LH Focus Online, Author at Leopard Hills

Our Leopard Hills adventure

Posted on 16 September 2013 by LH Focus Online

Day 1

Our Leopard Hills experience started when we were greeted by Hugo, our ranger, at the air strip. My wife Sarah and I had flown in on the small Fed Air plane along with Sandy, a Canadian woman, and her son Trevor. We didn’t know quite what was in store for us at this stage or that we would be spending a lot of the next few days with Hugo and fellow air passengers.

On arriving at Leopard Hills we were greeted by the friendly staff, who made us feel most welcome. We were given drinks and then shown to our suite. We had seen photos of the suites prior to our arrival, but in reality they exceeded our expectations and the views were breathtaking.

After settling in we headed back to the main building to meeting up and set off on for our first game drive. Hugo, and Eric our tracker, took us out for the evening drive and so our adventure began. Hugo asked us whether there was anything in particular we wanted to see and they went to work finding us something interesting. Luck was upon us and it wasn’t long before we were given the chance to see two leopards mating within a few feet of our Land Rover. It was a surreal experience being so close to these magnificent creatures.

We stayed in this spot for about twenty minutes, and then moved on when another vehicle arrived. One of the big differences about a private reserve is the number of vehicles, they have a rule of a maximum of three at a sighting, but I think this was just about the only time we had to move on because of this.

As we continued on our drive we bumped into a few zebra before heading to a river bed area to stop for a sundowner. This is when Eric opens the bar and offers you a drink and selection of snacks. We got to stretch our legs, slightly nervously, not knowing what might be lurking nearby.

By the time we started to head back to the lodge the sun was coming down, but that didn’t stop Eric spotting the first of our lions, one of the Selati coalition. It wasn’t long before one of his brothers joined him and we heard and felt the mighty bellows as they called out to a third brother somewhere in the darkness, quite an experience.

That evening we dined as a group in the main building along with Hugo, Sandy and Trevor. The meal was fantastic and we really enjoyed the company, discussing the days events and getting to know either other.

Day 2

The 5:30am wake up was always going to be a struggle, but it was soon forgotten as we drove off on the Land Rover with blankets and hot water bottles to ward off the chilly morning air. The sun was soon up and it wasn’t long before Eric spotted some tracks leading down the road, he walked on ahead and stopped a hundred yards away having sighted two of the Selati lions again. This time the light was better for our photographs and although they seemed somewhat subdued like they had just woken up they were happy to pose for us.

Our next sighting was another leopard. This time on its own, waiting by a termite mound for something to kill. Unfortunately for both of us, no warthogs appeared, but we did see a hyena wander past and for a moment we thought we might see some action.

We moved on and headed for an area to stop for a morning drink. Once again Eric pulls all the stops out with his special coffee, hot chocolate, Amarula and muffins to keep us going.

The next encounter was with a white rhino. These are impressive beasts up close and luckily we found this one in a fairly open area.

We were nearly back at Leopard Hills when we stumbled upon this elephant strolling along on his own. Only our second drive and we were up to four out of the big five already. Just the buffalo left to see.

After a great breakfast back at the lodge we decided to try out the spa facilities, both enjoying excellent massages. Time flies at Leopard Hills and despite the great suites, you don’t have hours to spend enjoying the deck and the views so it wasn’t long before we were back in the main building enjoying lunch overlooking the watering hole. The timing was perfect as an elephant came down to bathe and keep us entertained.

Later that afternoon we headed out for the evening drive, this time there were six of us as we were joined by a German couple. Anyone that has been on a safari will know that the impala is not the hardest animal to find, but they often run off before you can grab a good shot of them.

Our first big sighting was a large herd of elephants, including a number of young calves. We watched these guys for a while and had a close encounter as we left when one of the mothers got over protective.

That evening we enjoyed the Boma dinner outside around the fire with the soundtrack of bellowing lions nearby. Once again the staff were all superb and friendly and the food and drink excellent.

Day 3

A few drinks and a slightly later night had, but when 5:30am came again we couldn’t wait to get out there. Our first experience was a fast chase through the trees after some wild dogs, too fast for photos, but we caught up with them again and one stood still long enough for a snap.

Next was one of my favourite sightings, a rhino with a young calf. At first they were concealed by the trees, but we were in for a treat as they crossed the track right in front of us.

Our next encounter was the closest we got to witnessing a kill. Vultures, a hyena and a leopard with the remains of an impala up a tree.

Elephants graced us again as we were returning to the lodge, a large herd chomping away on the trees by the site of the road, including this young calf.

On the evening drive we all decided to head for a pride of lions that had been seen in the north. I think this was our favourite experience of our time at Leopard Hills. We drove along a dried up sandy river bed and eventually got to the pride of lions, consisting of three females and six cubs.

The females headed off just as we arrived, as they went to find something to kill for dinner. The cubs played around right in front of us as the sun came down.

One of my favourite photos was when this cub sat on his own on this rock.

Hugo did a great job of positioning the Land Rover, which included some handy off road driving skills and some excitable swearing from the female passengers, but we all managed to stay in the vehicle!

Eric came good on his Big File promise and found us our buffalo, a herd of about twenty, including these two butting heads.

We stopped again for sundowners and as we sipped on our gin and tonics Eric told us stories of being charged by buffalo.

Day 4

Our last morning started the same as the two before it with a spectacular orange sky and the expectation of another drive.

We spent some time tracking a leopard and also some drag marks left by hyenas and their kill.

We actually left Eric for about twenty minutes while he tracked on foot, and thankfully found him again unharmed. We then worked our way towards the hyena’s den.

We found two adults with two excitable puppies, happy to perform for us.

Our final experience was to get out of the Land Rover and track a giraffe on foot through the trees. Hugo told us not to run if something came towards us, but my wife said she couldn’t make any promises. Unfortunately the giraffe was quite skittish and kept running away as we got close.

We arrived back at Leopard Hills for the final time, sad it was over, but still on a high from all we had seen and done. Hugo and Eric were fantastic, knowledgable and entertaining, and the service from all the staff back at base was exceptional and they made us feel like old friends. I’m sure most people leave Leopard Hills wanting to go back and we were no different in that regard and we cannot wait to get that chance.

A big thank you to all at Leopard Hills.

Ranger’s Report August 2013

Posted on 1 September 2013 by LH Focus Online

August has yet again been another astonishing month for sightings. It seems with the August winds comes an early Spring, as the heat is already upon us.

The Ximhungwe pride only spent about a week in the South. During that time they made two Zebra kills, one of which was close to the Hyena den site, and were soon chased off that kill by the clan. For the rest of the month they were seen high up in the north, hanging around in the riverbeds.

The Othawas, especially the cubs have been providing us with amazing sightings. All of them are doing extremely well. On one occasion a Selati Male even babysat the cubs while the Females went hunting. With the Females making quite a lot of kills, the cubs are getting some good experience with opening up of the carcasses. The cubs are getting bigger each day.

The four Selati brothers were seen all over the West this month. On one occasion they had killed a Buffalo close to the Sand River. They however did not spend too much time together. A couple of them were also seen mating with one of the Othawa Females.

The beautiful Dayone male, being dominant in the greater part of our traversing area, always gives us awesome sightings for the fact that he is almost always up and doing something. We had him hunting in front of the vehicle and also doing his normal territorial marking as he walks along the roads. He was also quite the ladies’ man over the last couple of weeks as we saw him mating first with Metsi then Hlaba Nkunzi and then the Dam3 Female.

Kashane spent most of his time in the East, and was only seen a couple of times in the West. He is bearing a scar on his face, which is probably from a fight with another Male Leopard.

The Tai Dam Male was seen a few times up North of the River. He is looking good and filling out nicely to become a big Male and definitely a huge force to be reckoned with for other Male Leopards in the North.

The Ravenscourt Youngster was seen a few times deep into the Western Sector. After losing his mother a few months ago he is coping on his own and in good condition. He had a bit of interaction with one of the Selati males, and was seen up in a tree one morning with the Selati Male still under the tree where he found refuge. In true fashion of his mother’s behaviour he is very relaxed, and let’s hope he finds a spot to establish a territory in our traversing area.

Nyeleti wasn’t seen spending too much time in the Western Sector this month.

The beautiful Thlangisa, one of Mambiri’s cubs, use to reside in the area around Camp, but after getting pressure from her sister Metsi and the Dam 3 Female, she pushed North of the River into an unclaimed area. This is unfortunately not the best area for us to always find her, but when we find this relaxed girl it is always a treat as she is living up to her name, that means “The Playful One”. She is also heavily pregnant at this stage, so in the near future we might see some small spotted creatures in the North.

The Dam 3 Female is one of our less relaxed Leopards in the area, but over the last couple of years she has relaxed enough so that we can get a decent glimpse of her, and this month we had a rare sight of her drinking water in a rock pool right next to the vehicle, giving us chance to even observe that she is lactating.

Metsi being her usual elusive self only showed herself to us a few times this month, one of the times being when she was mating with Dayone. We have had glimpses of her cub that is doing just fine, but sadly a bit shy due to the fact that she has not had too much exposure to our vehicles.

Hlaba Nkunzi gave us amazing viewing time of her and the cub as per usual, but she stunned us by leaving her Eleven month old cub alone for almost a week to mate with the Dayone. Fortunately she then returned to the cub that was patiently waiting on her mom’s return.

We are in the very fortunate position that for the last month, the Wild Dogs were almost seen on a daily basis due to the fact that this is the denning season for them, and they have chosen a safe den site in means of an old abandoned termite mound witch the Alpha Female chose and then excavated to be a fitting home for the puppies. We have up until now seen Seven pups out of the den. The Female can have between 1 and 15 pups in a litter.

We have had some amazing sightings of the Hyenas with great interaction between them, Lion and Leopard, showing us how good they are at manipulating a situation to benefit out of it by usually running away with a prized piece of meat. The den site is also still active and is giving us good viewing of the different aged cubs being bold enough to come and play right next to the vehicle.

The Young Male Cheetah came to visit for a day at the end of the month, and then headed back East.

As always the other animals have supplied us with as much entertainment as the rest.

Birding this month has also been good. We are looking forward to the return of all the migrant species.

And last but not least our video compilation for the month.

[FMP width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.leopardhills.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/August2013Compilation.flv[/FMP]

With the trees starting to blossom and Spring rapidly approaching we look forward to new beginnings in the form of cubs, pups and even fawns.

Written and compiled by Johan de la Rey and Hugo Breed

It’s Still Getting Better!

Posted on 13 August 2013 by LH Focus Online

The journey to Leopard Hills always seems to last a lifetime, such is the excitement and anticipation of what may be….

On a personal note, I spent much time enroute, thinking of the past. Mambirri long gone, yet her offspring, Thlangisa, still around to take one’s breath away. The mighty Mapogos also a part of history, and given due credit, one cannot believe anything else than the fact that they are amongst the most famous (infamous) and fantastic Lions ever to roam the wild. Hlaba Nkunzi’s lost cubs, but the knowledge she had another. Then the people I would miss, and those who have left. Marius, Shane, Gary and Dave, amongst others. Not only were the names and faces of the animals and people changing, the lodge itself was changing. What would the 3 days hold,….?

I arrived at the lodge, and checked into one of the renovated rooms. All I can say is that they are truly splendid. A grand mix of modern comforts, yet bursting with African authenticity. Shortly after settling in, I met Jeanne (jammer, ek weet nie hoe om die kappie op “e” to sit nie) who was to be my guide for most of my stay. Refreshments before afternoon safari were served, then the adventure truly began. The moment where looking through Mother Nature’s glass window is broken, the vehicle roars to life and the talented team of guides take you far beyond the pane of inquisitiveness and question. They take you into the middle of Africa’s heartbeat, where you no longer become a distant observer, but a part of it, and your own heart beats a little faster… On that very first drive, it was not only the game viewing vehicle roaring in the African bushveld…

Jeanne decided to head North of Leopard Hills, which is a stunning part of the reserve. Tracking Lion from the morning, he had his work cut out being only one of two vehicles in the area. It was not long before we found a Selati Male Lion, separated from his coalition and lying nicely in an open clearing. Jeanne made the call that the Selati male would probably be a bit more active later, so we would return to the location and head off in search of other animals in the meantime. Great call on his behalf. He managed to get a sighting of the Tai Dam male Leopard, who really is a magnificient animal. Young, yet solid, and not that shy of vehicles. I hope he finds himself a spot of territory in the area. Returning to the Selati Male Lion later was a pure treat, as he flexed his vocal chords in an attempt to relocate his mates.

Selati Roar
[FMP width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.leopardhills.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Selati-Roar.m4v[/FMP]

Here are a few photos from that very first drive.

As usual, Leopard Hills put on a display of wildlife that well and truly leaves one speechless. I went on safari with both Jeanne and Johan, both of whom produced sightings, which will forever be etched in my memory. I personally had an endearing moment watching Hlaba Nkunzi and her cub. She is as much a part of Leopard Hills as the wonderful staff, and I am sure I am not the only one hoping that her cub will grow to maturity and find a territory, to claim as her own, which will not be far from the lodge. The interaction between herself, her cub and the sire thereof, the Khashane male, was rather intense while “sharing” a kill.

There were countless special moments on this trip, none more that seeing the Xhimhungwe cubs playing at dusk, while being observed by a Giraffe, as well as basking in winter sunlight during the day on my final safari drive. They are just the cutest little things.

Indeed this is a very special place, and one where words will seldom do it justice, so here’s to hoping the attached photos will do the job. Lastly, was what I considered to be the ultimate game of Chess. Two of the big boys in Leopard Hills, Kashane and Day One male square off a mere 50 meters from each other. Low guttural vocalizing, and intense stares from both of them, as they expressed their disgruntlement with each other’s presence.

Without dragging the incredible trip out any further, here are 3 special, symbolic memories, while soaking up the experience that is Leopard Hills. What would Africa be without Elephants? Where would the laughs be without the comical interaction of Mongooses, and where would the action be, without the energy of Wild Dog? Elephants being us loafing visitors, the busy Mongooses representing the ever busy and highly entertaining staff, (thanks B for your running around, highly appreciated!!) and the Wild Dogs in management, always active to ensure the well being of “The Den” which is Leopard Hills.

Duncan, to you and your amazing team, thanks again for cherished memories. You really have plucked a part of Heaven, and placed it firmly on Earth. And while I contemplated the old and new on the way up, so I did again on the way back, and can only conclude that Leopard Hills not only remains as spectacular as ever, it just gets better!!

To everyone atop “The Hill” I extend my kindest regards, thanks and best wishes.

Cheers, Drew

Ranger’s Report July 2013

Posted on 31 July 2013 by LH Focus Online

As the month of July comes to a close we have a chance to reflect on all that has happened out in the bush.

With the Ximhungwe pride spending most of their time north of the Sand River, they have not been seen that often. They did however come down south for a couple of days onto Leopard Hills property before heading back North. All members of the pride, including the remaining six cubs are all doing very well, with the adults taking good care of them. The Selati males were also seen spending time with the whole pride.

The Othawa pride has been providing us and our guests with some amazing sightings with both adults and cubs being very playful. The Selati males have also been spending time and bonding with their cubs. All eight of the cubs are very healthy.

For most of the month the Selati coalition was a bit separated from each other, with very few sightings of all four brothers being together. They seem to be patrolling a lot and making sure their territory and their cubs are safe from intruders. They did also spend time with both the Ximhungwe and Othawa pride, which is a good sign for the future of the cubs.

The Southern pride did not spend as much time in the Western Sector this month, with only three of them making a Buffalo kill at the beginning of the month and leaving soon thereafter.

The Sparta and Tsalala males have also been sneaking into the Selati territory unseen as true nomads, only spending a day or two before leaving again.

With it being winter and the bush being more open Dayone tends to be walking straight through the blocks and not using the roads that often making it a bit more difficult for us to track him. Once he is found the sighting is great as always with him continuing on his way as if we weren’t even there.

If we take a look into the past, we will see the storm that was brewing between Dayone and Kashane every time they met on their boundary lines. This month it went a bit further than just the growling as they went for each other causing some injuries to both, but luckily nothing serious. Kashane also gave our guests quite a show when he made a Warthog kill right in front of them.

The Nyeleti male was not seen too much this month, still spending most of his time more to the East.

We were delighted to find the young Ravenscourt male in the Western Sector this month. As some of you will remember he is the male cub of the Ravenscourt female that she so bravely protected from the Nyeleti male. It seems that he is doing well being on his own and independent.

The young Tai Dam male was also seen a couple of times up in the North this month.

It seems that Hlaba Nkunzi and her cub are spending more time closer to her original territory close to Leopard Hills. Both of them have been giving the Leopard Hills guests some spectacular sightings with her cub playing around and having fun in trees.

Metsi is still hiding her cub away and sightings are few and far between. Close to the end of the month we were lucky enough to spend some time with both of them and even got to see her make a Scrub hare kill and the cub having fun with it.

The playful Thlangisa has been making more appearances this month, patrolling and scent marking her territory.

The young male Cheetah only spent a day or two in the Western Sector this month.

Once again this month the Hyena den provided us with a lot of entertainment. All the pups are very playful and the older ones tend to bully the younger ones a bit, as it is in most families.

We have been seeing a lot of the Wild Dogs this month, with the pack of nine sometimes moving very quickly through the whole Western Sector making kills as they go. It seems with the pack spending so much time in the West that they might even den here.

With the updates above we definitely do not forget about the other animals that also provide us all with so much pleasure in viewing them.

And for all our birders out there, we have surely not forgotten about you either.

By looking back at the sightings for the month, we come to realise just how privileged we are to be out in the bush and be able to view all these wonderful animals in their natural environment. As the Sun sets on another African day we look forward to what the next might hold. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for daily updates.

Written by Hugo Breed

Kashane Warthog Kill

Posted on 7 July 2013 by LH Focus Online

This morning Leopard Hills guests were treated to a special sighting of the Kashane male Leopard making a warthog kill. It all started with Kashane sleeping on top of a termite mound with no one even imagining seeing a kill. Then all of a sudden a warthog appeared from the burrow inside the mound and Kashane was ready and waiting. Leopard Hills Ranger Raymond Mahatlani got these photos and some amazing footage of all the action.

[FMP width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.leopardhills.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/KashaneKill.flv[/FMP]

Ranger’s Report June 2013

Posted on 5 July 2013 by LH Focus Online

June has been a superb month, with a lot of sightings and beautiful scenes, leaving us and our guests in awe. There has also been some ups and downs as nature took its course.

The Ximhungwe pride moved a lot during this month and even crossed the River to go a bit North. Unfortunately for the last couple of weeks one of the cubs has been missing, leaving us to suspect the worst. One of the Females also turned up injured but has since recovered. The remaining Six cubs are very healthy.

Eight Othawa cubs are doing great and getting adventurous. They were found feeding on a hippo carcass with theSelati Males. Some of the Selati Males was also mating with the Female without cubs.

The Four Selati brothers are doing a good job of patrolling and protecting their territory. Two of the brothers sniffed out an Impala kill made by the Othawa females and stole what was left. After the Othawa pride found a Hippo carcass, both the males and cubs fed simultaneously, which is a very good sign for the future of the cubs.

Ten of the Southern pride was in and out of the Western Sector this month, not spending too much time in the area, and luckily avoiding the other prides. At the end of the month they managed to take down a Buffalo on the Southern part of the Western Sector.

The Sparta and Tsalala males also didn’t spend too much time in the Western Sector, trying to make a Buffalo kill very close to where the Selati Males also made a Buffalo kill. They have left the area and went back to the South East without incident.

Dayone has been his usual confident self, patrolling his territory and making kills along the way. He was also found mating with Xikavi.

Kashane is such a regal and beautiful male and still keeps his territory more to the East. Hlaba Nkunzi and her cub also shared a Kudu kill with him.

Hlaba Nkunzi has been moving all over her territory trying to make kills for her and her cub. The cub has also become very confident and spends most of her time on her own playing around and stalking anything she can find.

Metsi and her cub are both in good condition. They love playing together and the cub mimics all of her movements.

Metsi cleaning and sharpening her claws.

Xikavi wasn’t seen too much this month. Spending most of her time North of the River and in the thicker bushes that she loves so much.

Throughout the years Ravenscourt have given us plenty of amazing sightings, allowing us to spend time with her and learn from her. Unfortunately she was killed in the beginning of this month by Nyeleti. She was protecting her Fifteen month old cub with everything she had in her and she succeeded, but lost her life in the process. She will always be remembered for the wonderful Female that she was.

The Hyena population is doing very good with a confirmed den site with Seven pups playing around and having fun.

The Pack of Nine Wild Dogs spent a lot of time in the area, producing some very good sightings for our guests.

This month we were lucky enough to see a Female Cheetah and her Two cubs coming into the Western Sector every couple of days and then heading back to the East. Because of the high Hyena population in the area the Cheetahs can’t spend too much time before being harassed by some Hyena.

All of the other wildlife also provided us with some beautiful sightings with most of the animals starting to spend more time around the watering holes as the bush starts to dry up.

Even though winter is here we still had some very good bird sightings this month.

This month was ended off in a spectacular fashion with amazing sightings as well as a Super Moon, the closest that the Moon is to Earth in its elliptical orbit. We are all excited to see what the bush will produce in the coming month. Follow our Facebook page for daily updates.

[FMP width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.leopardhills.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SelatiGrooming.flv[/FMP]

Video courtesy of Louis Röntgen.

Blog compiled by Johan de la Rey and Hugo Breed

Birth of a baby Giraffe!

Posted on 3 June 2013 by LH Focus Online

On the morning of the 30th May 2013 our guests were fortunate enough to witness the birth and first steps of a baby Giraffe.

The guests were leaving that morning after drive, and a Giraffe was the only animal they still wanted to see. During our coffee stop we noticed a Giraffe in the distance. We first looked at it through the binoculars and decided that we would go to it afterwards

After finishing up, we went straight to the Giraffe, and as we approached we noticed something strange. As the Giraffe turned we immediately saw feet and a part of the baby Giraffe’s head sticking out. We couldn’t believe what we were about to witness!

We continued to watch the whole birth unfold in front of us, just amazed and awestruck at how lucky we were to be a part of this new addition to the World. After some licking and encouragement from the mom, the new born started to try to get on its feet. It took a couple of attempts, but in the end it stood up and kept it’s balance.

Just before we left the two of them on their own, our guests named the baby Adelaide, as my guests were all from Adelaide in Australia.

This was surely a morning that we will never forget.

[FMP width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.leopardhills.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Giraffefirststeps.flv[/FMP]

Music used in video : Coldplay – Paradise, Chumbawamba – I get knocked down, Lady Antebellum – Never Alone

One very exciting morning drive!

Posted on 1 June 2013 by LH Focus Online

The morning started out with fog all around us as we set out on the game drive. We were heading into the area were the Wild Dogs were last seen the day before.

Suddenly the call came over the radio, the Wild Dogs had been found, and we immediately headed into that direction. As we joined up with them there were Impalas running everywhere, and Wild Dogs running after them. We kept on following them as they ran through the thick bush, losing sight of them a couple of times, only to relocate them further on.

When we found them again 2 of the Wild Dogs’ faces were covered in blood. Obviously they had made a kill in the thick bush. Unfortunately we lost sight of them as they headed into even thicker bush and couldn’t find the kill they had made. In trying to find them again we came across Dayone, the dominant male Leopard in the area, up a tree with an impala kill about 100 meters from where we lost sight of the Wild Dogs. The Dam 3 female Leopard then also arrived, looking keen to get a bite of Dayone’s kill, but soon left.

After a while the 3 Othawa Lionesses also came to the same Jackalberry tree and Dayone made his way out of there as quick as possible. One of the Lionesses then climbed up the tree to get to the Impala kill on one of the branches. Once in the tree she started to feed a bit and contemplated her next move. Going up was easy, but coming down wasn’t! She then “gracefully” fell out of the tree with one other Lioness also rushing in to start feeding and the other going up the tree to see if she could find any scraps. As soon as she realized the kill was on the ground she then went to join the other 2.

All in all it was a very exciting morning with everything happening in the same spot.

Ranger’s Report May 2013

Posted on 31 May 2013 by LH Focus Online

The month of May has been filled with cold mornings, warm days, spectacular sunsets and sensational sightings.

May started off with the Ximhungwe pride taking down 2 big Kudu Bulls and feeding on them for a couple of days. They moved all over the property and spent a few days close to the lodge, making kills and taking care of the cubs along the way. The cubs are now between five and a half and nine months old and getting very big. They love playing around with each other and exploring every new sight and smell they find along the way.

The Othawa females introduced 8 new cubs to us this month. It looks like there are two litters of four cubs at about 2 months old, with one of the females looking like she is also pregnant. Hopefully more cubs in the very near future. The females walked into the Ximhungwe’s territory one night, luckily without any cubs present, and the Ximhungwes chased the Othawas all the way back to their own territory, both prides leaving each other with minimal injuries.

One of the Selati males was found mating with one of the Othawa females. The four boys were split up for most of the month, but when they came together again they made a Buffalo kill which kept them in one spot for almost four days. The Majingilane came into the Selati territory, but luckily they didn’t run into each other.

The Southern Pride has been spending more time in the Western Sector. The part of the Pride that crossed over consisted of 11. There was an altercation between them and two Males, Solo and Cleo, from the east and it seems that one of the cubs got fatally injured. Hopefully the Southern Pride and these two males don’t come looking for the Ximhungwe or Othawas.

Kahsane was found mating with Ravenscourt and a third unidentified female leopard joined them. The two of them had a stare down but Kashane chose to stay with Ravenscourt and left the other female behind. The two of them mated for a couple of days. Kashane is still spending most of his time on our eastern boundary.

Dayone is turning into a real strong and beautiful leopard. Still patrolling his territory and mating with the females, Xikavi and Ravenscourt, competing for his attention. On patrol one morning he almost walked into the Selati coalition on their Buffalo kill, but luckily he picked up their scent just in time and quickly changed direction. Dayone is extending his territory and pushing into Kashane’s territory in the South East.

We had a very special sighting at night with Nyeleti and Ravenscourt while they were mating up a dead fallen tree. The balancing act between the two of them was quite amazing. They were together and mating for about 3 days.

Hlaba Nkunzi and her cub are doing extremely well. The are both in good condition and her cub is getting bigger everyday. With the Hyena population growing, she has gone back to her instincts and is hoisting most of her kills again.

Metsi and her cub weren’t seen that often this month. They were found after she made an Impala kill, but once again she did not hoist it and it got stolen by Hyenas. Late in the month she and the cub was found again while she was taking the cub back to a vervet monkey she had killed.

A new Hyena den was discovered on the property. It seems there are 5 young ones at the den site.

The young male Cheetah from the east, that was in the Western Sector last month, came back for a quick visit this month as well. Maybe he will start to come into the area more often. We also had a brief visit from a female Cheetah and her two cubs.

During the start of the month we didn’t see too much of the pack of wild dogs. Everytime they came into our area they didn’t spend more than a couple of hours before heading back east. Luckily the last couple of days of this month the pack, now consisting of 9 individuals, were spending their days close to the lodge, even making an Impala kill right in front of our staff accomodation. Two of the males were seen mating with two of the females, so there is a chance of maybe seeing some new additions to the pack.

At the end of the month our guests were very priviledged to witness the birth of a Giraffe. We arrived just as the feet were coming out and stayed till long after she gave her first steps. A further blog post will follow with the complete story and more photos and video.

We had some good bird sightings throughout the month as well.

As usual we had great sightings with animals like Elephant, Buffalo, Zebra and a lot more.

As the season changes and summer leaves the Lowveld, it’s time to say Goodbye to Kelly. After many happy years at Leopard Hills, she has decided to take on a new adventure. We will truly miss Kelly and the great work she has done with us, we wish her all the best on her new journey!

This gives us the opportunity to welcome Alyssa, who has taken over from Kelly, and will be handling all the reservations for Leopard Hills, we are looking forward to the time ahead.

Overall this month has been like most other months at Leopard Hills, always something special and exciting happening around us. We are privliged to be able to experience and share everything mentioned above. For daily updates like our Leopard Hills page on Facebook.

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Written and compiled by Johan de la Rey and Hugo Breed.

Selati mating with Othawa

Posted on 16 May 2013 by LH Focus Online

This week we were fortunate enough to be witness to one of the Selati Males mating with one of the Othawa Females. The two of them spent a couple of days together, only meeting up with the rest of the Selati brothers and Othawa females for a Wildebeest lunch and dinner. In between rest periods the male kept his paw on the female to ensure she doesn’t sneak away without him noticing. After a few days they both went their separate ways. The video below is of the male calling out to make his presence known.

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Two Early Check Ins for Leopard Hills

Posted on 1 May 2013 by LH Focus Online

On behalf of everyone at Leopard Hills, we would like to congratulate Chef Adelaide Nkuna on the birth of her Twin Girls at the Leopard Hills Staff Village last Friday evening. This came as a surprise to everybody as they were only due in six weeks, and no one was more surprised than Adelaide, who had no idea she was carrying Twins!!!!

A few people deserve a special mention as this was truly a Team effort. Bridget for being with Adelaide right through the process, Paramedic J C form Africa Safe-T who delivered the Twins, Louise for the coordination and communication with Dr Simon King on one phone, and Bridget on the other, and of course Steve giving us a running commentary from outside the door.

Well done Adelaide, a truly remarkable achievement and under the circumstances a blessed outcome, you were very brave.

Mother and Babies are doing well, and we have just received news that the First born who arrived at ten minutes to seven has been named Bridget, and the Second born who made an entrance at five minutes past seven has been called Louise………………..Louise and Bridget Nkuna, they have a nice ring to them!!!!

Bridget and Louise Nkuna — Louise Nkuna on the left and Bridget Nkuna on the right.

Rangers Report April 2013

Posted on 29 April 2013 by LH Focus Online

April has been filled with great sightings all round. The cats, dogs and general game have all been out and about in the Western Sector.It is already getting colder and we seem to be having our last bit of unexpected rain before winter hits us.

Leopards

Hlaba Nkunzi

Hlaba Nkunzi and her ever playful cub, now over 7 months old, is both doing very well. She is seen all over patrolling her territory and on the hunt to ensure her cub’s survival. Luckily the cub knows when to head for safety when danger approaches in the likes of some Hyena, as can be seen in the picture below.

With the cub still honing her hunting skills she is keeping her mom pretty busy when she is around, and probably giving her grey hairs as she explores and tries to navigate the smallest branches she can find.

The cub navigating her way out of the tree.

Metsi

Metsi and her cub still occupies the territory close to the lodge and we have had regular sightings of them. It seems that both of them are getting more relaxed with our presence. Metsi still hasn’t learnt to take her kill up a tree and is therefore losing a lot of kills to hyena. She is always weary when they are feeding and makes a quick getaway when needs be.

Xikavi

She has been seen a lot more this month and found a couple of times seeking the affection of Dayone, with whom she mated for a few days.

Thlangisa

She is still north of the Sand River, and sightings are still few and far between.

Dayone

He has had a busy month between making sure his territory is patrolled and protected and also mating with Xikavi and the Dam 3 Female. For now it seems that Dayone’s territory and his legacy is safe from intruders. See the video for the mating between him and Xikavi, courtesy of Kathleen Ockenfels.

Kashane

He was seen spending most of his time on and beyond our eastern boundary this month. Kashane was also found mating with the Tasselbery female.

Nyeleti

Nyeleti didn’t spend too much time this month in either Dayone’s or Kashane’s territory and is waiting in the wings till he has the strenght to challenge one of them.

Lions

Selati Coalition

The 4 brothers were seen and heard a couple of times close to the lodge this month. They are still recovering from the fight with the Majingilane and still head to the east to make sure that their boundary is secure. There were a couple of exciting moments as they tried to hunt some buffalo, but were unsuccessful and decided to rather view them from a distance on the dam wall.

Ximhungwe pride

The females are taking good care of their cubs, supplying them with enough meat, in the form of big Kudu and Nyala bulls, on which they all gorge themselves. They spent most of their time in the Mabrak riverbed close to the lodge and the sightings were, as always, amazing and plentiful. The 7 cubs are getting more playful and adventurous as time goes on.

Mom getting a bit agitated as the little ones bite her.

4 Cubs taking a quick break from playing on the rocks.

Othawa Pride

There has been a couple sightings of the Othawa lionesses coming over into the Western Sector. Reports from the east of cubs have also been coming through. Lets hope that they can also take care of their cubs like the Ximhungwe pride.

Southern Pride

The Southern Pride have also been seen entering into the Western Sector a few times this month. It may be that they are looking to extend their territory, but we will have to wait and see.

Pack of Painted Dogs

We were lucky enough to be visited by the 8 dogs in the beginning of the month, moving all over the Western Sector making Impala kills as they go along. All 8 seems to be fit and healthy.

Video

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