KAPEN FEMALE
| KAPEN FEMALE |
| December 2005 KAPEN FEMALE * 12 YEARS 3 MONTHS Seen only once, this sometimes grumpy old leopard seems to prefer the thick bush and impenetrable dongas of south western Flockfield where even the Mala Mala rangers dare not venture. The one sighting of her found her in good condition. November 2005 KAPEN FEMALE * 12 YEARS 2 MONTHS Seen twice in November, the old Kapen Female was not seen to do anything dramatic, but all seems to be well with her. She was on the move on both occasions when seen, and does not appear to be lactating. At her age, she is still quite capable of producing and raising another litter of cubs. October 2005 KAPEN FEMALE * 12 YEARS 1 MONTH The Kapen Female was not seen at all in October. This is no cause for alarm, because very often she is only seen about once a month. Although most of her territory is probably on Mala Mala land she seems to spend a great deal of time in terrain that is less traversed by Land Rovers. Her sister, the White Cloth Female, has not been seen on Mala Mala at all in the last few months, but has reportedly been seen on a neighbouring property to the north. September 2005 KAPEN FEMALE *
12 YEARS
As has so often been the case over the last couple of years, there were very few sightings of the Kapen Female. She was seen on three occasions, all in a fairly small area, along the lower reaches of the Kapen River . On one occasion, she was seen close to her daughter the Jakkalsdraai Female, and one of her daughters. There was a bushbuck kill, made by one of the leopards, but this was lost to hyenas. The Kapen Female, although no longer young, seems to be in very good shape, and has generally had the upper hand in clashes with other female leopards. August 2005 KAPEN FEMALE *
11 YEARS 11 MONTHS The Kapen Female was only seen on two days in August, these being successive days, when she had an adult male impala kill at the confluence of the Rock Drift Donga and the Sand River . The impala was probably too heavy for her to hoist into a tree, and so she fed on the ground, under cover of some reeds. The next day, she lost the kill to a hyena, but remained in the area, and was present when the Hlarulini Male took the kill back from the hyena. Although both the male leopard and the Kapen Female probably fed on the carcass again, no interactions between these two leopards were witnessed. The Kapen Female is no longer lactating, so perhaps she will again be looking for a mate in the near future. Will it again be the Hlarulini Male?
July 2005 KAPEN FEMALE *
11 YEARS 10 MONTHS The four sightings of the Kapen Female leopard in July did nothing to suggest that she still has any cubs. Strangely, whatever cubs she had in her last litter were not ever seen, even though the Kapen Female was clearly seen to be lactating for a few months. Now, however, she appears to no longer be lactating, and it seems likely that she has lost her cub(s). Three of the sightings of this powerful, stocky old female leopard were along the lower parts of the Kapen River, near Kapen Open Area, while the fourth was somewhat further east, but also just to the north of the Kapen River. An interesting sighting involving the Kapen Female also involved her daughter, the New Hogvaal Female. The Kapen Female was found in Kapen Open Area, with two kills in a tree. One kill was a duiker, and the other a bushbuck. Looking on from the ground, just a short distance away, was the New Hogvaal Female. Now this area is a good distance away from what seems to be New Hogvaal Female territory, so what was she doing over here? One possible explanation is that she may have been with a male, mating, and had followed the male wherever he went. Probably more likely is that the New Hogvaal Female had no water available in her territory, and had to resort to drinking from the Sand River. To get there, she would have to cross another leopard’s territory. Anyway, the Kapen Female did not welcome the presence of another female leopard in the area, and simply growled menacingly at her daughter.
June 2005 KAPEN FEMALE *
11 YEARS 9 MONTHS Although the Kapen Female leopard was only seen twice in June, evidence does suggest that she still has cubs. She is quite an old leopard now, and certainly experienced in raising cubs. On both occasions when she was seen, she was busy hunting. It is not certain that she is still lactating. If she is not, then it is surprising that her cubs have not yet been seen. She has sometimes been a very secretive leopard, but one would have thought that by now her cubs should have been seen. There is, of course, the possibility that she has lost her cubs. May 2005 KAPEN FEMALE *
11 YEARS 8 MONTHS The Kapen Female leopard was seen on five occasions, and provided some good viewing. She is still lactating, but there has not yet been a sighting of her cub(s). She was seen generally in the vicinity of Hyena Water Hole, close to the Kapen River, and it is possible that she has a “lair” site in one of the gully systems around here. One rather strange sighting involving the Kapen Female took place on 17 May, when she was seen in the company of a sub-adult male leopard, and the two appeared to be hunting together. Unusual, indeed! April 2005 KAPEN FEMALE *
11 YEARS 7 MONTHS The Kapen Female continues to be rather secretive, and her cubs have still not been seen. She is, however, clearly still lactating. Her movements suggest that she is using a steep, bushy donga, south and west of Mamba Water Hole on Flockfield, as a lair site. Twice she was followed until she approached this donga. Later in the month, she was seen hunting along the Kapen River in the evening, and then on another occasion, she ventured into the Tamboti Thicket area, where she was followed for a couple of hours. March 2005 KAPEN FEMALE * 11 YEARS 6 MONTHS Location: SOUTHERN FLOCKFIELD It was a relief to see the Kapen Female again, after a period of more than two months. She was seen on the last day of this game report period, and was busy hunting and scent-marking in the vicinity of Tamboti Thicket, on western Flockfield, east of the Sand River. Her condition was good, and she was apparently still lactating. It was hoped that by now her cub(s) would have been seen. Perhaps next month’s game report will have some information regarding her latest offspring! February 2005 KAPEN FEMALE * 11 YEARS 5 MONTHS Location: SOUTHERN FLOCKFIELD It was hoped that February would bring the first sightings of the Kapen Female’s cubs, but she herself was not seen at all during this game report period. This is not necessarily alarming, as she can be quite an elusive leopard, and in recent months has only been seen on a few occasions. It is hoped that all is well with mother and cubs, and it is likely that the cubs are being stashed along the lower reaches of the Kapen River, or in some of the secluded dongas south and west of Mamba Water Hole.
January 2005 KAPEN FEMALE * 11 YEARS 4 MONTHS Location: SOUTHERN FLOCKFIELD The three sightings of the Kapen Female leopard were enough to show that all is still well with her, and that she is still lactating heavily. Where she is keeping her cubs is still not known for sure, but it seems likely that she has moved them further north, perhaps towards the lower reaches of the Kapen River. She was followed on the move on all three occasions, and was seen to hunt as well as to mark territory quite vigorously. Her daughter, the New Hogvaal Female leopard, is spending quite a lot of time within what the Kapen Female considers to be her own territory. The first sightings of the Kapen Female’s new cubs could well take place in February.
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