Kikilezi FEMALE (daughter of Ngoboswan Female) *3 YEARS 2 MONTHS AND 2 WEEKS

Location: NORTH-WESTERN MALA MALA, EASTERN MARTHLY
(10 sightings)

The Kikilezi Female leopard again delivered some excellent viewing in the December game report period. Most of her activity was fairly close to the camp, and on both sides of the Sand River. On one morning, she was seen to kill a baby impala, but lost this to hyenas, and on another morning she killed an adult female impala, but this was subsequently stolen by the Bicycle Crossing Male, after that leopard had been conspicuous by absence for several weeks.

In typical young female leopard fashion, the Kikilezi Female has provided some wonderful photographic opportunities. She seems to be doing quite well in terms of maintaining the small territory that she has established for herself, and will no doubt look to expand it whenever she can. One morning she was seen to follow almost exactly the path taken a day earlier by her older sister, the Campbell Koppies Female, and it was quite clear that she knew that another female leopard had scent marked in this area recently. Perhaps respecting this as a boundary, the Kikilezi Female did not go beyond the line, but did some of her own scent marking along it.

Some interesting months lie ahead for the Kikilezi Female, particularly if she produces a litter of cubs. She shall then be faced with many new challenges, and time will tell whether or not she is ready to meet them.

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November 2004

Kikilezi FEMALE                *3 YEARS 1 MONTH

Location: NORTH-WESTERN MALA MALA

(7 sightings)
The Kikilezi Female leopard had a good month, and was seen hunting, killing, feeding, sleeping and mating!
Her chosen mate was again the Bicycle Crossing Male, but another male looked on. The kill that she was seen to make was that of a young bushbuck, quite close to the camp, but on the eastern side of the Sand River. She killed this little antelope in the late afternoon, and dragged it eastwards until she found a suitable tree, into which she hoisted the carcass. Before it was dark, two lionesses arrived at the scene, and made threatening gestures, looking to climb the tree. The leopard simply took her meal to the very highest branches, and continued to feed there, answering the lionesses’ threats with growls of her own.

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October 2004

Kikilezi FEMALE   (daughter of Ngoboswan Female)    *3 YEARS                       

Location: NORTH-WESTERN MALA MALA

(3 sightings)
There were only 3 confirmed sightings of the Kikilezi Female in October, but this young leopard is entering an interesting phase of her life.   She has been spending some time in the company of male leopards, and has been mating with the young male with a prominent "V" on his head.   On one occasion, the Kikilezi Female had been seen on the move on the eastern bank of the Sand River opposite the camp during the day.   A troop of baboons had spotted her and started to mob her.   Young female leopards are often not very brave when intimidated by baboons, and she fled when an adult male baboon pursued her for some distance.    Satisfied that he had seen off the evil intruder, the large male baboon made his way back towards the troop, almost swaggering.   Meanwhile, the male leopard with the "V" had seen all this happen, and he had not been seen by the baboons.   He positioned himself perfectly to ambush the large male baboon, and succeeded in catching him and killing him!

The Kikilezi Female spends much time to the west of the Sand River, often not far from the airstrip.   If she conceives and gives birth, it will be interesting to see how she fares with the raising of cubs in this leopard-dense area.

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September 2004

Kikilezi FEMALE   (daughter of Ngoboswan Female)    *2 YEARS 11-AND-A-HALF MONTHS                           

Location: NORTH-WESTERN MALA MALA (7 sightings)

The highlight of the sightings involving the Kikilezi Female, took place when she was found to be mating.   This took place close to the camp, at the confluence of the Mlowathi and Sand Rivers.   Her chosen partner was quite a young male, still yet to be named, that has been seen several times in the immediate vicinity since the death of the Short Tail Male.   Whether or not she conceives as a result of this mating remains to be seen, but it is quite likely that she would not successfully raise a litter of cubs at her young age.   Perhaps she will prove us wrong!   Most of the sightings of the Kikilezi Female were again concentrated over a fairly small area.

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August 2004

Kikilezi FEMALE   (daughter of Ngoboswan Female)    *2 YEARS 10-AND-A-HALF MONTHS                           

Location: NORTH-WESTERN MALA MALA (11 sightings)

Perhaps a little young to be considered a fully fledged territorial female leopard, the daughter of the Ngoboswan Female has been spending sufficient time in a definite area, and doing sufficient scent-marking, to warrant her being given a name.   The Kikilezi Female was the most frequently seen leopard on Mala Mala in August, with most sightings taking place not far from the Sand River, mainly along its western bank, just south of the camp, and near the airstrip.

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July 2004

There were three sightings of the Kikilezi Female Leopard.   She may soon establish a territory for herself, probably along the Sand River just south of the Mala Mala camp.  

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June 2004

The Kikilezi Female Leopard (daughter of the Ngoboswan Female) seen during June 2004

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May 2004

There were five sightings of the two-and-a-half-year-old daughter of the Ngoboswan Female which appears to have claimed the area of NW Mala Mala as part of her territory. This area was at one stage in the very heart of her mothers’ territory but seems to have been relinquished by the Ngoboswan Female in order that her daughter be given as easy a transition into independence as possible. Sightings of the young leopard this month indicated an animal dedicated to territory patrolling and hunting.

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April 2004

The two-and-a-half-year-old daughter of the Ngoboswan Female seems to be prospering and is hopefully learning the tricks of the trade very quickly.  There were two instances when she was seen watching others eat food which she could have eaten, the first when two hyaenas stole the remains of a bushbuck which she'd probably killed and the second when a male lion may have appropriated the carcass of an adult male impala which she may have killed or may have had initial claim to.  When the male lion eventually left the area, the young leopard snuck back in and, taking care that the lion wasn't still in the area, took whatever scraps he left.

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March 2004

The Ngoboswan Females' daughter was seen only a few times and it is believed that most of the area which she is trying to claim for her own is to the north and west of Mala Mala. In spite of showing signs of maturity, this young leopard still has some cub in her, this clearly shown when she flushed a White-tailed Mongoose, pursued it, killed it and then discarded the carcass.  Such animals are seldom taken by adult leopards which, through experience, have found them to be inedible for some or other reason.

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February 2004

The Ngoboswan Females' 27-month-old daughter was seen 8 times over this February report-period and indications seem stronger than ever that she intends setting up a territory which will include what used to be the Ngoboswan Females' northwestern limits.  And, at this stage, it appears as if the Ngoboswan Female wants this to happen and, to compensate for the land which she'll probably relinquish to her daughter, may very well take on the Kapen Female and attempt to take over some of the territory which she holds around the lower parts of the Matshapiri River.  But, with the Kapen Female having a daughter of almost the same age as that of the Ngoboswan Female and apparently also wishing for the same thing for her youngster, it might be a very fierce fight for land.

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January 2004