MalaMala - The Wildlife

With another female leopard, this one young and apparently ambitious, patrolling at least the northern parts of the area once occupied by the old Newington Female and with no confirmed sightings of the Newington Female for many months now, it would probably be safe to assume that she has either moved on or has been killed.

April 2002

March 2002

February 2002

January 2002

December 2001

November 2001

Location: W FLOCKFIELD

(No confirmed sighting)

October 2001

September 2001

(1 confirmed sighting)
The single sighting of the Newington Female was nothing extraordinary and served only to indicate that she is alive and apparently in good health.

August 2001

(1 confirmed sighting of the female)
There was a brief sighting of the Newington Female this month. Although she looks a bit tattered, she still appears healthy. If she conceived at the last mating seen several months ago, she may well be about to give birth. The problem of course is that the male she was mating with was her old mate of the north-west which has all but lost his hold in the area. If another dominant male leopard is not familiar with her and the cubs, he could well kill them. But perhaps the old Newington Female has been playing her cards wisely and her matings with the Rock Drift Male last year could stand her in good stead. As things go, the Rock Drift Male may well take over from the other male and so could leave alone whatever cubs are born.

July 2001

(no confirmed sighting of the female or her son and daughter)
Although there were no confirmed sightings of the Newington Female, there were two or three encounters with female leopards west of Flockfield which could well have been of her. The nearly 3-year-old son of the Newington Female was not seen this month, but it will be interesting to see what happens to him now that the old male with the short tail - probably his father - really seems to have given up his hold on the north-western parts of the reserve.

June 2001

NEWINGTON FEMALE

Location: W MALA MALA

(no confirmed sighting of the female)

MAY 2001

Towards the beginning of the game-report period there was a single sighting of a lactating female leopard which was almost certainly the Newington Female. This, as well as the timing from her last mating with the Rock Drift Male, was sure sign that she had given birth to a new litter of cubs. However, by the end of May, she was found far north of her territory and mating with her old mate, the male leopard with the short tail, the same one which she abandoned last year in favour of the Rock Drift Male. So all indications are that her cubs must have died shortly after she had been seen towards the beginning of the month.

APRIL 2001

There was but a single confirmed sighting of the Newington Female. All indications are that she has given birth to a new litter.

MARCH 2001

The last time the Newington Female was seen mating with the Rock Drift Male was in November. If this union was successful, then it may well be that she has cubs stashed away somewhere. Hopefully confirmation will come in the not too distant future.

FEBRUARY 2001

Over the past two months there have been no reports of the Newington Female crossing west over the Sand River to seek out the Rock Drift Male for mating purposes. Perhaps this indicates that she is pregnant and cubs could be expected before the end of April.

JANUARY 2001

(1sighting of the female)
There was only a single confirmed encounter with the Newington Female this month. The fact that she has not been seen mating with the Rock Drift Male for a month or so now, could well be indication that she is pregnant.

DECEMBER 2000

(1sighting of the female, several of her son, no confirmed sightings of the daughter)
The only confirmed encounter with the Newington Female was of her mating with the Rock Drift Male and this a continuation of the mating which started at the end of the last game report period. The Newington Female is now probably 10 years old and, should she fall pregnant and raise a litter, it could well be her last. Hopefully things will work out and she will again be as successful with the next as she has with her last. As far as is known, the Newington Female has had at least four sets of cubs in her lifetime, but lost two of them, raising a male and female to independence with both her first and also the most recent litters.

NOVEMBER 2000

(3 confirmed sighting of the female [2 of these together with the Rock Drift Male], several encounters with the her independent son, no confirmed sightings of her 25-month-old daughter)
Two of the confirmed sightings of the Newington Female this month were of her mating with the Rock Drift Male. These two mating events were approximately three weeks apart and together would bring the tally of confirmed matings between these two leopards to at least four in the last few months. On every occasion it is the Newington Female which has crossed the Sand River and sought out the Rock Dirft Male. As far as is known, the Rock Drift Male has not extended his territory to include that of the Newington Female. On one of the occassions when the two were mating, they were being observed by one of the approximately 2-year-old sons of the Paradise Valley Female. It is probable that the Rock Drift Male fathered this youngster. Neither leopard paid any attention to this observer, but things scattered when a male lion arrived on the scene and chased the three leopards away.

OCTOBER 2000

(with the Rock Drift Male) (1 confirmed sighting of the female, several encounters with the recently independent youngsters)
The single confirmed sighting of the Newington Female was, like last month, with a male leopard, the Rock Drift Male in this case and way outside the bounds of the area typically controlled by her. Earlier sightings of a female leopard together with the Rock Drift Male were probably also of her. When seen, both leopards were visibly emaciated, probably the result of several days of mating with little or nothing to eat. When found, both leopards were moving steadily, the Newington Female in the direction of her territory to the west of the Sand River. Just why she has chosen the Rock Drift Male as a mate is not clear, particularly in light of the fact that he, as far as is known, does not control the area in which her territory lies.

SEPTEMBER 2000

(both whilst she was mating) (2 sightings of the female, several encounters with the recently independent youngsters)
The Newington Female was seen twice this month, both times outside of her territory and both times mating. These sightings were within a few days of each other, the first with her old mate which resides towards the north and west of the reserve, and then the second time with the Rock Drift Male. Indications are that the first session of mating ended after only two days, with the male moving off, leaving the female to seek out the Rock Drift Male further south in order to continue with the event. This could of course usher in problems for the Newington Female which stays mostly to the west of the Sand River in an area not covered by the Rock Drift Male. Generally it appears that the father of any cubs needs to be around to protect them from the aggression of any other male leopard which would perhaps seek to kill them in order to mate with the female which would then come into oestrus again. For the Newington Female this would of course only really be important if her old mate is ousted and her territory taken over by a foreign male. Hopefully, however, some solution will be found, perhaps for the Newington Female to move south and east and/or the Rock Drift Male to move north and west. If the old male which was mating with the Newington Female does continue to control the area and she does give birth, then things could still work out fine, with this leopard protecting the babies fathered by the Rock Drift Male, but thinking they are his since he also mated with the Newington Female.

AUGUST 2000

NEWINGTON FEMALE
2 CUBS (one male, one female) * 22 months
1 INDEPENDENT MALE OFFSPRING * 4 years 11 months

(no confirmed sightings of the female, several encounters with her current cubs; no sightings of the nearly 5-year-old male)
Sightings of the youngsters of the Newington Female this month hint at them being left to their own, something not unexpected at nearly two years of age.

JULY 2000

NEWINGTON FEMALE
2 CUBS * 21 months
1 INDEPENDENT MALE OFFSPRING * 4 years 10 months

(1 confirmed sighting of the female, several probable but not confirmed encounters with her current cubs; no sightings of the nearly 5-year-old male)
It is not known if the Newington Female is pregnant again or that she has even mated since bearing her now almost two-year-old youngsters. However, both this and the abandonment of these cubs are inevitable within the next few months.

JUNE 2000

NEWINGTON FEMALE
2 CUBS * 20 months
1 INDEPENDENT MALE OFFSPRING * 4 years 9 months

(2 confirmed sightings of the female, one of these with both cubs, one with only one of the cubs; one sighting of the male cub alone; no sightings of the 4-year-old male)
Although the current cubs of the Newington Female are probably quite capable of looking after themselves, their mother is still caring for them. For any young leopards, the longer they are able to stay under the care of their mother the better would be their chances of survival when independent.

MAY 2000

NEWINGTON FEMALE
2 CUBS * 19 months
1 INDEPENDENT MALE OFFSPRING * 4 years 8 months

There were several encounters during May with leopards in areas where the 'Newington leopards' are expected. Circumstances, however, prevented good identification. Indications are that the two sub adults of the Newington Female are starting to wander, something expected of leopards about to enter the stage of independence.

FEBRUARY/ MARCH/ APRIL 2000

NEWINGTON FEMALE
2 CUBS * 18 months
1 INDEPENDENT MALE OFFSPRING * 4 years 7 months

(3 confirmed sighting of the female on WESTERN FLOCKFIELD as well as WEST OF FLOCKFIELD, 1of these sightings with her male cub. No confirmed encounters with her independent son on EASTERN MARTHLY)

Movements of the Newington Female over the last few months indicate that she is venturing slightly further north of the area where she appears to spend most of her time. This may be due to the Ngoboswan Female not being too active in this area which is towards the southerly reaches of her range or perhaps due to pressure from her 4-and-a-half year old daughter which occupies the territory immediately to her south. It may also be due to an increasing food demand from her one-and-a-half year old cubs.

JANUARY 2000

NEWINGTON FEMALE
2 CUBS * 15 months
1 INDEPENDENT MALE OFFSPRING * 4 years 4 months

(1 confirmed sighting of the female on WESTERN FLOCKFIELD, none of the cubs, 1 of her 4-yr.old son on EASTERN MARTHLY)

Both the Newington Female and her 4-and-a-half year old son reside in areas generally inaccessible to Mala Mala game-viewing vehicles. By all accounts, however, both are in good condition and the continued presence of her son towards the northwestern parts of Mala Mala indicates that he has certainly secured for himself a territory. The Newington Female herself must surely be getting ready to mate again and her current litter of cubs - it is not certain if both are still alive - should soon be setting off on their own.

MalaMala Game Reserve, PO Box 55514, Northlands, 2116, South Africa.
Telephone: + 27 11 442 2267 or 0861 SAFARI.
Facsimile: + 27 11 442 2318
e-Mail: reservations@malamala.com; e-Mail: webmaster