WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 7 years 3 months
2 CUBS * 2 months & 2 weeks

Location: EASTERN FLOCKFIELD

(3 sightings, 1 of these with her cubs)
The White Cloth Female was seen only three times this month, once with her cubs which were seen briefly trotting behind her before she left them and went off hunting. As has become almost expected of this leopard on her hunting efforts, she soon encountered a Steenbok which she successfully crept up upon and killed. After starting to feed upon the carcass on the ground, she then took it into the branches of a Scotia tree. The next morning, however, there was no sign of the leopard or kill, and some evidence suggested that lions had been in the area that night. There were no subsequent sightings of either the female or her cubs in December. Hopefully all will be well with them and viewing in the new year will indicate so.

---

NOVEMBER 2000

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 7 years 2 months
2 CUBS * 1 months & 2 weeks

Location: CENTRAL & SW MALA MALA/ NW & CENTRAL FLOCKFIELD

(15 sightings, 6 of these with her cubs)
At the beginning of the game-report period, after killing a female steenbok, the White Cloth Female led landrovers towards a rocky outcrop in the Matshapiri River where she had secreted her two cubs. This was the first time that these cubs had been shown and, quite unbelievably since the cubs are so young, the leopard showed no apprehension. At two weeks of age the youngsters were merely balls of fur, depending entirely upon milk. A few days later, the White Cloth Female started moving the cubs, this perhaps in response to another leopard in the area, a young male, which was found eating a duiker carcass very close to this den sight. It is not known if the male leopad had killed the duiker or if he had stolen it from the White Cloth Female. She certainly was on the scene of the kill whilst he was feeding, but made no aggressive moves towards him, soon dissappearing into the thick bush. Several days later, the White Cloth Female was found a several kilometers further away, walking steadily towards the Kapen River. Upon encountering a steenbok, she was seen execurting another fine kill. The next day it was found that she had killed this small antelope very close to yet another den sight, this being a large hole inside a termite mound. Again, the leopard showed no apprehension in leading the landrovers towards where the babies were being kept. Over the next two days or so, she not only consumed this steenbok kill, but also went on to kill two young impala which she encountered in the area. Some days later, after yet another steenbok was seen falling to her skills, she moved the cubs yet again. With so many moves in such a short time, it was considered prudent to stop viewing the cubs, this in spite of no other behaviour which may have suggested that she was unhappy with the presence of vehicles. It may also have been that she wanted the babies in an area more closely worked by the Rock Drift Male which may well have fathered the cubs. The initial lair sight was in an area controlled either by the old leopard which probably fathered her last cub, or by the male leopard so fond of killing warthogs. After this last move of the cubs, the Rock Drift Male was seen following her as she hunted in the area. Anyway, whatever the reason, she thought it wise to move these youngsters many times in a short space of time and, in order not to have any doubts, viewing was restricted.

---

OCTOBER 2000

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 7 years
1 MONTH CUBS (number not known at this stage) * 2 weeks

Location: NW FLOCKFIELD/ CENTRAL SOUTH MALA MALA

(5 sightings)
The great news of this month as far as leopards were concerned was the discovery that the White Cloth Female has given birth. The cubs were probably born towards the middle of the month and it is to be expected that they will be kept in secluded areas until they are old enough to be taken to kills. However, what remains uncertain is which male leopard is the father of the litter. Last month it was quite confidently predicted that the large male leopard which resides to the east of the Rock Drift Male and is so fond of killing warthogs was the male in which her territory fell and consequently the probable father of her cubs. However, this month the White Cloth Female was seen interacting with two other male leopards, the Rock Drift Male with whom she shared a kill and then, later and only a few days before she gave birth, with the large male which controls the area west and north of the Rock Drift Male. This latter male is probably the mate of the Mlowathi and Ngoboswan Female and may well have been the father of the first litter of the White Cloth Female. This uncertainty may work in favour of the White Cloth Female and she could well find herself protected by all of these males.

---

SEPTEMBER 2000

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 7 years

Location: WESTERN-CENTRAL MALA MALA/ CENTRAL & EASTERN FLOCKFIELD

(9 sightings)
Sightings of the White Cloth Female were good this month, with indications that some of her behaviour is returning to that of old. However, she is still moving further beyond those territorial limits which she to have been well and truly established some months ago. This month there was one sighting when she was found actively scent-marking at what must have been the very south and eastern reaches of her range, entering areas though to be controlled by her sister the Kapen Female. During this long route-march, she was last seen going towards a gully system close to the border of the Kruger National Park where earlier that day the large male leopard fond of killing warthogs had been seen entering (he was found that morning not far from the remains of a freshly killed young warthog). For some time now there has been no certainly as to which male leopard dominates the territory occupied by the White Cloth Female and it has been speculated that it is this uncertainly and realignment of borders which has stopped her from conceiving after abandoning her last cub nearly a year ago. Now that things seem to have stabilised somewhat between the males, she will be more comfortable in having strong protection. It now seems certain that she has fallen under the control of this particular male and perhaps the great lengths which she is going to to mark territory is indication that she will soon give birth. Young lair-bound cubs would certainly hamper the mothers' movements and could prevent her from regular protection of the integrity of her territory.

---

AUGUST 2000

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 6 years 11 months

Location: WESTERN-CENTRAL MALA MALA

(4 sightings)
As was the viewing last month, encounters with the White Cloth Female were not as frequent as has come to be expected. At one of the sightings towards the middle of August, the White Cloth Female was seen heading towards the Hlabatini Donga, a gully system which in the past has been core territory for the Hlabatini Female. Whilst this may have been but a temporary territorial indiscretion from the side of the White Cloth Female (she certainly has done so in the past), it could well be that leopard social interactions have caused her - or even allowed her - to move slightly from what has been her past movements. Whilst she was in this area, the large male leopard known to have recently moved into the northern parts of Mala Mala, was out patrolling only a few hundred meters away. It is doubtful that his territory would have extended to where the White Cloth Female was and, if so, then it may be that the Hlabatini Female has indeed moved north and east to stay with this new male, thus vacating at least part of her previous range, so allowing the White Cloth Female a degree of freedom of access.

---

JULY 2000

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 6 years 10 months

Location: SOUTH WESTERN MALA MALA/ CENTRAL & WESTERN FLOCKFIELD

(4 sightings)
There were again, relative to what has been the case up until recently, relatively few encounters with the White Cloth Female. Just why she has become more reclusive is difficult to guess, but the reasons may be several. Certainly the fact that the Rock Drift Male (which, up until a few months ago was her mate) has now been challenged by another male leopard would have caused some cautionary behaviour from the White Cloth Female. In the battle for a territory between male leopards, the females have to be on their guard. A new male will probably kill any cub sired by a deposed mate if it is still very dependent upon the mother. Although the White Cloth Female does not appear to have given birth recently, she would still be cautious not to raise the ire of any new mate and so would perhaps stay as great a distance from the Rock Drift Male as possible. Also, it may well be that the White Cloth Female is indeed pregnant and so investigating areas not usually patrolled or locations where she will need to hide the cubs once they are born. Both of these reasons may take her pattern of movement away from what has previously been noted. However, also most important has been the status of the land with both abundant water and grazing still to be found. Conditions experienced during July could almost be equated to those more typical of autumn rather than the dry season. The good cover has meant that many of the small antelope such as duiker and steenbok have not only plenty to eat and hide in, but the survival rate of their lambs has also probably been exceptional. Such antelope provide a good source of food for leopards and if abundant and easy to catch would limit the leopards' movements. So although the behaviour of the White Cloth Female has been different, it is also explainable and hopefully will return to expectations once both other leopard social interactions stabilise and environmental conditions normalise.

---

JUNE 2000

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 6 years 9 months

Location: SOUTH WESTERN MALA MALA/ NORTH WESTERN FLOCKFIELD

(7 sightings)
Sightings of the White Cloth Female this month were not as plentiful as is typically expected and most were towards the beginning of June. As has been suspected for some months now, the aggressive territorial violations by the White Cloth Female into the area typically controlled by the Ngoboswan Female would inevitably draw a response from the latter and this month it did. No physical conflict was seen, but both leopards were found within a hundred meters of each other, both scent marking and roaring. At the end of it, each went in a different direction, probably content with the reaffirmation of the boundary. Such worries of own territorial integrity are probably low down on the list of worries for the White Cloth Female compared to what is happening on the Male leopard scene. For some months now the Rock Drift Male has been expanding north of the Kapen River and into the lower reaches of the Matshapiri, firmly overlapping into territory held by the White Cloth Female. All of this would of course have been of great benefit to the White Cloth Female and she could have mated and produced a new litter to be protected by the Rock Drift Male, a leopard with potentially many years of control ahead of him. However, as good as the situation has seemed, fears have crept in that the area patrolled by the Rock Drift Male may in fact be too big to hold and protect against other males and this month the threat of another male leopard did indeed emerge in the form of an old adversary of the Rock Drift Male. This male leopard was last seen nearly a year ago and at the time was chased off by the Rock Drift Male. Now, however, this other leopard has returned, seemingly bigger and more confidant and apparently with designs of establishing himself, at least in the area north of the Kapen River. Perhaps this is what the White Cloth Female has been sensing all this time and is why she has not fallen pregnant; there has simply not been the real prospect of a good stable partner which will not only sire youngsters but be around to protect them as they grow. That the White Cloth Female is aware of the presence of this male leopard is certain. This month he was seen appropriating the remains of an impala which she had killed. When the male leopard arrived on the scene of the kill, the White Cloth female wisely did not even try to protect it, she simply slipped off into the darkness and allowed him to take it over. Another good sighting of the White Cloth Female was at the beginning of May when she was seen killing an adult male steenbok and taking the carcass up into the leafy foliage of a Scotia tree.

---

MAY 2000

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 6 years 8 months

Location: WESTERN MALA MALA/ NORTH WESTERN FLOCKFIELD

(10 sightings)
As has so often been the case in the past, the White Cloth Female provided some good viewing over this past month. Although there have been no other recorded matings since that in mid-March, there is still no indication that she is pregnant. Should this last mating with the Rock Drift Male have been successful, then it could be expected that she would give birth towards the end of June. Hopefully by this time the Rock Drift Male would have completely consolidated his hold on the area also occupied by the White Cloth Female. This would be necessary in order to protect these cubs from other male leopards which might seek to kill them. Movements of the White Cloth Female were, on the whole, as could be expected, except for some sightings of her perhaps a bit further south than has previously been recorded. One of the encounters in particular had the White Cloth Female in the central areas of the reserve, in territory typically controlled by her sister, the Kapen Female. Other sightings of the White Cloth Female during May and preceding months have had her in areas also known to have been used by the Kapen Female. With her sister looking after a small cub and not as able to regularly patrol her territory, the White Cloth Female may well simply be taking advantage of her absence. The same could be said for why she has been seen in areas known to be frequented by the Ngoboswan Female, this being further north on the reserve.

---

FEBRUARY/ MARCH/ APRIL 2000

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 6 years 7 months

Location: WESTERN MALA MALA/ WESTERN FLOCKFIELD

(10 sightings)
Although there is still no sign that the White Cloth Female is pregnant, a report from the film crew working on Mala Mala had her mating with the Rock Drift Male in mid-March. If this mating was successful, then the White Cloth Female could be expected to give birth at the end of June. Sightings of this female in April saw her busily marking territory and found her very active on some of the extreme limits of her domain. Some of these movements may well be due to the fact that two of her neighbours, the Ngoboswan Female and her sister the Kapen Female; both have young cubs that are not particularly mobile. Such youngsters will restrict their mothers from actively patrolling their territory on a regular basis. For the Ngoboswan Female this would be compounded by the fact that the Sand River has been in state of almost permanent flood for some months now, so preventing ease of access to both sides of the river. The blatant incursions made by the White Cloth Female into the territories of the others could not go unnoticed and the day after she actually crossed the Sand River to move into the heart of the area controlled by the Ngoboswan Female, these two were seen squaring up to each other. No physical contact was witnessed, but marks on the White Cloth Female indicated that the two had indeed come to blows. From the side of the White Cloth Female, the fact that she has now mated with the Rock Drift Male and that the latter has now started to move well north of the Kapen River and firmly into her territory, is good news. Should he stay around and dominant, then it would provide good stability for whatever cubs she has.

---

JANUARY 2000

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 6 years 4 months

Location: WESTERN MALA MALA/ NORTH WESTERN FLOCKFIELD

(10 sightings) Sightings of the White Cloth Female this month again did not indicate whether she is pregnant or not. One item of concern for the White Cloth Female would be the fact that, with the Rock Drift Male now recently moving into the central areas of the reserve, her territory now squarely overlaps those of two different males - the Rock Drift Male and his northern neighbour. The latter is seldom seen and allows vehicles to view him only at night. However, by all accounts he is ageing and although still physically powerful, may already have relinquished some of his southern and western range to the younger Rock Drift Male. The successful rearing of leopard cubs requires that the father remains behind to ensure that no other male leopard arrives to kill off his offspring. Now with the White Cloth Female having two males with access to her, she could be faced with a dilemma. Much of her movements seem to indicate that she is certainly not avoiding the Rock Drift Male, perhaps recognising him to be young and strong, potentially a better long-term bet for any cubs. However, to gain his exclusive protection, she would either have to move further south and try to muscle her way into territory controlled by her sister the Kapen Female, or hope that the Rock Drift Male continues to expand north so that he dominates her range and can afford her and her cubs the protection she needs.