December 2002

Location: SW MALA MALA/ CENTRAL & W FLOCKFIELD/ CHARLESTON (east of the Sand River)

(16 sightings)

Most sightings of the Rock Drift Male over this game-report period occurred towards the northern parts of his territory. Although this leopard still patrols over most of his territory, signs of him perhaps weakening are appearing.

Towards the central-south of his territory, the male leopard which was seen in this area last month on a freshly killed near-adult male kudu, was still around and at one stage almost appeared to be shadowing the Rock Drift Male. But the two males were never seen to meet and no signs suggested that they clashed. But what was this other male doing in the Rock Drift Males' territory in the first place? If the Rock Drift Male was prospering and the standard leopard signs of strength were overwhelming, another socially maturing leopard would not want to test him.

To the north of the reserve there are also similar signs that the Rock Drift Male is finding it difficult to maintain the hold on his vast domain. One of his old adversaries, the male with the shorter-than-average tail, was seen exploring the peripheries of his territory, entering areas which he used to control prior to the Rock Drift Male forcing him back. And to the northeast, up the Matshapiri River, the young Newington Male appears to be on the march too. Also, the White Cloth Female, one of the female leopards which for some years was within the Rock Drift Males' 'stable', has shown signs of moving more north and east, out of the Rock Drift Males' area and into that controlled by the Newington Male. Has this female leopard, which is probably searching for a mating opportunity, sensed a decline in the Rock Drift Males' power?

But aside from the gloomy prognosis of the inevitable, the Rock Drift Male continued to deliver fine viewing this month. One of the sightings which portrayed the Rock Drift Male as he has so often been seen, was when he was found with the carcass of an adult impala and one of his many progeny, the 26-month-old and recently independent daughter of the White Cloth Female, appeared on the scene. As with all young leopards at this stage of their existence, it is quite likely that she would still be struggling somewhat in her quest for food and a free meal would always be welcome. And instead of chasing her off as a male leopard could be expected to do, the Rock Drift Male seemed only too happy to let her feed.

So although things are certainly not as rosy for the Rock Drift Male as they could be, he is still around and more or less still in charge. Perhaps another will suddenly oust him or perhaps he will slowly give up on parts of his turf, concentrating instead on a smaller more easily controlled area before finally succumbing to what in the end must happen.

November 2002

Location: SW MALA MALA/ CENTRAL & W FLOCKFIELD/ CHARLESTON (east of the Sand River)

(18 sightings) The Rock Drift Male seems to have had another good month and showed absolutely no chinks in his hold on his vast territory. Sightings this month seemed to indicate that the Rock Drift Male spent proportionately more time in the southern regions of his domain. Nevertheless, he certainly seemed to patrol most of his peripheries and this with great vigour.

The Rock Drift Male was seen making several kills during the course of the month, most of these small antelope such as Duikers or young bushbucks. One of the kills which he was found with, an adult female impala, had been taken up a tree and the leopard was eating it at his leisure, when, on the second day, two male lions came along. The Rock Drift Male abandoned the kill in the tree and ran off, leaving the lions to scramble up the tree and steal the remains.

Towards the end of this game-report-period, the Rock Drift Male was found at the scene of an impala kill, together with one of the female leopards which lives within his territory, the Kapen Female, as well as a third leopard, the two-year-old daughter of the White Cloth Female. The White Cloth Female is the sister of the Kapen Female and her daughter was almost certainly fathered by the Rock Drift Male. Mild hostility was evident amongst all three leopards, but the Rock Drift Male seemed more intent on the meat than anything else. Needless to say, he dominated over the smaller females.

October 2002

Location: SW & CENTRAL MALA MALA/ CENTRAL & W FLOCKFIELD/ CENTRAL-WESTERN & SE CHARLESTON

(20 sightings)

The Rock Drift Male had a busy month and supplied some fine viewing. He was seen making at least three impala kills, all of which took several days to complete. The first of the kills, an adult female impala, was taken to the top of a large Marula Tree and the leopard spent three days in the area. Several hyenas arrived on the scene and provided good entertainment as they bickered over the scraps which fell from the tree. The last kill, again an adult female impala, was also taken into a Marula Tree and fed upon for several days. When the kill was nearly finished, the Jakkalsdraai Female (daughter of the Kapen Female and Rock Drift Male), arrived on the scene when the Rock Drift Male was away quenching his thirst at a nearby waterhole. The Jakkalsdraai Female could not have found a better meal; at the time she was lean and limping from some or other injury to one of her front legs. By the time the Rock Drift Male returned from the waterhole, the Jakkalsdraai Female had eaten her fill and was descending from the tree. The Rock Drift Male snarled at her briefly, this probably more to effect subservience than a sign of anger, and then climbed the tree himself to finish the meal and drop the last of the scraps to a waiting hyena.

But the Rock Drift Male was not all generosity this month. He arrived at a bushbuck kill which the Kapen Female had made and was sharing with her one-year-old cub. Once the Rock Drift Male arrived, there was significantly less food for the others.

One other fine sighting involving the Rock Drift Male had him stalking up to the large herd of buffaloes. Perhaps he was checking to see if there were any new calves to be had - otherwise he was wasting his time with these large creatures. The end of his observation of the herd came when an old and emaciated buffalo cow saw him and chased him away.

But, in general, probably a good month for the Rock Drift Male.

September 2002

Location: SW MALA MALA/ W FLOCKFIELD/ CENTRAL-WESTERN & SE CHARLESTON
(east of the Sand River)

(13 sightings)
The Rock Drift Male seemed to have a busy September, roaming his vast territory, killing successfully and of course making sure that he remained in charge.

Perhaps one of the finest series of sightings of the Rock Drift Male this month took place around an adult male warthog which he had killed and then taken up a rocky hill. The leopard had hardly begun to eat from this substantial kill when he was discovered with it. Unfortunately for the Rock Drift Male, the kill was not really secure from hyenas and one soon arrived on the scene and appropriated it from him. However, the next day it was discovered that the Rock Drift Male had managed to wrestle back most of the warthog carcass and had taken it up into a spindly tree where he proceeded to feed on it over the next two days. At least five hyenas were waiting around the tree whilst he fed.

Then, at the end of the month, the Rock Drift Male was seen meeting up with one of the female leopards inside his territory, the White Cloth Female, and stealing a duiker kill which she had just made. When the Rock Drift Male chanced upon this meal, the daughter of the White Cloth Female was also around and also trying to cadge some food. But, the superior size of the male leopard dominated and in the end neither female had any of the kill.

But, other than these day-to-day events in the life of a leopard, the Rock Drift Male was seen to do nothing extraordinary and continued to rule the central-south of Mala Mala.

August 2002

Location: SW MALA MALA/ W FLOCKFIELD/ CENTRAL-WESTERN & SE CHARLESTON (east of the Sand River)/ NORTHERN TOULON (north of the Sand River)

(15 sightings)
The Rock Drift Male had a rather interesting month. Aside from the regular territorial patrols which are so important for maintaining dominance, he was seen to interact with several other leopards, starting the month with one of his daughter, the nearly three-year-old 'daughter of the Kapen Female'. The two leopards were found together, finishing off the remains of an impala kill. The female probably had the kill in a tree and when the male arrived on the scene. When the female left the tree and wandered off, the Rock Drift Male ascended and started to feed. A few minutes later, the daughter of the Kapen Female, still moving away from the Rock Drift Male, stumbled upon a duiker and killed it. The Rock Drift Male heard the antelopes distress calls and immediately ran towards them. When he reached the female which was still strangling the duiker, he took it and dragged it some distance away towards the base of a large Jackalberry Tree. The young female leopard was reluctant to relinquish this meal and followed the Rock Drift Male. The two leopards then stayed in the area for the next 24 hours, feeding from the kill, the male leopard dominating.

The next time the Rock Drift Male was seen with another leopard was when he was mating with the female leopard which seems to have set up a territory near the central-north of Mala Mala to the west of the Sand River, a section of land which includes Harrys Camp. The two were seen mating over a three day period, both leopards moving far south in the reserve. It is not uncommon for a female leopard to leave her own territory when in season and looking for a male leopard. The Rock Drift Male leopard is known to move onto the western bank of the Sand River and this movement would cover at least some part of this female leopards' territory.

The next interaction witnessed was when the Rock Drift Male heard a pack of Wild Dogs feeding on a bushbuck kill near the Mala Mala Bridge. When the leopard came to investigate, the Wild Dogs initially chased him away and up a tree. However, the leopard descended and this time managed to take the kill from the pack of Wild Dogs and secured it up a tree. But the fracas had attracted the attentions of yet another leopard, this time one of the Rock Drift Males old adversaries, the male leopard with the shorter than average tail. After being harassed by the Wild Dogs for a while - which he encountered whilst the latter were leaving the Rock Drift Male in the tree - the leopard with the short tail confronted the Rock Drift Male and, surprisingly, the Rock Drift Male backed down and left the area. All previous interactions between these two leopards have appeared to go the way of the Rock Drift Male, to the extent that the leopard with the short tail has relinquished a fair amount of land to the control of the other.

Perhaps this time, because the two leopards met in an area on the very limit of the Rock Drift Males' territory, the other leopard had the psychological advantage, the benefit of being in his 'home town' and this is why the Rock Drift Male moved off.

Another piece of excitement for the Rock Drift Male happened one day in August when he was nearly caught by lions. The Rock Drift Male was in the process of following some waterbuck, perhaps in the hopes of discovering a baby which he could catch, when the lions also arrived on the scene, alerted by the waterbucks alarm calls. But when the lions arrived, the leopard vanished.

But, in general, the Rock Drift Male seems to have had a good month and apparently remains strongly in charge of his domain.

July 2002

Location: FLOCKFIELD/ CENTRAL-WESTERN CHARLESTON (east of the Sand River)

(5 sightings)
The sightings of the Rock Drift Male leopard provided no great excitement this month. As is so often the case, the Rock Drift Male was seen mostly going about those things so fundamental in a territorial male leopards' life - patrolling territory and checking up on the females within and their cubs. It waits to be seen how the Rock Drift Male will respond to the Newington Males' incursion around the Matshapiri River, an area considered to be the northeastern part of his territory.

June 2002

Location: SW MALA MALA/ W FLOCKFIELD/ W CHARLESTON (east of the Sand River)

(8 sightings)
The Rock Drift Male continued to more or less maintain his dominance this month. Some trouble may be brewing in the north, with the young Newington Male wandering into territory along the Matshapiri River (which for the last year-and-a-half or so has been patrolled by the Rock Drift Male). Also in the north, the Rock Drift Male found one of his old adversaries and probably father of the Newington Male, the leopard with the shorter-than-average-tail, scent-marking over the area where he had just been patrolling. But if his strength has been called into question, an interaction with another young adult male leopard on his western boundary would surely have dispelled some of these thoughts. The young male in question was noticed in the area on several occasions this month before he and the Rock Drift Male were seen interacting and he may well have been present as a result of the possible disappearance of the Beaumonts Male, the male leopard which occupies the western bank of the Sand River west of this particular area controlled by the Rock Drift Male. This young leopard was in the area and seemingly making himself at home - killing antelope and bullying female leopards. When the Rock Drift Male chanced upon him, the initial reaction could hardly have appeared quieter, but the message was as clear as could be. At first it appeared as if the Rock Drift Male was simply going to pass the other leopard by, accepting his presence. But the other leopard knew what was coming. The Rock Drift Male was clearly unimpressed with this insignificant intruder and his apparently "could-not-be-bothered" attitude was in itself a message which conveyed his fury. The other leopard crouched on the ground in an attitude of submission and when the Rock Drift Male came storming back at him, he shot up a tall tree where he scrambled to a high branch and lay there, his body language again exuding deference. The Rock Drift Male continued to patrol the surrounds of the tree, making things quite clear to the upstart just what he thought of him. When the other leopard eventually clambered down the tree, the Rock Drift Male again came after him, forcing him to scramble up a smaller tree. And so this went on for a few hours, the Rock Drift Male humbling the other. Little, if any, actual physical contact occurred, but the message was delivered. So although some of the Rock Drift Males' territory may be eroding in the north, in other areas it still looks solid.

May 2002

Location: CENTRAL & W MALA MALA/ W FLOCKFIELD/ CENTRAL & W CHARLESTON (north & east of the Sand River)

(12 sightings)
The Rock Drift Male delivered some fine viewing this month, appearing as in control of his territory as he has ever been - a period of probably close to 4 years now for the southern areas where he first appeared before heading further north. During May the Rock Drift Male seemed to perhaps spend slightly more time in the northern parts of his range, this perhaps because the White Cloth Female and her two cubs moved back to their old haunts around the lower reaches of the Matshapiri River. He was seen with these leopards on at least two occasions. In the one encounter, the son and daughter of the White Cloth Female (almost certainly his offspring too) were seen approaching him cautiously, but all behaviour illustrating the highest of respect. The Rock Drift Male seemed satisfied with the display of deference.

The first sighting of the Rock Drift Male for this May game-report-period was of him and an unknown female leopard at a duiker kill. Last months report ended with him being in the company of perhaps this female leopard. At the time the female was flirting with the Rock Drift Male but receiving no reciprocation. But this was almost certainly early days in the courtship and the two probably then spent several days mating. The identity of the female was never established, but it is not unknown for a female leopard to leave her territory to seek out a strong male with which she could mate, particularly if the male usually dominant over her is not around when she comes into season.

A week or so later, the Rock Drift Male was back in this southern part of his territory and spent several days on an adult male impala kill. At one time his southerly neighbour, the Hlarulini Male was located only a few hundred meters to his south, but the two were not seen to confront one another, something unnecessary so long as each was content that territorial boundaries were not being violated. So all in all probably a most satisfactory month for the Rock Drift Male.

April 2002

Location: CENTRAL FLOCKFIELD/ CENTRAL CHARLESTON (north & east of the Sand River)

(5 sightings)
The Rock Drift Male was encountered more to the south of his range this month, possibly because the White Cloth Female seems to have relocated to these areas. Not that he would necessarily have abandoned the northern parts of his territory, but may well be concentrating more in the areas where 'his' females were active. The last sighting of the Rock Drift Male in April was of him together with a female leopard, possibly the White Cloth Female. Although the female leopard seemed eager to mate, the Rock Drift Male was not keen. As the two leopards moved along, they approached an area where the cubs of the White Cloth Female (his cubs too) were waiting. At another sighting of the Rock Drift Male, he was seen with one of his older daughters, the 2-and-a-half year old daughter of the Kapen Female. The young female was finishing off the remains of an impala and her father was resting close by. Both leopards were last seen wandering off into a nearby gully system. Perhaps the most dramatic sighting of the Rock Drift Male during this game report period was of him hunting down and killing an adult male duiker. Rain was pelting down and the Rock Drift Male was taking full advantage of the confusion brought on by the elements. The small antelope probably never knew what hit it when the Rock Drift Male pounced.

March 2002

Location: MALA MALA/ FLOCKFIELD/ CHARLESTON (north & east of the Sand River)

(3 sightings)
There were surprisingly few sightings of the Rock Drift Male during March, but what encounters there were suggested that he is still effectively covering the ends of his vast territory.

February 2002

Location: north & east of the Sand River

(5 sightings)
There were not many encounters with the Rock Drift Male this month, but he was seen on both the northern and southern extremes of his territory, this perhaps 15 or more kilometres from end to end.

January 2002

Location: MALE MALA MALA/ W FLOCKFIELD/ NW CHARLESTON (east of the Sand River)

(9 sightings)
Sightings of the Rock Drift Male indicated that he spent January much like many other months of his life - patrolling territory and hunting. Quite unusually for this large male leopard, he was seen to spend four days in succession towards the northeastern parts of his territory where he had killed an adult male impala. Such a carcass could of course be expected to last a fair amount of time, but in his early days, it was not uncommon for the Rock Drift Male to feed, leave the kill to patrol and then return to carry on eating. Perhaps there is really no threat for him at the moment and things in his life seem very settled so that there is not the urgency to patrol. At another sighting the Rock Drift Male was seen further north along the Matshapiri River than he has ever been seen before. This trip took him into an area thought to be well inside the territory controlled by the Tlebe Rocks Male. One of the female leopards under the Rock Drift Males' influence, the White Cloth Female, certainly goes this way from time to time, so perhaps he was simply following her familiar scent. But by and large not much appears to have changed for the Rock Drift Male and he seems well entrenched and not yet in any danger of being deposed in the near future.

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