own personal well-being, and yes we are making a difference. We need reinforcements and this is where you all come it, please put pressure on anyone you know who may be able to make a noise. I am tired of not being able to tell the true story for the fear of Syndicates gaining information on animal numbers through social media sites, let�s use the power of the Internet to fight the war in a positive way.

We are all responsible, directly or indirectly, for the plight of the rhino, as well as thousands of other endangered species. We are all accountable for their future, and we are all capable of doing something about it. So, let�s unify on the one thing that we all truly want and let�s put our differences aside to become an unstoppable force.

I will not end this article with a �gory� picture, of which there are many in circulation, I will end it with a picture of these magnificent animals as I always want to remember them and hope to see them, roaming this magnificent Continent long after we have gone.

The picture above/below was taken by my 12 year old daughter, (location undisclosed), who has been blessed to grow up seeing these magnificent creatures in their natural environment, I pray nightly that her children will be able to do the same.

Hlaba Nkunzi You Beauty!!

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 11:30:34 +0200

As we suspected, she has given birth and yesterday afternoon as the Game Drives left the Lodge, she was located carrying a cub out of the Lodge heading north. We can almost pin point to the day we believe she gave birth, the 16th of December, and since then she has been in and out of the Lodge on an almost daily basis.

We have been speculating as to how many she cubs she has had, Raymond is convinced just the one, I was hoping for two, but all indications are Raymond is right�..again!!!! She left Camp with this little bundle of �fluff� yesterday afternoon heading north, and from what we can ascertain, she has not returned to move anymore, but again, time will tell.

She has moved the Cub into a secluded river bed about a kilometre north of the Lodge, and there we have left her be until she decides she is ready to bring the little one out and introduce it to us. Gary managed to get the below picture as she wondered right past his vehicle, completely unfazed to his presence, what a privilege, and now it is up to us to give her the respect and space she needs until she is ready to bring the �little one� out again to meet us.

We will keep you posted here on the Blog and our Face Book Page

http://www.facebook.com/LeopardHills

Click on the Picture to Enlarge.

Rangers Report December 2011

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:27:21 +0200

The height of summer is upon us and scorching hot sunny days often lead to spectacular evening thunderstorms. It is the time to celebrate life and family as the year draws to a close and how fitting it is that Hlaba Nkunzi has returned home and given birth to her cubs�
Her cubs are hidden somewhere in the rocks on the left of this image, below suite 8, this is the Dayone male strolling past during mid December.
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Leopards

Hlaba Nkunzi

A few months of speculation as to her potential choice of den site has culminated in her coming �home� to Leopard Hills (As if there was ever any doubt�) to give birth in the safety of the rocks below suite 8!

Here she is approximately a week before she gave birth.
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A few days after giving birth, suckle marks and matted fur visible...
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Suckle marks close up.
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Both males (Xhinzele & Dayone) have been through the camp while her cubs have been hidden here and great news is that there has been no aggression from either of them or from Hlaba Nkunzi toward the 2 males! We estimate the cubs are 7-10 days old now so we are hoping for our first glimpse of them during the first 2-3 weeks of Jan 2012.

In the meantime we are treated to her daily meanderings through the camp to suckle the tiny hidden fur balls. We will keep you all posted with lots of images and updates soon�

A little info on leopard cubs.

The gestation period of leopards is 90 to 105 days and the female gives birth to a litter of typically two to three cubs.

Newborn leopards are tiny, covered with dull grey fur that shows just vague spots and with their eyes tightly closed, they are completely helpless.

Leopard cubs open their eyes after 4-9 days and can walk within two weeks. During the first 8 weeks, while the mother leopard has to leave the den from time to time to hunt, the cubs remain in hiding. Only when the mother returns will the cubs walk out of the den and play outside with each other.

The mother will leave young cubs for up to 36 hours while hunting and feeding before returning to suckle them, they will be weaned at around 3 months.

Thlangisa

While still mostly residing in Hlaba Nkunzi�s territory she has been her usual playful self and has been viewed consistently, more often than not perched high up a Marula tree scouting around for prey.

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With the many nursery herds of impala lambs around being her prey of choice we were spoiled with an exceptional sighting of her stalking out in the open, then the chase and almost a kill!

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Metsi and cubs

Her month has been spent down in the far south west and central areas where she has taken over the late Mambirri female�s former territory.

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Her 2 sub adult male offspring have been seen infrequently but are both alive and well, they are however keeping a low profile, avoiding the dominant males!

Xikavi

She has been seen south of the sand river this month but is still residing mostly up in the north of her territory across the river.

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Shangwa

She has been seen a few times without her male cub, he is moving about on his own a lot, becoming more and more independent now that he is a year and a few months old.

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Xhinzele

The Dayone male�s regular movements up north towards Leopard Hills have kept Xhinzele down in the south of his territory towards month end, he has been scent marking and calling zealously! See video footage.

The Mabrak river now seems to be a clear territorial boundary for these 2 adversaries, not ideal for Hlaba Nkunzi being caught in the middle, they bisect the core of her territory and her current den site!

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Look at the images above and notice how he has filled out recently, becoming more and more intimidating and confident by the day!

Mashiabanje

He was seen once in the far north during the month, let�s hope 2012 brings many more sightings of this imposing male!

Kashane

He gave us a few commanding appearances in the east, most memorably one morning when 2 of the Mapogo disturbed his resting place and he reluctantly hauled his full belly out of there!

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Dayone

How will he react to a confrontation with Xhinzele? This question will be answered soon, for now he has been spending a lot of time around Leopard Hills and south and west of us.

Here he is scent marking in front of suite 8.

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We are not sure if he did mate with Hlaba Nkunzi but she does seem relaxed with his presence around the camp so we assume so.

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Lions

Mapogo Coalition

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The elder of the Mapogo and the short maned male have been prowling together for most of the month, spending a lot of time east, looking after the threat from the Majingilane's that side. The other male has been living an easier life further west with the Ximungwe pride for much of the month, taking advantage of the hunting expertise of the lionesses.

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Ximungwe Pride

The three lionesses with the four cubs (Ages ranging from 5 to 11 months) have remained together as a complete pride the entire month, spending much time up in the remote north west of the reserve. See video of the cubs and lionesses interacting.

The lioness that lost her cubs last month has been on her own much of the time and the Mapogo have been taking turns following her around, checking her scent and condition as she will come into oestrus again soon. See video of short maned Mapogo performing the flehmen grimace to test her reproductive condition.

Othawa young males

These 2 handsome pretenders made an appearance down south at Christmas time when 2 of the Mapogo killed a young buffalo and they picked up the scent. They were chased off by the 2 titans, who weren�t overly concerned by their presence in the area initially. There was apparently a short fight the following day and one of the Mapogo did give one of the youngsters a small beating but he is alright.

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Elephants

Finding the parades that have spread out into the lush green wilderness is a bit tougher than in the dry winter months and it is often a fun exercise to track and locate them. This time of year it is sometimes easier to find leopards than the world�s largest land mammal�See amusing video footage of a cocky young male calf showing us some attitude.

We were also very privileged to be present moments after a little calf was born.

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White Rhino

Crashes are in abundance, especially in the grassland just north of the lodge where the new growth is enticing them out of the woodland and providing excellent viewing out in the open! Look out for a young male calf interacting with the pack of painted dogs in the video.

Hippo

With the summer rains having topped up the waterholes hippo viewing has been superb. The impressive audio of hippo�s grunting is one the definitive sounds of Africa, enjoy the distinctive audio on the video section as a raft emerges for their evening feeding.

Painted Dog Pack

As the year draws to a close it is truly fitting that the Painted Pack who we have grown so attached to this past year have decided to spend over a week in our traversing area!

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A week of enthralling sightings have well and truly delighted our festive guests! To spend quality time with these highly social and active animals is always rewarded with something exciting! We were lucky enough to view an impala lamb kill made by the Alpha female as well as the build up and all the social greeting that goes on before the pack heads off on a hunt! See video below.

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The pack now consists of 9 healthy dogs, 6 adults and 3 sub adults (almost 9 months old now). These 3 youngsters are now more streetwise and will most likely make it to adulthood. In the video look out for them investigating and playing with a young male white rhino calf one windy afternoon when no prey could be found.

Painted Dog Video

Buffalo

The large obstinancy has been seen frequently in the south, the grazing is particularly nutritious down there on the gabbro soils after the saturating rains.

Video Highlights

Interesting and unusual sightings captured in December

2 male Black Bellied Bustards (Champagne birds) fighting over a territory, our first time to observe this behaviour and such aggression between these ground birds!

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Bird breeding season is peaking now�see below image of a Woodland Kingfisher male courtship feeding his female with a tasty morsel and a pair of Striped Kingfishers displaying.

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A majestic Bateleur flying off with some nesting material.

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The secretive cuckoos are more often heard than seen in their dense habitat, especially the Red Chested Cuckoo, luckily for us this one decided to rest for a few brief seconds out in the open.

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Possibly the most Pangolin sightings ever in one year (8 separate sightings), unfortunately no more this month but here is a perfect example of tracks seen last week.

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An odd looking pair of mating giraffe.

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Christmas Cubs

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:19:27 +0200

We have a strong suspicion that the Hlaba Nkunzi Female Leopard has given birth.For the last week, Hlaba Nkunzi has returned from her extensive wonderings and has been sniffing around the Hillside below the Lodge. She has been seen exploring the Ululapa Hills prior to moving across to Leopard Hills, maybe it was the name that convinced her, or maybe it was simply the fact that her Mother Makwela left her here when she was a cub, a place she knows so well and is so comfortable.

The barking of Baboon�s and the chattering alarm calls of the Vervet monkeys constantly warning us of her present as she moves about the Lodge.

I remember well being called by Housekeeping down to Suite 1, to see a bulge in the Hammock on the outside deck, just the tip of her tail hanging over the side. She can�t have been more than a few months old, but with razor sharp teeth, proceeded to chew her way through the canvass before falling through the bottom and onto the deck below.

I remember too, many years ago, when Hlaba Nkunzi�s mother Makwela had three daughters. She chose Leopard Hills as their �playground� while she left them to go off hunting, and the chaos they caused was extreme. Returning from the evening Safari on Christmas Eve, a �Gala� Boma Dinner had been arranged, the Chefs had just finished setting up and the feast was laid out awaiting our arrival from Game Drive. One last trip by the Chefs up to the kitchen for a last minute necessity, the Boma was only left unattended for 5 minutes��.Big Mistake!!! On returning to the Boma, what a sight awaited them. There was Makwela and her three daughters on the Buffet devouring the remains of Christmas Dinner, and we had just arrived back from drive with all our hungry Guests!!!! Needless to say a plan was made and our Guests were extremely understanding. Many a drink was consumed under the African night sky, to the sound of Leopard crunching through Turkey bones just outside the Boma wall, while our amazing Team of Chefs whipped up another round, a Christmas Dinner we will never forget.

For the last 5 days, Hlaba Nkunzi has been moving in and out of the Lodge on a daily basis, leading us to believe she has indeed had her cubs up amongst the rocks, returning to suckle. Time will tell for sure, certainly all the initial indications are positive, watch this space for further details.

What is it about Christmas and Cubs?

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The year of the Painted Dogs.

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:55:55 +0200

As the year draws to a close it is truly fitting that the Painted Pack who we have grown so attached to this past year have decided to spend over a week in our traversing area! A week of enthralling sightings have well and truly delighted our festive guests! To spend quality time with these highly social and active animals is always rewarded with some action! We were lucky enough to view an impala lamb kill made by the Alpha female as well as the build up and all the social greeting that goes on before the pack heads off on a hunt! See video below.

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The pack now consists of 9 healthy dogs, 6 adults and 3 sub adults (almost 9 months old now). These 3 youngsters are now more streetwise and will most likely make it to adulthood. In the video look out for them investigating and playing with a young male white rhino calf one windy afternoon when no prey could be found.

Video update from the last week

Rangers Report November 2011

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:36:06 +0200

The month is �iMpala� in the traditional Shangaan calendar as scattered impala lambs lie hidden all over the dense undergrowth, their first few tense days spent motionless avoiding detection. This time of new life presents predators with ample easy prey�that is if they can find it. They need to alter hunting techniques and use their sense of smell to detect the hidden lambs.1 of the first lambs

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Leopards

Hlaba Nkunzi

The limelight is currently falling upon her and speculation on her condition is rife as we believe she is heavily pregnant and searching for den sites. She has been located more frequently this month and has been spending more time near the lodge leading us to believe that she will choose one of her favoured den sites close by�we are holding thumbs!

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The increase in spotted hyaena numbers has forced her to tree her kills again and one unforgettable golden sundowner was spent watching her finish off her impala kill while a young hyaena waited patiently below for any leftovers to fall down (See video highlights).

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She was also really unlucky on one occasion! She killed an impala ram after patiently stalking for hours and had barely started feeding when suddenly she sat up attentively staring in one direction. Moments later a Ximungwe lioness came crashing through the bushes and sent her racing for the nearest tree with an empty belly and only a brief taste of what might have been!

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Thlangisa

If we didn�t know better we might think that she was the illustrious territorial female of Leopard Hills and the central western sector. She is favouring the lush habitat and plentiful prey supported around the lodge and even made a kill very close to one of the rooms, using the pool to quench her thirst between feeding bouts.

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Hlaba Nkunzi doesn�t seem overly concerned with her presence here but her tolerance levels with the inexperienced Thlangisa may change once her cubs are born and she needs access to her reliable hunting areas and prey sources.

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She has also been trailing Xhinzele again and attempting to win over the disinterested male while he patrols his territory.

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Metsi and cubs

Her movements have taken her to the far south west and this has limited the number of times she has been viewed this month. The young Dayone male finally succumbed to her alluring advances and they were briefly seen mating, how successful this encounter was remains to be seen.

Her relaxed year and a half year old cub has been in the area around Leopard Hills but was viewed less frequently than last month.

Xikavi

She has again been rather scarce for most of month and has probably been mostly up in the north of her territory.

Shangwa

Shangwa and her 1 year old male cub are spending far more time on our traversing area and have provided some fantastic viewing again this month. There is still a close bond between them but soon he is going to be pushed off on his own so this vastly experienced female (13 years) can prepare for her next and possibly last litter.

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Xhinzele

He has been very busy patrolling the south of his territory towards the Mabrak river, with a possible threat arising from the Dayone male. He was in Leopard Hills camp one day which created much excitement and a few nervous guests and staff, it is a very different proposition having a huge territorial male leopard in camp.

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He has also capitalised on the surplous impala lambs and while watching him stop for a quick drink one day we were surprised as he suddenly sniffed the air and darted off into the bush emerging with a lamb in his jaws!

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Mashiabanje

He hasn�t been viewed once this month and there is some concern for his well being as he was spending most of his time patrolling his southern Sand river territorial boundary with Xhinzele and there was a lot of interaction between the two! Maybe the two rivals have settled their differences and he is spending more time in the north? Only time will tell, let�s hope we see this imposing male in December.

Kashane

He made an impala kill far down in the south mid month but otherwise has been mostly in his eastern territory.

Dayone

This handsome youngster is growing in magnitude and confidence by the day and was observed mating with Metsi for the first time during the month, he has come of age and it will be interesting to see how he will react should there be pressure from the other more established territorial males, Xhinzele or Kashane?

We�ve included an updated map showing the approximate male leopard territories as the Dayone male seems to have settled in and recent interaction has shown that the older Ndlevane male is not strong enough to hold a territory and is avoiding the other males!

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The female leopard�s territories have remained unchanged since the August report and as mentioned the 2 year and 8 month old Thlangisa is moving all over the central western sector, especially within Hlaba Nkunzi�s territory. She will be looking to establish her own space within the next year or so and raise her first litter!

Lions

Mapogo Coalition

The intrepid rulers again demonstrated their prowess with numerous buffalo kills this month, one victim was a huge buffalo bull of at least 700kg up on the plains of the north! We arrived moments after the kill and it must have been some spectacle as all three would have had to be at their most brutal to subdue the massive and dangerous bull! See video footage of them feeding.

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One of the coalition has been showing interest in mating with the Ximungwe lioness who lost her cubs while the three Ottawa lionesses were also in the area briefly and are possibly coming into oestrus so there will a some more mating opportunities for the males soon.

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Ximungwe Pride

The three lionesses with the four cubs (Ages ranging from 4 to 10 months) have been together as a complete pride the entire month while traversing their expansive territory. See video for some interaction with elephants on the Sand river.

One morning in the north was particularly memorable!
The pride seemed to have disappeared, their tracks were going everywhere and we decided to take a break for a coffee stop at a prominent waterhole. The undergrowth suddenly erupted and seven fat bellied lions covered in blood charged out for a quenching drink. It turns out they had killed a blue wildebeest not far away so we gladly put the coffee on hold while enjoying their interaction after feeding.

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Then a week or so later on a 40 degree summer afternoon the three Mapogo arrived to check up on the pride and we were spoiled in perfect evening light to 10 lions taking turns to quench their insatiable thirst.

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The sad news of the month is that the four week old cubs that were discovered last month disappeared and are presumed killed by hyaena or leopard. This is again a harsh reminder of the many dangers faced by lion cubs in their early days. The lioness was visibly shaken and remained in the area looking for the cubs for a few days before moving off and rejoining the pride.

Ottawa young males

It was a pleasant surprise to see these two young males looking so healthy and venturing into their natal range for a few days while trailing a buffalo herd, ever hopeful! They disappeared back east again very quickly and quietly no doubt to the earth shattering vocalisations of their Mapogo fathers!

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Elephants

The rains have meant that the parades have spread out into the wilderness. There have still been some wonderful sightings on the river such as this parade underneath the giant sycamore fig tree on the northern bank.

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With the midday summer heat upon us and at times reaching over 40 degrees a waterhole often becomes a giant swimming pool!

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White Rhino

As usual there have been consistent sightings and there are currently many young calves about!

Hippo

The young bull that had adopted the calf is still residing in the small waterhole close to the lodge. He is growing bigger and more confident and we are often treated to a threat display in the afternoons as he shows off his impressive weaponry. He will possibly move away soon in search of a larger body of water with access to females.

Painted Dog Pack

The painted pack of 9 dogs is faring extremely well and the 3 surviving pups are now nearly 8 months old and looking strikingly fit and healthy. They raced through Leopard Hills camp on the hunt one morning and two of the pack managed to kill a young nyala bull not far away!

The pack always works as a cohesive unit and the two that made the kill only ate a small amount before trotting off calling frantically trying to locate the rest of the team. Once they located each other the whole painted pack charged excitably passed us towards their awaiting feast. See video footage of them feeding!

Buffalo

The large herds have been attracted to the rich and nutritious new growth coming through on the gabbro plains in the south. To spend an evening sunset amongst an obstinancy of 500 buffalo is an African blessing.

Video Highlights

Interesting and unusual sightings captured in November

A grey heron along with the much rarer saddle billed stork feeding on the surplus of common platanna�s! Frogs and toads are a rich source of food for large birds this time of year.

A white fronted bee eater next to the Sand river bank with a very large morsel, a common tigertail dragonfly.

A rare find along the Sand river, a relaxed half collared kingfisher who put on a show in flight for us!

Unbelievable! Another pangolin and unusually this time with the setting sun in the background, we have had an astonishing eight sightings in the last few months of this secretive mostly nocturnal mammal!

Spot the pearl spotted owlet!
A wonderful example of the cryptic camouflage that these tiny raptors rely upon so heavily.

We have been finding Aardvark diggings more regularly in the same area and this perfect example of tracks was left imprinted one morning after heavy rain. It is just a matter of time before some lucky guests catch a glimpse of this rarely seen creature.

A relaxed honey badger seen foraging during the day in the lush green undergrowth.

Introducing Mr and Mrs Erasmus

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:07:49 +0200

Congratulations to Tammy and Jacques on their marriage from all of us at Leopard HillsOn a sweltering summer�s afternoon, Tammy and Jacques exchanged their vows, and became husband and wife.

Many of you who have visited Leopard Hills will know Tammy by her smiling face as she walks the pathways of the Lodge ensuring the Housekeeping Department is of the stunning standard that we have come to expect as the norm. You will have also tasted the delights that Jacques and the Team in the Kitchen produce on a daily basis, this was truly a union of talent.

We were very honoured to have been invited to the "Big Day", and to be able to witness the "I Do's", conducted in spectacular surroundings, high up on a Hills overlooking Nelspruit. The night before had brought in a severe thunderstorm and torrential rain, we all prayed hard for sunshine on this very special day. At 15h30 as the ceremony began, the clouds had cleared and the hot African Sun blazed down on the special couple as they said their vows and became husband and wife.

Congratulations to you both from all of us at Leopard Hills, we look forward to having you home after your very brief "Honeymoon".