TJELLAHANGA MALE
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| December 2004 CHELLAHANGA MALE
The Chellahanga Male leopard had a busy month, and seems eager to spread his obviously strong genes. He was again involved in mating activity, this time with a female leopard on Toulon, identified as the Harry’s Female. Most sightings of the Chellahanga Male were within a relatively short distance of each other, all within a couple of kilometres of Rocky Crossing. He was not seen to encounter the Hlarulini Male, his main rival, but who knows what encounters may have taken place without being witnessed? November 2004 CHELLAHANGA MALE (5 sightings) October 2004 CHELLAHANGA MALE Location: EASTERN CHARLESTON / EASTERN FLOCKFIELD (4
sightings) September 2004CHELLAHANGA MALE Location: EASTERN CHARLESTON / EASTERN FLOCKFIELD (7 sightings) The Chellahanga Male leopard really came into his own during this game report period. Early on, he killed an adult female kudu, which is a good-sized prey animal for a leopard to kill. Soon after he had killed this large antelope, five hyenas appeared and claimed the leopard's kill. For a while, the Chellahanga Male could do little more than look on as his hard-earned meal disappeared at an alarming rate down the hyenas' throats. As the hyenas devoured more and more of the carcass, the leopard plucked up his courage, and when only two hyenas remained at the kill, the Chellahanga Male rushed in, chased them off, and took what was left of the carcass up a tree. Quite dramatic stuff! He had managed to salvage a little over a quarter of the carcass, which would be plenty for him to eat over the next day or two. Nearly two weeks later, the Chellahanga Male was seen again, and he was now courting the Toulon Female. Some mating activity was witnessed during the course of a single day, as the two leopards moved generally northwards, well within the Chellahanga Male's territory, but way out of the Toulon Female's territory. Where the two leopards first came together is not known, but if it was within the Toulon Female's territory, this would fall under the land controlled by the Hlarulini Male. The next sighting of the Chellahanga Male took place nearly two weeks later, and he was again with the Toulon Female, but now on south-eastern Toulon, rather than northern Charleston and Flockfield. The two leopards were seen with an adult female impala kill. Interestingly, the Chellahanga Male did not allow the Toulon Female to feed. Mating activity did take place, however. Later during the same day, a second female leopard was in the area, but the Toulon Female had moved off. The second female was believed to be the Harry's Female, a large female leopard born to the Chellahanga Female about a decade ago. August 2004CHELLAHANGA MALE Location: CHARLESTON / TOULON (2 sightings) A newly named male leopard, the Chellahanga Male, was seen on just two occasions in August, but he does seem to be establishing himself along the Chellahanga system. With the Rock Drift Male now operating mainly in the northern half of the reserve, there is certainly scope for a strong young male leopard to claim parts of eastern Charleston for himself. The Chellahanga Male is, incidentally, the young male leopard once seen feeding on a giraffe carcass which he "shared" with a West Street Male lion, and he was, well over a year ago, also seen feeding on an adult zebra carcass near Mlowathi Dam in the north of the reserve. May 2004 Three sightings of almost certainly the same young male leopard, perhaps nearly five-years-old, these being spread out from central Flockfield to south-eastern Charleston. The male leopard in question is the one which was first seen at a zebra carcass at the beginning of last year and has subsequently been seen on several other parts of Mala Mala. Of late, however, this leopard appears to have established himself in the central-east and southeastern parts of the reserve, with the upper parts of the Kapen River and the Chellahanga River at this stage falling within his patrol path. April 2004
There were four or five sightings of the same young male leopard, perhaps nearly five-years-old, on eastern Charleston and central and eastern Flockfield. He has been seen many times and in many locations, but appears now to be settling down on eastern Charleston and central and eastern Flockfield. February 2004 There were three sightings on southern and eastern Charleston of the same young male leopard, perhaps 4-year-old. This leopard is the one first seen near the upper reaches of the Mlowathi River at the beginning of last year and subsequently on various other regions of the reserve. With this south eastern part of the reserve apparently no longer under the control of the Rock Drift Male and with the Hlarulini Male operating more to the west of this, could it be that this leopard is hoping to establish himself here? January 2004
The young male leopard first seen over a year ago scavenging from a zebra carcass on NW Eyrefield and then, many other times on various parts of the reserve, was encountered at least three times this month, once on western Marthly and then, a couple of weeks later, at the very end of this report-period, many kilometres further south, on central Charleston. This young leopard is probably close to four years of age and appears still to be wandering around as a nomad, staying out of harms way, finding enough food to eat and advancing to the stage of social maturity. On one of the last sightings of this month, he was followed back to where he had stashed an impala kill. Copyright © Rattray Reserves |
