Leopard Hills Archives - Page 2 of 2

Lions and hyena with a python kill

Posted on 27 July 2018 by LH Focus Online

Plans don’t always go according to plan. Even on game drive plans can change in an instant.

Ranger Cal and his tracker, Mowell, were heading down to some lions not too far from the lodge. On the way Mowell spotted a hyena in a clearing. He suggested we quickly view the hyena and then head off to the lions. As we approached, Mowell said, “I think it is eating something”.

We approached the hyena and nobody could believe their eyes. In its mouth hung a large African Rock Python. We don’t know what killed it.

To add to the spectacle, some impala started alarm calling in the immediate vicinity. We knew they weren’t phased with the hyena. We decided to go investigate as the lions were not too far from the area. As we drove through the block we spotted two Mhangene subadult lions hiding in the grass.

The two felines waited patiently until the hyena moved off. They approached the kill with great caution and eventually tucked into their meal.

This was the first time that both Cal, Mowell and our guests had ever seen this type of sighting.

Written by: Cal Butler

The Beautiful One

Posted on 11 July 2018 by LH Focus Online

Seeing the resident animals grow up successfully is always a great pleasure. We got word that the young female leopard, Sasekile, was on an impala kill nearby. She is no longer dependent on her mother, Thlangisa, and manages to take care of herself very well. Sasekile has only recently been named and means “The Beautiful One”.

As we arrived at the sighting, we found Sasekile stranded in a tree. She was surrounded by 11 hyenas who had stolen her kill.

Once the frenzy had finished, the hyenas left the area and the young leopard wasted no time and made her way out of the tree. She continued moving through the thick grass. Further on she found a beautiful Marula tree and climbed it to scout for more unsuspecting impala.

Sasekile pressed onwards and spotted some impala in the distance. The wind and sun’s position was in her favour. She sat patiently looking for the best way to stalk. The image below shows just how well she camouflages in the surrounding vegetation.

The impala had no idea that she was there. She crouched down low and stealthily made her way closer to the antelope. She made it to within a couple of meters of them until she was rudely interrupted by a tree squirrel that set off the alarm and spoiled the hunt.

Written by – Cal Butler

Prying Pups

Posted on 2 July 2018 by LH Focus Online

Termite mounds do not usually stir up a great deal of excitement. However, from time to time you may just find some treasure inside.

There has been a flurry of activity around a well-established termite mound recently. One of the hyena dens is active again.

Seeing petite little pups pop their heads out of the holes brings great joy and excitement to our guests. It does not take long before the pups become comfortable with our presence and come closer to investigate.

Once the sun starts to go down their energy levels peak and the pups will practice their stalking and hunting techniques on their unsuspecting siblings.

Here a little one decides to guard the hole as mother took a little nap.

Written by: Cal Butler

New cats on the block

Posted on 30 May 2018 by LH Focus Online

It has been a while since we have had a little shake up. With the current resident lions shifting territories, new cats are moving into the area.

We had received exciting news that a female cheetah with two cubs was moving steadily west. How long it would take for them to reach us only time would tell. This week we were all surprised to find them on our traverse.

Apparently these wild felines made their way down from the Thornybush area and settled here in Sabi Sands.

The cubs are around 9 to 10 months old. They have lost 2 of their siblings due to attacks from lions and 1 from a snake bite. With less pressure from lions, there’s a good chance that these young cubs might survive the next few crucial months.

Written by: Cal Butler

The Playful Ones

Posted on 26 May 2018 by LH Focus Online

Winter is quickly approaching and the bush is swiftly showing signs of the changing season. Yet there is still a hive of activity on the reserve.

Thlangisa, a wonderfully relaxed female leopard, has provided us with a gift of cubs yet again.

The mother has found a secure den site and she has finally revealed these bundles of joy to us. She has 2 tiny cubs and they take after their mother. Thlangisa, “The Playful One”, has passed her nature onto her cubs as these two little fur-balls constantly chase each other around or hop all over mom when she is around.

This is not her first litter and most of her cubs have survived to adulthood. We look forward to see these cubs grow up into strong, independent leopards in years to come.

Written by: Cal Butler

Kelly Dam and her kill

Posted on 19 May 2018 by LH Focus Online

Night time in the bush can be a daunting thing for some, but sometimes it yields wonderful surprises.

One of our rangers, Cal, headed down to the reserve’s airstrip to fetch some guests. As he passed through a wooded area something caught his eye. It was an impala in a tree, but no leopard in sight.

That evening after sunset, our game drive vehicles headed back to the area and guests were treated to a wonderful sighting as the leopard had returned to finish her kill.

As we arrived at the scene a female leopard called Kelly Dam sat casually in a tree feeding on her kill.

Sitting in silence and surrounded by darkness we all just marveled at the sights and sounds of the feline tucking into her meal.

There was some interesting interaction as 2 hyena came to visit hoping that Kelly Dam will drop her meal or at least parts thereof. She was not phased with their presence and just stared them down.

After she had her fill she moved over to another branch and took a nap for the evening.

Written by: Cal Butler

Mhangene’s saving grace

Posted on 9 May 2018 by LH Focus Online

Life can be tough in the bush, even at the best of times. For the subadult lions of the Mhangene pride life seems to be hanging by a thread.

The Mhangene pride was once a highly successful pride and their numbers stood strong at sixteen. The pride consisted of 4 adult females, 3 female cubs and 9 male cubs. The adult females were ferocious hunters and were highly skilled at taking down buffalo.

With a weekly supply of fresh buffalo, the young cubs always had round bellies and have since grown into sub-adult lions.

There was word of some large male lions making their way towards the western sector of the Sabi Sands. Soon afterwards the adult females made their way towards those males to mate with them and they simply haven’t returned since.

The sub-adults were left to fend for themselves for the last 2 months. They were all inexperienced and had not been taught how to hunt correctly. This lead to their detriment. Two sub-adult females have since perished and the young males find themselves in a very vulnerable position. They had become extremely skinny and their lives are hanging on by a thread.

Last week something miraculous happened. The young males managed to find some energy and somehow killed a buffalo on their own. This event was with out a doubt their saving grace and has provided them with enough food to last a little longer.

Written by: Cal Butler

Thlangisa & her two cubs

Posted on 19 February 2016 by LH Focus Online

Thlangisa and her two remaining cubs are doing very well and she is certainly looking after them in every way, especially when it comes to meals. She had the remains of two kills in the same tree, as they spent a couple of days feeding on them. The Cubs were hidden close by as she was resting in a tree some distance from where her kills were left.

She hoisted the remains of a Kudu kill into another Marula tree and then went to collect the cubs, bringing them back to where she had the meal. The Cubs had a good look at the kill safely hoisted, but preferred the company of their Mother below.

At 11 weeks old, the Cubs are now growing quickly and doing what they do best, playing with each other and their Mother.

The previous two cubs which Thlangisa successfully raised to adulthood, named Basile & Khokhovela, are also doing very well and have occupied territories alongside their Mother’s territory.

They have been providing spectacular viewing and we will update you on Thlangisa and her two cubs as they continue on their path to adulthood.