BICYCLE CROSSING MALE
Archives: 2004/5 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008
| BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Archives: 2004/5 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008
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| December 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE t seems as though the strong presence of the Manyeleti male on the western bank and the Newington male on the eastern bank have largely excluded this leopard from taking up residency on Mala Mala. November 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE The Bicycle Crossing Male seemed to be in good shape when seen in November. He has grown into quite a large male leopard, and could still have a bright future. It seems, however, that he is being kept mainly on the western bank of the Sand River , due to the continued presence of the Manyeleti Male and Newington Male in the Picadilly area. He was seen to briefly interact with the Manyeleti Male one day, but nothing violent was seen to take place. October 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE The Bicycle Crossing Male was seen a little more in October than had been the case in the previous two months, and he seems to be holding his own in an area where he must compete with the Newington Male and Manyeleti Male. He has grown into a good-sized leopard, and he could yet prove to be one of the long-standing territorial males on Mala Mala land in the next few years.
During October he was seen to feed on an impala kill on the eastern bank of the Sand River , south of Mala Mala Main Camp. The Kikilezi Female was also seen in the area and while the Bicycle Crossing Male fed on the kill in the tree the female leopard looked on from the base. It is not known which leopard had made the kill. September 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Again, the Bicycle Crossing Male was only seen once during this game report period. This sighting was in the vicinity of the old airstrip. If he holds a territory, indications are that most of the Bicycle Crossing Male’s land is to the west of Mala Mala. August 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE There was just a single sighting of the Bicycle Crossing Male leopard in August. He was north of the airstrip when found, and moved west into a neighbouring property. He is smaller than the Newington Male and the Manyeleti Male, and seems likely to have lost ground to both of these rivals.
July 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE The Bicycle Crossing Male had a fairly good month, and seems to be holding his own in an area with a high density of male leopards. He was seen to stalk and kill a juvenile nyala during one of the morning game drives, and he initially stashed this carcass on a very low branch of a tree, probably only just high enough off the ground to be out of reach of hyenas. He did not feed on this kill for several hours, as he was already well fed, but that evening he took the kill high up into a leadwood tree, and fed there, providing excellent viewing. Apart from that, he did what is generally expected of a territorial male leopard. He has become more and more relaxed in the presence of Land Rovers over the last few months, and can certainly be considered to be a really worthwhile leopard to watch. June 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE The Bicycle Crossing Male provided some good viewing during the month of June, and proved to be quite relaxed when followed on the hunt, day or night. He was not seen to catch anything, but on occasions came very close. As his territory is in very prime leopard habitat, he can expect a great deal of competition from other males in the area, and it will be a real test of his character. May 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE
The Bicycle Crossing Male seems to be holding his own, and as far as sightings go, there was no overlap between him and the Newington Male. The Bicycle Crossing Male was seen to mate with a young female leopard quite close to the camp. He was seen with this female leopard on four days, and while he was with her, his recent mate the Kikilezi Female was busy mating with the Newington Male. On all the occasions when he was seen in May, the Bicycle Crossing Male was quite relaxed in the presence of vehicles. April 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Although only seen on four occasions in April, the Bicycle
Crossing Male was involved in some good sightings. Early in the game
report period, he was seen in the same area as the Kikilezi Female,
on the eastern flood plain of the Sand River opposite the camp. The
female leopard was finishing off the scraps of an impala kill, and the
male was moving on from there, having probably eaten his fill. Then
of course there was the interaction with the Newington Male. One afternoon,
the Newington Male and the Bicycle Crossing Male were seen together,
engaged in a territorial challenge. The two male leopards crossed west
over the causeway near Mala Mala Camp, and continued slowly west and
then north over the next couple of hours. They walked stiffly parallel
to one another, perhaps 10 metres apart, displaying laterally. There
was much salivation and scent marking from both leopards, and on a couple
of occasions they ran on converging paths, coming into brief contact.
The larger Newington Male had the better of these physical encounters,
although no wounds were inflicted. From time to time, the two leopards
would lie down a short distance apart. One would growl menacingly, and
this would be answered by the other. Both leopards were very well fed,
and it is quite possible that one had scavenged from a kill made by
the other. March 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: EASTERN MARTHLY, NORTH-WESTERN MALA MALA There were only three confirmed sightings of the Bicycle Crossing Male, all well within his normal range. Another sighting involved a mating pair of leopards, which were too far away to be identified, but chances are strong that the male was the Bicycle Crossing Male, and the female the Kikilezi Female. The Bicycle Crossing Male still glares at Land Rovers in a hostile manner at times, when they first approach him, and he needs to be treated with caution! February 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: EASTERN MARTHLY, NORTH-WESTERN MALA MALA After being seen 13 times in January, the Bicycle Crossing Male made only two appearances in the February game report period. Whether he spent most of his time in a neighbouring property to the west is not known, but it could well be the case. He is still not the most relaxed of leopards, and it could be that he lies low when vehicles come near him. On one occasion, he crossed east over the causeway and then headed northwards between the Sand River and Picadilly. He heard a lioness roaring to his east, only a few hundred metres away, but showed little concern. As it turned out, the lioness took almost the same path that the leopard had taken, just a couple of minutes later, and trailed him for a few hundred metres. January 2005 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: EASTERN MARTHLY,
NORTH-WESTERN MALA MALA As has been the case in recent months, the Bicycle Crossing Male leopard was seen frequently over an extended period, and then there was an extended period with no sightings of him. He was seen 12 times in the first half of the month, and then there was a 2-week gap before the next sighting. All sightings were concentrated in a fairly small area, close to the camp and the confluence of the rivers just upstream of the camp. He is still a young leopard, busy trying to establish himself, but he seems to be doing a good job of that.
The Bicycle Crossing Male was seen to chase a female leopard off an impala kill; it is not known which leopard had killed the impala. He killed an adult male nyala, and shared this kill with the Kikilezi Female, as well as some uninvited hyenas. Mating activity was again witnessed between the Bicycle Crossing Male and his young mate.
The high frequency of sightings in a small area is not unusual for an up-and-coming leopard, as his territory is probably still quite small. It is certain that he will attempt to increase the area under his control, but whether or not he is successful, remains to be seen. On one occasion he was found in the Picadilly area, roaring repeatedly. It is likely that this roaring was heard by the Newington Male leopard from further north, as this latter leopard was seen heading purposefully southwards towards the general Picadilly area. December 2004 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Thirty-eight days had passed since the Bicycle Crossing Male had been seen, and one could justifiably have lost hope of seeing him again. But then he suddenly returned on 15 December, and he came back with quite a bang. First, he stole an impala kill from a female leopard, not far south of the camp, then he and another young male leopard vied for what was left of this kill after a hyena had fortuitously found the carcass on the ground at the base of a tree. The interaction between the two male leopards was relatively brief and inconclusive, but the Bicycle Crossing Male did look on while the other leopard finished off the last of the impala scraps. When the “other” leopard moved on, the Bicycle Crossing Male followed the route that he had taken, and scent marked heavily and purposefully.
He was seen on five consecutive days, all in the general vicinity of the camp, and sightings suggested that he was very busy reinforcing his status as a territorial male. There were indications that he had been spending time with a female leopard, probably the Kikilezi Female, close to the confluence of rivers in the Bicycle Crossing area. November 2004 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: EASTERN MARTHLY, NORTHERN MALA MALA, SOUTHERN EYREFIELD (5 sightings)
A couple of days later, the Bicycle Crossing Male was seen with two other leopards, close to Bicycle Crossing. One was the Kikilezi Female, and the other was another young (but quite large) male leopard. The Bicycle Crossing Male and the Kikilezi Female mated several times, and moved slowly southwards along the Sand River in front of the camp, while the second male leopard looked on. Interestingly, there appeared to be no tension between the two males, and certainly no aggression was shown by one to the other. Indeed, all three leopards were seen to be lying down quite close together at one stage. The three were together for at least two hours, before the “other” male moved on, leaving the mating pair. The Bicycle Crossing Male and Kikilezi Female were seen again the next day, mating very close to the camp. But then after 7 November, the Bicycle Crossing Male was not seen at all. Perhaps he was chased from the area by the Newington Male, or perhaps he has just increased the area in which he operates. October 2004 At least 9 sightings of a young male leopard with a prominent "V" on his forehead, all in the north of the reserve, close to Bicycle Crossing. This leopard is showing signs of territorial behaviour, and has been named the "Bicycle Crossing Male leopard" A male leopard which killed a monkey in front of the camp, on the eastern flood plain of the Sand River, disappeared quickly into reeds, and could not be properly identified, but he was suspected to be the Bicycle Crossing Male. September 2004 At least 5 sightings of a fairly young male leopard, with a prominent “V” on his forehead, all very close to the camp. This male leopard was seen to mate with the Kikilezi Female.
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