BICYCLE CROSSING MALE
Archives: 2004/5 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008
Bicycle Crossing Male - Photograph by ranger Nico Kortenbout
| BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Archives: 2004/5 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008
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| December 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE * 5 YEARS 10 MONTHS Location: SOUTHWESTERN MALAMALA, WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Bicycle Crossing Male was a little more scarce this month, this might be explained by his intention to expand his territory. He was found a long way south during the middle of the month and spent a lot of time to the west of our boundary. Many a sighting during the month of December was rain affected and so rangers were not always able to follow the animals off road as was the case when this male was found once. He moved south out of his normal territorial range but was lost on soft ground only to be found later in the drive on a road further south but again was lost hunting some impala. He never the less provided some good viewing as he was constantly patrolling his territory.
November 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE * 5 YEARS 9 MONTHS Location: SOUTHWESTERN MALAMALA, WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Bicycle Crossing male once again had a successful report period, with him being the most exciting male from the northern section of MalaMala. He was seen to mate with a female leopard on the western Flockfield. The initial interaction was witnessed, with the female clearly searching for a mate. Interestingly, the female initially took up a defensive poise, with the Bicycle Crossing male roaring and salivating. Mating did, however, start relatively soon after the initial interaction with the frequency of mating being somewhat impressive. Unfortunately, the mating pair moved south and west off MalaMala the following morning. The Bicycle Crossing male was also witnessed behaving in a hostile manner towards the son of the Ngoboswan female, a young male leopard more than likely a product of his loins. October 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, WESTERN FLOCKFIELD
The Bicycle Crossing male was the most commonly seen leopard on the property along with the Tjellahanga male. This largest of the male leopards on the property was seen mating with a female in the latter parts of the month as well as the Kapen female at the start of the month, and was seen interacting with the son of the Ngoboswan female chasing him off a kill.
He also stole a kill from wild dogs during the month. The dogs had left the carcass and vultures had started feeding off the remains before the leopard moved in and chased them off. He dragged the impala across the Sand River and treed it. In the afternoon he was joined by the Ngoboswan female although didn’t feed. There was no aggression seen between the two. Interesting to note is that the male was seen several times in places outside his normal territory showing that he is still in the process of expanding. Several times he was seen on the Charleston Flockfield boundary an area associated with the Tjellahanga male, perhaps soon these two males might have a confrontation over territory.
September 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, NORTH-WESTERN FLOCKFIELD It was only until almost a week into the report period that the Bicycle Crossing male was found. Interestingly, he was feeding off a carcass of a young bull elephant that had been euthanased the previous day. The male leopard fed off the kill along side at least two hyenas for three days. There was aggression between the two predators, however, owing to the fact that the carcass was very large both species fed without too much interest in each other.
Towards the end of the report period, he was seen in an area of a bushbuck carcass, together with the Ngoboswan female and her cub. The male moved in and about the area, roaring, until he made his move towards the tree in which the cub of the Ngoboswan female was feeding off the bushbuck. He had an aggressive interaction which left the young male falling from the top of the tree and running off for safety. The male continues to show his dominance over central MalaMala.
August 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, NORTH-WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The first sighting of the Bicycle Crossing male was about five days into the report period. The large male was busy feeding from an adult female impala carcass in a large Natal Mahogany. Interestingly the son of the Ngoboswan female, a young male leopard believed to be the Bicycle Crossing male’s son, was feeding off scraps at the base of the tree along side a young hyena.
Although no real aggression was noted, the Bicycle crossing male was seen to hiss at the young leopard from up in the tree. The male was noted to continue patrolling his territory vigorously, with probably the most notable change being his move from West Street in a northerly direction towards the giraffe bones. This area of MalaMala is largely unclaimed, however has had a bit of attention by the Manyelethi male in the past. Perhaps we will again be privileged enough to see another battle for territories amongst MalaMala’s big male leopards. Towards the end of the report period, the Bicycle crossing male was seen to chase to son of the Kapen female, as well as feed from a kill rangers suspected to have been made by the Ngoboswan female all in the same day. The leopard was found again on the morning of 31st August feeding on the remains of an elephant close to the confluence of the Matshapiri River and the Sand River. During the course of the morning a hyena joined the leopard, and they fed together on the carcass - something almost unheard of in a natural system. There was much aggression between the two. When another four hyenas arrived, they chased the Bicycle Crossing male off the carcass.
July 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, NORTH-WESTERN FLOCKFIELD
June 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, NORTH-WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Bicycle crossing male was seen relatively frequently during the report period, looking in excellent condition and as proud and confident as ever. He continues to male bold moves in extending his territory southwards, interestingly, concentrating along the river and not venturing too far east. This is no doubt the prime habitat for a leopard. Probably the most exciting sighting of this male leopard was just east of the river, north of Rattray’s camp.
The male was seen to stalk and interact with the large herd of buffalo, leaving the area with a few angry bulls hot on his heels and a slightly damaged ego. That night, the male was found dragging the carcass of a young buffalo, which he proceeded to hoist and feed on at leisure for a couple of days.
May 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, NORTH-WESTERN FLOCKFIELD During the report period, the Bicycle crossing male was the most frequently viewed male leopard, with the male continuing to extend his territory south and east. The male was seen as far south as south western Flockfield. We have numerous sightings of him along the Kapen and as far east as the open area of the White Cloth. Importantly he seems to continue to put pressure on the Newington male and with the evident absence of the Hlaulini male, he has claimed the southern reaches of the Kapen for himself.
The male was seen to mate with the Ngoboswan female, in a mammoth but disjointed mating period of over eight days. Interestingly rangers witnessed the two leopards coming together initially in the Tamboti thickets, with a relatively hostile mating witnessed. The pair moved north to West street bridge and then finally west.
April 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, NORTH-WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Bicycle Crossing male has been seen on a number of occasions to venture some way south of his usual territory. On one particular instance, after following up on an audio of a leopard roaring around Dudley Crossing, the Bicycle-Crossing male was found. He continued to scent mark along the road and roared occasionally. This provided for some excellent viewing.
He has been found some way south ( Kapen River) from his acclaimed West Street area. Interestingly the male has been seen to move through the Styx crossing area. Perhaps the Hlarulini male has not been properly patrolling the area after he acquired some serious wounds on his fore leg and rump. At the same time he has been seen to clash with the Manyelethi male north of West Street Bridge. We believe his territory will only expand in time to come. March 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, NORTH-WESTERN FLOCKFIELD This leopard had another excellent month on MalaMala making his first show on the first day of the report period. During the morning safari, rangers heard the unmistakable sound of a leopard roaring. Following up, rangers were able to locate the tracks of a male leopard on northern break West Street. Francolin alarm calls alerted rangers to the final position of the Bicycle crossing male. The leopard walked Skukuza Rd to the south of the new airstrip scent marking, roaring and proclaiming his territory.
On the evening of the 1 st of March Rangers and Guests followed this leopard as he hunted eastwards from the area of West Street Bridge. Within a short time he came across a large herd of Buffalo. Whilst taking a wide birth around the buffalo, which are out of his league for prey, he noticed a young buffalo calf that had strayed from the safety of the herd. The leopard saw his opportunity and attacked the calf. The sound of the calf’s distress calls alerted several large bulls to the scene, which quickly charged and sent the male leopard off. Unfortunately for the calf, the bulls mistook the calf for the leopard, and the young calf was sent through the air, and gored by the bulls, before they noticed that it was in fact the calf. Once the Bulls dropped their guard, the leopard ran in and attacked the now badly injured calf again, this time making of with his prize only to have it stolen later by the Eyrefield Pride of lions.
The Bicycle Crossing Male was seen many times during this month and again with a kill, this time on the track south of West Street with the remains of an adult female Impala, which he had in a large Jackalberry Tree. A promising future lies ahead for this up and coming contender.
February 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, NORTH-WESTERN FLOCKFIELD
The Bicycle Crossing Male had a very good report period, with a significant amount of sightings concentrating around the West Street Bridge area. The male continues to provide exceptional viewing. On one memorable occasion, he was followed east to an area where he had stashed the remains of a small antelope. There was virtually nothing left of the carcass and after he had finished he made his way north towards the West Street Bridge where he was left to sleep in a large Jackalberry tree.
January 2007 BICYCLE CROSSING MALE Location: SOUTH-WESTERN MALAMALA, NORTH-WESTERN FLOCKFIELD Some solid viewing was had from the Bicycle Crossing Male early on in the report period when he vas seen to walk and proclaim his territory south from the West Street Bridge to the Flockfield Look Out Point. He was not seen to venture east of the road as most of his territory lies to the west. The leopard was again seen a few days later in the Buffalo Pans region, he then slowly moved west and climbed up a massive Jackleberry tree and was left to rest.
A few days later he was once again viewed as he moved west from the western bank of the Sand River into the more western parts of his territory. He left as he moved off the reserve only to be found a few days later sleeping on a full stomach in the Princess Alice Bush region. Copyright © Rattray Reserves |
