KAPEN FEMALE
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| December 2004 KAPEN FEMALE * 11 YEARS
3 MONTHS The two sightings of the Kapen Female leopard were just two days apart, and were both near the beginning of the month. On both occasions, she was found at Mamba Water Hole, and she moved in a south and westerly direction from there, towards some really secluded spots in deep gully systems. She was clearly lactating heavily, and her movements suggest that she was heading back to her young cubs to allow them to suckle. The cubs have not yet been seen, but the next couple of months will no doubt give some sightings. In the past, the cubs of the Kapen Female have been pretty relaxed and viewable from quite a young age. November 2004 KAPEN FEMALE * 11 YEARS 2 MONTHS Location: SOUTHERN FLOCKFIELD (1 sighting) October 2004 KAPEN FEMALE * 11 YEARS 1 MONTH Location: NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River), CHARLESTON, NORTHERN TOULON (3
sightings)  
September 2004 KAPEN FEMALE * 11 YEARS Location: NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River), CHARLESTON, NORTHERN TOULON (1 sighting) There was just a single sighting of the Kapen Female in September, and this was in her traditional hunting grounds along the Kapen River. She was seen in the early evening, and was followed in a south and westerly direction, towards the general area of where the Styx Pride discovered an impala carcass in a tree a few days previously. She may well have been the leopard responsible for that impala kill. From the single sighting of the Kapen Female, it was not clear whether or not she is pregnant, but she certainly should be, after her sessions with the Hlarulini Male in the south! August 2004 KAPEN FEMALE * 10 YEARS 11 MONTHS Location: NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River), CHARLESTON, NORTHERN TOULON (5 sightings) The Kapen Female leopard again spent time in territory that is not her own, as she mated with the Hlarulini Male on Toulon on a couple of occasions. If she conceives and gives birth, it would be expected that she would stash her cubs somewhere within the territory of their father, which means that she herself would have to spend a good deal of time out of her traditional territory. This, of course, would have interesting repercussions regarding the dynamics of other female leopards and their territories. July 2004 KAPEN FEMALE * 10 YEARS 10 MONTHS Location: NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River), CHARLESTON, NORTHERN TOULON (3 sightings) There were only three sightings of the Kapen Female leopard during July. Two of these sightings were along the Kapen River, in what has for a long time been considered the heart of her territory. The other sighting was way down in the south of the reserve, along the lower reaches of the Chellahanga River, and then even further south, just south of the Sand River near Rocky Crossing. This venture to the deep south was explained by the fact that she was mating with the Hlarulini Male. It is quite normal for a female leopard to follow her chosen mate way out of her own territory during mating, as the urge to mate is somewhat stronger than the need to respect the territories of other female leopards! She was seen mating with the Hlarulini Male just on one day, but both in the morning and afternoon. Later that evening the two leopards parted company, the Hlarulini Male going hunting. It is interesting to note that the Kapen Female was mating with the Hlarulini Male, rather than the Rock Drift Male. Perhaps the Kapen Female somehow senses that the Rock Drift Male is weakening, as he appeared to be on the receiving end during a recent interaction between the two male leopards on Flockfield a couple of months ago, and that he is being pushed further and further north. Whatever the case, we eagerly await evidence that this mating with the Hlarulini Male was successful in terms of conception taking place. Should the Kapen Female give birth, it is highly likely that she will stash her cubs in the southern parts of her territory, perhaps in or south of the Rock Drift Donga, so as to be within an area under the control of this male leopard, rather than the Rock Drift Male. The Hlarulini Male is, incidentally, believed to be the father of the cubs of the Jakkalsdraai Female (daughter of the Kapen Female). June 2004
May 2004 KAPEN
FEMALE * 10 YEARS 8 MONTHS Location: NORTHERN & CENTRAL MALA MALA/ NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River) - (4 confirmed sighting of the female, none of these with her daughter and 1 of the youngster on its own)
Has the Kapen Female finally abandoned her daughter? The two weren't seen together this month and on one occasion when the Kapen Female killed an impala, she made no effort to go and fetch the youngster. And, the only sighting of the Kapen Females' cub over this report-period was at the very beginning, suggesting perhaps that she's gone from the area. One wonders just where the youngster will eventually settle down and also whether the Kapen Female, which seems to be staying in her existing territory, is already pregnant with her next litter. April 2004 KAPEN
FEMALE * 10 YEARS 7 MONTHS Location: NORTHERN & CENTRAL MALA MALA/ NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River) (5 confirmed sighting of the female, 2 of these with her daughter and 4 of the youngster on its own)
The Kapen Female was, twice this month, seen leading her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter towards kills, going to great pains to care for what is otherwise an independent female leopard. Goodness knows why she's doing this and simply cannot break away from her daughter. The first sighting of the two leopards had them moving upstream along the Matshapiri River and leave what is thought to be Kapen Female territory and enter that belonging to her sister, the White Cloth Female. And, as they crossed the 'border', there, waiting for them, was the White Cloth Female. Whilst the two sisters confronted one another, the Kapen Female's daughter hung back. The interaction between the two leopards didn't involve any physical contact and after a while the White Cloth Female moved off, leaving the way clear for the Kapen Female and her daughter to continue on their way.
As it was, the two leopards took almost the exact route taken by the White Cloth Female and, when they eventually reached the impala kill stashed by the Kapen Female, there were suddenly three leopards in the area. But they never really had the chance to fight; a hyaena soon pitched up and took control of the carcass and all leopards were soon lying down, only metres apart, watching the meat vanish. After the second incident when the Kapen Female was seen calling for her cub, meeting her and then leading her away, there were no other sightings this month of mother and daughter together. In the end they'll simply have to part ways at some stage - one just wonders when. March 2004 KAPEN
FEMALE * 10 YEARS 6 MONTHS Location:
SW & CENTRAL MALA MALA/ NW FLOCKFIELD (east
of the Sand River) The relationship between the Kapen Female and her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter continues to defy the standard textbook on leopard behaviour. Both mother and daughter continue to occupy the same area of land, continue to apparently be at war with one another and then continue to share kills as could only be described by a mother-with-dependent-cub relationship.
The most bizarre demonstration of this latter part of their bond occurred one morning towards the end of the monthly-report-period when the carcass of an adult male impala was found hidden beneath a thicket close to the Matshapiri River and at the very northerly limit of the Kapen Females' range. All signs were that the impala had been killed by a female leopard and then dragged into concealment where it had been briefly fed upon. Spoor indicated that the leopard had then moved downstream along the riverbank and, several kilometres later, turned towards the Kapen River. That afternoon, several hours after the kill must have been made, an angry Kapen Female and her daughter were both at the carcass, sharing it, but apparently with great reluctance. The carcass was later dragged deeper into concealment and, as luck would have it, no hyaenas arrived on the scene and the two stayed in the area for at least the next 36 hours.
The question, of course, is why does the Kapen Female continue to behave in this way when her daughter is clearly quite capable of taking care of herself? Not only does the Kapen Female tolerate her daughters continued occupation of her territory, but seems to know where her daughter is and, as demonstrated by the kilometres she walked to fetch her, is prepared to go to great lengths to ensure that she gets the food resources necessary for survival.
Before this particular incident, there was another when both mother and daughter were discovered close to each other, near the lower parts of the Kapen River, also looking well fed. Both were also covered in scratches, some quite deep and red, perhaps having just fought with one another. The Kapen Female is a moody leopard; whenever she is with her daughter, she becomes quite hostile and secretive, snarling and moving away from landrovers. When alone, however, she behaves as any leopard habituated to landrovers could be expected to behave and ignores them completely. But when will mother and daughter finally part ways and what will happen to them? Will the Kapen Female move off and find another area, leaving her current territory to her daughter, or will the daughter be forced out to find an area of her own as so many young leopards have to do? One of the problems facing the Kapen Female and her daughter as far as land goes is the fact that the Ngoboswan Female, their neighbour which occupies the land to their northwest, has similar problems and, in, trying to accommodate her own two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, has been putting pressure on the Kapen Female, perhaps seeking to annex the Kapen Females' most northwesterly section of territory. There was one day during March when, in this particular piece of land, the Ngoboswan Female was seen first chasing the Kapen Female and then, later that afternoon, chasing the Kapen Females' daughter. February 2004 KAPEN FEMALE * 10 YEARS 5 MONTHS Location:
SW & CENTRAL MALA MALA/ NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River) Perhaps the biggest surprise of the month as far as the Kapen Female and her daughter are concerned was finding the Kapen Female leading the youngster to a bushbuck which she had killed. And it wasn't simply the result of a chance meeting close to the kill; the Kapen Female travelled a great distance and expended a great deal of time locating her daughter before leading her back to the carcass. Once at the kill, however, the two leopards weren't that friendly towards one another. One wonders just why this relationship endures as it has. Aside from this instance, the Kapen Females' daughter has been operating practically unopposed within the territory controlled by her mother.
What are the bigger plans for these two leopards? Will the Kapen Female relinquish some of her territory so that her daughter has a quick start to 'independent' life, or will things break down and end up with the Kapen Female chasing her daughter off, forcing her to seek out an area in the great big world far from home? At this stage the Kapen Female certainly appears to be assisting her daughter, but, with the Ngoboswan Female pressurising from the northwest and looking towards some of the Kapen Females' land for herself, there might just be too many leopards after too little land and the weakest will almost certainly have to go. If the Kapen Female is unable to give up some of her own territory, perhaps her daughter still has a chance to establish herself nearby if she moves upstream along the Matshapiri River and finds an area to the north of that controlled by her mother and to the south of that controlled by her aunt, the White Cloth Female. January 2004KAPEN FEMALE * 10 YEARS
4 MONTHS Location:
SW MALA MALA/ NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River)
Although the Kapen Female and her daughter appeared to have lived separate lives this month, there was one occasion towards the beginning of this report-period when they were seen reasonably close to one another and the Kapen Female had been calling, this almost certainly aimed at her daughter. However, whether hostilities were in the air or whether the Kapen Female was trying to locate her cub so that she could take her to a kill isn't known. The young leopard was at the time busy feeding on the carcass of an impala which she had probably stolen from a cheetah and, when she heard her mother's voice, responded only with soft, very obviously submissive cub sounds.
Relative movements of the two leopards during January also didn't indicate very clearly just how they will inevitably separate out in terms of territories. One scenario is for the Kapen Female to move out of her existing territory, at least partly, so that the daughter can gain access to it and so have an easy start to life as an independent leopard. But, in order to do this, the Kapen Female needs to gain other land for herself and although some indications are that she is looking at areas to her north and east, nothing concrete appears to have taken place yet.
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