DUDLEY FEMALE
Archives: 2003 || 2004 || 2005 || 2006/7
Photographed by ranger Anthony Harding
| DUDLEY FEMALE Archives: 2003 || 2004 || 2005 || 2006/7
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| December 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE * 9 YEARS 3 MONTHS Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The exciting news about the Dudley female is that she was seen with her male cub during the month. She is not very often seen and so to find her with her cub was a bonus for the rangers. The sighting didn’t last long, but it’s good to see that the cub is alive and healthy. November 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE * 9 YEARS 2 MONTHS Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Dudley female was seen only once during the report period. This was in the Tamboti Thickets just east of the Sand River opposite Rattrays camp. She was resting in a tree. It was not long before she descended the tree and made her way back west to Dudley. The majority of this leopard’s territory is on Dudley, a property to the west of MalaMala, hence she is not often found on MalaMala. She was also seen briefly, early on in the report period, this time heading west off Mala Mala at Beaumont’s northern access.
October 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Dudley female was not seen during this report period. September 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Dudley female was seen once during the early part of the report period, in the Sand River in the Charleston North region. The female appeared in good condition, however she was not viewed for long as she moved west off MalaMala. Her cub was not seen during the report period. August 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Dudley female was not seen during this report period. July 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD There was only one confirmed sighting of the Dudley female in the latter part of the report period, however, encouragingly it was not the Dudley female that was found first, but a very relaxed cub of approximately six months of age that lead rangers to the female herself. The leopards milled around the exit main tracks Tamboti thickets for a while, drank from the river, and rested and played in an open stretch of sand before crossing west off Mala Mala. This is exciting news for this old female leopard, which has been seen to mate with the Bicycle Crossing male several times in the past, leading rangers to believe that he may in fact be the father of the youngster. June 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Dudley female has been scarce during this report period. She was only seen once in the Tamboti Thicket area. She was seen moving south in the Sand River and then moving back west into Dudley, where the bulk of her territory lies. May 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD April 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Dudley female was only seen once briefly as she was moving south along Dudley lookout. The female was seen to hunt a juvenile Nyala, before she was lost in some terribly thick bush. One hopes to see more of this female leopard in the future. March 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD There was only one sighting of the Dudley Female this period. On the 26 th of February rangers found her sleeping in a large Natal Mahogany Tree in the Tamboti Ticket on western Flockfield and she was left the same way. January / February 2007 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD There were no sightings of this leopard during the report period. December 2006 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD The Dudley Female leopard was seen once during the report period, in the Thamboti Thicket, moving south and west away from the Tree House towards the Sand River. The ranger who saw her noticed that she was lactating. This is good news for a leopard that used to be seen regularly in this area. It is hoped that she might spend more time on Mala Mala with a litter of cubs. Some years ago she experienced significant distress in this exact area when the Rock Drift Male killed one of her cubs. The Dudley Female moved westwards across the Sand River, and could not be followed. September / October / November 2006 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD There were no confirmed sightings of the Dudley Female during this report period. August 2006 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD (0 sighting) There were no confirmed sightings of the Dudley Female during this report period. July 2006 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD (1 sighting) The Dudley Female was seen on only one occasion this game report period – on the Eastern Bank of the Sand River near Rattrays on Mala Mala. When seen she was on the trail of the Bicycle Crossing Male, who had walked through the area a few minutes beforehand. June 2006 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD (2 sighting) There were two confirmed sightings of the Dudley Female during this report period. Both sightings were of the leopard on the eastern bank of the Sand River opposite Rattray’s Camp. One sighting had her trailing the Bicycle Crossing Male, following his every move undetected. Other than that she was not seen to do anything out of the ordinary during June. May 2006 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD (1 sighting) The sole sighting of the Dudley Female was of her and the Bicycle Crossing Male mating close to the MalaMala Bridge . The pair mated throughout the day in the thick reeds on the western bank. But it would appear that this was the end of the mating period and not the beginning, as that evening the Dudley Female left her mate and headed back southwards to her more familiar haunts south of Rattray’s Camp. The gestation period for leopards is roughly 100 days should mating have been successful, and once again the Dudley Female could well, in the near future, have cubs again at MalaMala. April 2006 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD (2 sightings) The Dudley Female was seen twice in April on consecutive days, mating with the Bicycle Crossing Male. This young male seems to be establishing himself on the Western Bank of the Sand River in the area known to be occupied by the Dudley Female. The pair was found on Bushbuck Drive , close to Rattrays Camp. While this is north of traditional Dudley Female territory, it is not uncommon for a mating female leopard to wander far out of her territory with the male she is mating with. Female leopards may even leave their territories on their own accord when in oestrus to seek out specific, territorial males. Thus, it was no surprise to a see this pair mating where they were. Whether or not conception occurred will remain to be seen, as the Dudley Female does spend a large part of her time to the west of Mala Mala. January / February / March 2006 DUDLEY FEMALE Location: WESTERN FLOCKFIELD (0 sighting) Copyright © Rattray Reserves |
