WHITE CLOTH FEMALE

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DECEMBER 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 9 YEARS 3 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 26 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 26 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

Location: EYREFEIELD/ SW & CENTRAL MALA MALA/ CENTRAL & NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River)

(9 sightings of the White Cloth Female)

Although the White Cloth Female was this month certainly located within areas long considered her territory, she tended also to venture north and east and was, according to sightings, absent from the southern and southeastern reaches of her domain. And it was towards these latter parts that the two sightings of her 26-month-old daughter occurred this month. So, has the White Cloth Female tended north-east firstly because leopard dynamics in that area have allowed her into an uncontrolled or weakly controlled piece of land and, secondly, is she doing it because of her daughter, not only to avoid her daughter, but to allow her daughter to occupy the southern and southeastern portions of her old territory? If this move has been merely to get her daughter to forget about her and finally move off to start a life of her own somewhere else, then the White Cloth Female could be expected to return to her old haunts at some stage. But if, like her sister the Kapen Female, she has made the generous decision to facilitate her daughters' entry into an independent life, then there could soon become a realignment of territorial boundaries.

And if the daughter of the White Cloth Female is not quick off the mark to take up her mothers' charity, the Kapen Female almost certain will. Already the Kapen Female is exploring these now poorly patrolled parts of the White Cloth Females' territory as she did last year when the White Cloth Female and her cubs headed way south for several weeks before returning.

Another factor which may have caused the White Cloth Female to venture north-east could be a requirement for a male leopard. She and the Newington Male were seen to encoutner one another, perhaps not too coincidenatlly either. As with get-togethers between leopards even familiar with one another, there was certainly no great friendliness, but neither was there extreme overt hostility. The White Cloth Female even flirted briefly with the Newington Male before both went their separate ways.

Later on in the month, the White Cloth Female was heard calling in an area perhaps within the southeastern extremes of the Newington Males' territory. Was she calling him for mating or was there some other reason behind her vocalising? And, if turning her attentions to the Newington Male, what about the Rock Drift Male, the probable father of her last litter? The Rock Drift Male has been around for perhaps five years and is potentially nearing the end of his rule. Over the past few months there has certainly been some evidence that other male leopards are testing the Rock Drift Males' hold on his area, one of these being the young Newington Male, a leopard which has shown rapid social development over the last half-year in particular.

Anyway, much speculation at this stage, but certainly scope for some exciting changes in the leopard world of this portion of Mala Mala.

NOVEMBER 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 9 YEARS 2 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 25 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 25 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

Location: SE EYREFEIELD/ SW & CENTRAL MALA MALA/ CENTRAL & NW FLOCKFIELD (east of the Sand River)

(12 sightings of the White Cloth Female, 1of these with her daughter, 3 of the son on his own, 5 of the young female away from her mother - 3 of these were of her and the Kapen Female)

The White Cloth Female seems finally to have abandoned her cubs! At the end of October after she had collected both of them and taken them to a kill, she then appeared to have taken them to some remote periphery of her territory and abandoned them there. Thereafter, the White Cloth Female avoided this area, even going to regions way beyond her territorial limits.

The only sighting of the White Cloth Female with either of her cubs was a brief encounter between her and her daughter. The two were hostile towards one another and soon went their separate ways.

Both cubs should be more than capable of holding their own and the sightings of them this month certainly were of young leopards with full bellies. And the fact that there are now many baby impalas around should make things a great deal easier for them in these initial months of complete independence.

It is highly likely that the young male will vanish and not be seen again; he will almost certainly spend the next few years wandering around, developing both physically and socially and looking for some place to eventually set up a territory of his own.

The daughter of the White Cloth Female may very well try to find some territory closer to home; this is not unexpected with young female leopards. But, as territories in the area currently exist, this could be difficult and things might end up with this young female having to move many kilometres before she finds a suitable spot. Already her aunt, the Kapen Female, which occupies the area immediately to the south and west of the White Cloth Female, has conflicted with her, no doubt in order to discourage any designs on taking over her territory. All of these interactions have mostly involved posturing, with the Kapen Female doing her best to convince her niece to clear off. If anything, the daughter of the White Cloth Female has merely been present and has done nothing to inflame the Kapen Female further. So, in all likelihood, the Kapen Female will have nothing to fear from the younger leopard which will almost certainly move off and search for a territory elsewhere.

One of the better sightings involving the White Cloth Female this month involved an impala which she had killed and taken into a tree. All was proceeding in a very sedate manner, with the White Cloth Female feeding when she wanted to and then resting between bouts of eating. But all of this changed when two hyenas arrived on the scene. Only a small amount of the carcass still remained when the hyenas arrived, but it was enough to tempt them. They chased the White Cloth Female into the tree and then skulked around at the base looking for scraps. When the White Cloth Female started to feed, they fought over the scraps which fell to the ground and it was this giggling and twittering between the two which attracted the attentions of a young male lion which happened to be walking past the area. When it heard the hyenas, it immediately ran towards the area. The hyenas darted off and vanished when they saw the lion approaching, but the White Cloth Female stayed in the tree above her kill whilst the lion climbed up in an effort to steal it. Fortunately the lion was more interested in the scant remains of the carcass than in the leopard and the White Cloth Female was able to make good her escape.

There has been no indication that the White Cloth Female is pregnant with her next litter or that she has even mated again.

OCTOBER 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 9 YEARS 1 MONTH
1 MALE CUB * 24 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 24 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

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

(7 sightings of the White Cloth Female, 4 of these with her son, 1 with her daughter, 1 with both cubs, 8 of the son on his own, 9 of the young female on her own and 2 sightings of both cubs together)

Photographs of the White Cloth Female during October

Right up until the very end of this game-report-period, the White Cloth Female was still leading her cubs to kills. This last happened after she had killed a male Steenbok not far from where her mate, the Rock Drift Male, was sharing an impala kill with the Jakkalsdraai Female (3-year-old daughter of the Kapen Female and niece of the White Cloth Female). Once the White Cloth Female has secured the kill in a tree, she headed off to fetch both cubs and the next day they were seen finishing it off.

This sort of behaviour was seen throughout the month, with the White Cloth Female making sure that at least one of her cubs was taken to whatever kill she had made. And mostly it was the male cub which seemed to benefit from her generosity. On one occasion during October, the White Cloth Female was seen to walk several kilometres to where her son was waiting and then lead him back towards a bushbuck carcass. But the bushbuck had been killed on the very edge of the White Cloth Female's territory, her boundary with the Ngoboswan Female and also on the edge of the territory of the male leopard with the short tail. When the White Cloth Female and her son arrived back at the kill, they found that the male leopard with the short tail had appropriated it and was not about to give it back, this in spite of the fact that the White Cloth Female did not simply run from him and actually tried quite hard to regain her prize. Although the male leopard with the short tail is the territorial enemy with the Rock Drift Male, it is quite likely that he fathered the White Cloth Females' first cub and so the two leopards are probably well aware of one another and have at this stage of their lives established a kind of understanding with one another.

Photographs of the White Cloth Female's son during October

The son and daughter of the White Cloth Female are more than ready to live alone and, as has been expressed often over the last few months, it can only be a matter of time before the White Cloth Female feeds them for the last time. One fine sighting of the daughter of the White Cloth Female this month was of her with a Steenbok kill in a tree and surrounded by nearly half-a-dozen hyenas. The young female leopard appeared not in the least concerned about the scavengers below; not only had she killed an antelope well known for its alertness and speed, but had also outwitted many of her enemies. Of the two cubs, the young female may perhaps be best equipped for survival. She has always been at the receiving end of her larger brother and so has had to use her wiles to survive.

Just when the White Cloth Female will mate again is of course another question. She may already have mated and so be expecting her next litter. When she abandoned her first cub, also at two years of age, it was still many months before she gave birth again. Perhaps this too will be repeated with her next babies.

SEPTEMBER 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 9 YEARS
1 MALE CUB * 23 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 23 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

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

(14 sightings of the White Cloth Female, 2 of these with her son, 3 with her daughter, 7 of the son on his own, 2 of the young female on her own and 2 sightings of both cubs together)

White Cloth Female's son

Probably because the White Cloth Female is almost certainly not pregnant again, she seems reluctant to give up her two youngsters. Not only was she seen with them during September, but also taking them to kills which she had made and secured. Her son and daughter are of course not unhappy with this and are taking every offer of free food which comes their way.

Although the White Cloth Female has certainly shown animosity to the youngsters, this has not been marked. Both youngsters were seen regularly away from their mother and more often alone than together. If they are not capable of looking after themselves at this stage of their lives, then it is doubtful that they ever will be.

White Cloth female's daughter and both together

As happened in August, the White Cloth Female was this month again seen clashing with her niece, the daughter of the Kapen Female. When the two leopards were found, the White Cloth Female was in the process of sheparding the younger leopard southwards and towards the common boundary of their respective territories. The daughter of the Kapen Female was certainly leaving, but also showing some defiance as she went, scent-marking every so often, perhaps just to show her aunt that she still had strength. And perhaps this is what the testing of the White Cloth Female by the daughter of the Kapen Female was really all about - a show of strength so that the younger leopard could be recognised as a serious contender for territory and not another leopard which would tolerate invasion of its own land. Although most of the interaction between the two leopards was posturing, wounds on the daughter of the Kapen Female suggested that some blows had been exchanged.

At the end of this game-report period, the White Cloth Female, her daughter and the Rock Drift Male, the likely father of the White Cloth Females' cubs, were all seen together, but the occasion was not a happy one for the two females. The White Cloth Female had killed a duiker and this had attracted the attentions of her daughter and the Rock Drift Male. The male leopard was last to arrive on the scene at which the daughter of the White Cloth Female was trying to persuade her mother to give her some of the kill. The male leopard was not keen to beg for food and simply appropriated the kill.

Movements of the White Cloth Female and her sister, the Kapen Female, over the last couple of months in particular, suggest that they are no longer sharing as much of each other's territories as was the case earlier in the year. The Kapen Female appears to be operating more to the south and west of the area patrolled by the White Cloth Female.

AUGUST 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 8 YEARS 11 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 22 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 23 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

Location: SW MALA MALA/ CENTRAL & NW FLOCKFIELD

(5 sightings of the White Cloth Female, 2 of these with her son, 10 of the son on his own and 4 of the young female on her own)

Relative to what one usually expects, the White Cloth Female was not seen particularly often during August and, surprisingly, was still seen together with her son on at least two occasions. One of the sightings of the two was at the scene of a bushbuck kill. All evidence suggested that the White Cloth Female had killed the bushbuck and then walked several kilometres to fetch her son which had spent several days around a waterhole, no doubt hoping for some easy kill. This particular carcass was later that day stolen from the leopards by lions when they climbed the tree and took it. By this stage of the feeding, the White Cloth Female had already left her son at the scene and had set off on yet another hunt. And although there were no sightings of the White Cloth Female together with her daughter, evidence suggests that the two may well have joined up, at least for brief spells.

But, by and large, the son and daughter of the White Cloth Female seemed to spend much of the month on their own. The young male killed another civet (he ended last month with a civet kill) and, once more, went through the motions of taking the body into a tree and then not eating it. A case perhaps of his instincts getting the better of him. But at least he's also learning that certain seemingly easy to kill creatures are probably foul tasting and are not worth the effort.

Perhaps the most dramatic moment for the White Cloth Female during August occurred at the very end of this game-report period when she and her son were again together, this time with a duiker kill in the Kapen River. As the two leopards were minding their own business, another leopard, the nearly three-year-old daughter of the Kapen Female, appeared on the scene. This young female leopard is in the process of establishing a territory to the south of her aunt, the White Cloth Female, and her sudden appearance deep inside the White Cloth Females' turf naturally caused tempers to flare. The two females went through all the rituals of scent-marking and even briefly clashing (this with little physical damage to either) before the White Cloth Female escorted the daughter of the Kapen Female to her southern boundary. Perhaps now that the daughter of the Kapen Female seems well and truly capable of holding the area which she has been so diligently working for, she is now trying to impress her immediate neighbours, this including her aunt the White Cloth Female, entering their territories so that they are aware of her willingness to fight, this perhaps a warning that she will also defend if her territory is violated.

Now that the White Cloth Female seems to be on the verge of severing ties with her son and daughter, it could be expected that the next litter of cubs would be on the way. There have, however, been no signs of this or even that the White Cloth Female has mated again.

JULY 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 8 YEARS 10 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 21 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 21 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

Location: CENTRAL-WEST MALA MALA/ CENTRAL-WEST FLOCKFIELD

(10 sightings of the female, 2 of these together with both cubs, 1 with only the young female, 2 sightings of only the cubs together, 3 sightings of only the young female cub and 5 sightings of only the young male cub)
There were fine sightings of the three 'White Cloth Leopards' this month, with the female seeming to get more serious about the abandoning of the cubs, but this more towards the end of the month. At the beginning of July, the White Cloth Female was seen with both cubs, but then she left them behind whilst she set out hunting. Five days later, she was seen leading both youngsters for several kilometres to a spot where she had stashed a duiker kill. Quite unusually, the young female fed first, the already well-fed male and the White Cloth Female lying nearby waiting for her to finish. Up until now, the young male, through his superior size, has totally dominated at kills. But this was the last sighting of all three together and one wonders whether there will be another such gathering witnessed.

Towards the end of the month, when the male cub was waiting some distance away, the White Cloth Female killed another duiker and took it up a tree where she started to feed. The following morning, she was still in the area, but this time accompanied by her daughter which was feeding on the scraps of the small antelope in the tree. No attempt was made to call the young male to share the food. Both cubs should be most capable at this stage of looking after themselves. At one sighting of the two youngsters together (the White Cloth Female was out hunting not too far from where they were hanging around), they skilfully climbed trees when some hyenas approached and then, once the hyenas had gone, descended and went to finish off the remains of a canerat which one of them must have killed earlier.

The White Cloth Female was seen making at least two other kills this month, one a scrub hare, the other another duiker. It is not known whether she has mated again, but indications are that she has not. When she comes into season, it will be interesting to see which male leopard responds. Although her old mate, the Rock Drift Male, is still around and seems strong, the Newington Male leopard which resides just to the north of the Rock Drift Male, is becoming all the more dominant and appears ready to expand his territory.

JUNE 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 8 YEARS 9 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 20 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 20 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

Location: CENTRAL FLOCKFIELD

(8 sightings of the female, 1 of these together with both cubs, 1 with only the young male, 4 sightings of both cubs together, 3 sightings of only the young female cub and 5 sightings of only the young male cub)
This months viewing indicated that although the White Cloth Female is spending less time with her two cubs, she has certainly not yet cast them aside to a life of independence. All leopards spent June within, what could be described as areas where the White Cloth Female could be expected to be found, this territory established from the days when she took over from the old Hogvaal Female around the Matshapiri River. So, what was her southerly trek all about in April? But, as has been the situation for several months now, the White Cloth Female and her sister, the Kapen Female, continue to have hugely overlapping territories. Although they simply have to be aware of one another, no confrontation has been seen and both seem to be happy with the status quo - most unusual leopard behaviour.

Both of the cubs of the White Cloth Female seem to get more independent by the day and although are still seen together from time to time, probably spend most of their hours on their own. The young female was this month seen pursuing and catching two Banded Mongooses and then eating one of them. Small carnivores such as mongooses are usually left well alone by leopards, perhaps because they are simply not worth wasting their energy on and perhaps because they have a bad taste. As it was, as soon as the young leopard has eaten most of the one mongoose which she had killed, she promptly vomited it up and licked her lips distastefully. But for the young leopards these small creatures serve as important teaching tools and the more curious and outgoing a young leopard is (within limits of course) the faster it will learn and become equipped for the inevitable day when its mother becomes hostile and casts it aside.

The White Cloth Females' son also had adventures of his own, on one occasion being chased up a tree by a pack of Wild Dogs. At the very end of the month, the White Cloth Female was seen calling her son and when the two united, leading him away towards what must have been a kill which she had made. No attempts seemed to have been made to find the young female. At this stage the son of the White Cloth Female is noticeably larger than his mother and would completely dominate kills - something which he has been getting away with for at least half a year already. So perhaps the White Cloth Female realised that even if she had found her daughter, the small leopard would not have managed to compete with her brother. The White Cloth Females' continued care of her youngsters also indicates that she is probably not yet expecting her next litter.

MAY 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 8 YEARS 8 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 19 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 19 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

Location: CENTRAL MALA MALA/ CENTRAL FLOCKFIELD/ NE CHARLESTON

(13 sightings of the female, none of these together with both cubs, 4 sightings of only the cubs together, 3 sightings of only the young female cub and 4 sightings of only the young male cub)
The White Cloth Female continued to baffle all with her movements and this month spent her time pretty much within the area always considered her territory. However, her sister, the Kapen Female, and her 7-month-old cub also occupied this area. Although the leopards simply must have been aware of one another, they seemed happy with what was going on and carried on with life.

At one sighting towards months end, the Rock Drift Male, the White Cloth Female, the son of the White Cloth Female and a young leopard, almost certainly the cub of the Kapen Female, which had been in this area two days before, were all in the same general location - this around a bushbuck carcass which was ultimately stolen by lions and which may have been killed by the Rock Drift Male. The daughter of the White Cloth Female may also have been in the area, but was not seen. She and her brother had been with the Rock Drift Male the previous evening, paying homage to him, it seemed, before he headed off to patrol territory. The Rock Drift Male is of course the father of the cubs from both the White Cloth Female and Kapen Female. At this sighting around the bushbuck kill, although the cub of the Kapen Female seemed rather ill at ease, the other leopards did not seem perturbed. Its almost as if the sisters have come to a territory-sharing agreement!

For the rest of the time, the White Cloth Female hunted far and wide, spending days away from her youngsters as they patiently awaited her return. But perhaps these days away were so planned and in the whole scheme of things the White Cloth Females' idea of getting them to learn to live life on their own. At the beginning of the game report period, soon after the White Cloth Female moved north towards the Matshapiri River, the cubs stayed back around the Chellahanga River system, the area of land which this trio had temporarily made their home. They were thus at least 10 or 12 kilometres from their mother, again hanging around with the absolute belief that she would return to take them to their next meal. But then for a while it did not appear that this was going to happen and the young male must have set out to find his mother and was seen with her close to the Kapen River whilst his sister was still further south. The young female was then seen further north, perhaps having followed the route taken by her brother, when she came across another leopard, this a young male and probably the son of the Paradise Valley Female, a leopard which on an earlier occasion had harassed her and her brother. But the leopard had two impala kills and it was probably this that attracted the young female and she was found looking longingly at the carcasses. But as to be expected, she could have none of the meat and was not seen to stay around. Two days later, in this same central area, the White Cloth Female was found walking south down the road when she met up with her daughter moving north towards her. The two seemed pleased to see one another, rubbed heads and the White Cloth Female led her immediately towards the remains of a Steenbok kill which the two then consumed. How do these leopards maintain contact with one another? Much of what happens can appear pre-planned, but on other occasions seem too coincidental to have any degree of organisation. But what is currently going on amongst these leopards' flies in the face of much of textbook leopard behaviour. Why? Is it because of the fact that sisters are neighbours and that they share the same stable and apparently ultra-paternalistic mate? Who knows - but what is going on is certainly extraordinary and one wonders as to when all will revert to 'expected leopard behaviour'.

APRIL 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 8 YEARS 7 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 18 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 18 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

Location: CENTRAL MALA MALA/ CENTRAL FLOCKFIELD/ SE CHARLESTON

(8 sightings of the female, 2 of these together with both cubs, 6 sightings of only the cubs, 2 sightings of only the young female cub and 5 sightings of only the young male cub)
The White Cloth Female spent much of the month in the south of the reserve, hunting in the areas around the middle and lower reaches of the Chellahanga River, the region which she and her cubs moved to half-way through March. But then, towards months end, the White Cloth Female moved back north again and the last sighting of her towards the end of this game report period was of her patrolling along the mid-lower reaches of the Matshapiri River, the core of her old territory. At the time her cubs were perhaps 10 or more kilometres further south, waiting for their mother to return. The young leopards had been seen in this particular spot for over a week. So what has been going on? Will the White Cloth Female remain in the north and leave her cubs in the south? Has this whole thing been an attempt to get her soon-to-be-independent youngsters out of her true territory with little fuss, or will she go back and bring them north again and continue to care for them for a few more months before finally getting very hostile with them in an attempt to encourage them to head off? One thing which is clear is that the two cubs are spending more and more time alone and probably finding a fair quantity of their own food. And in so doing, they have been providing entertaining viewing, doing things which only young and enthusiastic leopards will do as they learn what should and should not be done. So the next few weeks viewing could prove interesting as far as the three White Cloth leopards are concerned, and not only with respect to their intra-family relationships and where they move to, but of course also with regard to how the White Cloth Female deals with her sister, the Kapen Female, which has taken advantage of the 'empty' land which used to be core White Cloth Female territory.

MARCH 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 8 YEARS 6 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 17 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 17 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

lOCATION: WESTERN MALA MALA-FLOCKFIELD BOUNDARY/ SE CHARLESTON

(4 sightings of the female, 2 of these together with both cubs, 6 sightings of only the cubs, 3 sightings of only the young female cub and 4 sightings of only the young male cub)
The White Cloth Female leopard and her cubs did something which few leopards have been seen to do successfully, at least here on Mala Mala. Halfway through the month, all three leopards left the area around the Matshapiri and Kapen Rivers, the White Cloth Females' territory for most of her adult life, and headed far south and set up home in the region around the mid and lower reaches of the Chellahanga River. This change took place in mid-March. The area in which the leopards seem to have set up home is that which used to be controlled by the Chellahanga Female several years ago. The Chellahanga Female was in turn chased off from here as an old leopard by the Paradise Valley Female which has subsequently disappeared. Since the vanishing of the Paradise Valley Female, there does not seem to have been a resident female leopard in this area. A few sightings of nervous leopards have suggested that attempts have been made to settle here, but apparently with no success.

When the White Cloth Female was first seen here, there were no signs of here marking territory and it was assumed that the move was temporary and part of the separation procedure from her cubs. Several years ago, when the White Cloth Females' first cub, a male, was approaching the stage of independence, she led this youngster far north and was seen several times near the upper reaches of the Mlowathi River. But this departure did not seem to last long and the White Cloth Female returned to the Matshapiri River. What other reasons would there be for the White Cloth Female to leave? Food around the Matshapiri and Kapen seems abundant, so why move? Maybe competition from others; February saw a perhaps unusually high level of lion activity around this area and hyenas seem common. Also, the son of the Paradise Valley Female has been seen around here quite regularly and at the beginning of the game-report period this young male leopard appeared to have walked right past where the White Cloth Female and her cubs were sheltering.

A few days before the leopards are thought to have headed south towards the Chellahanga, the Kapen Female and her 5-month-old cub were seen to have an interaction with the cubs of the White Cloth Female. All four leopards were seen together, although little, if any, aggression was noted. The small cub was in a large Marula Tree and its mother, the Kapen Female, below. The cubs of the White Cloth Female were also watching the small cub, but from a greater distance. This situation persisted for much of the day. But all of these incidents may have contributed to the White Cloth Female deciding that the level of competition suddenly in the area was just too much and with her cubs growing rapidly, chose to move on in search of a better area. Goodness knows how she knew that the area around the Chellahanga was 'vacant'. As a young leopard she would almost certainly have visited this region, but that was years ago. Fortunately for the White Cloth Female, the father of her cubs, the Rock Drift Male, also has this area under his control.

But will the White Cloth Female stay around the Chellahanga or will she move back once she abandons the cubs? Did she first head towards the area to perhaps mate with the Rock Drift Male? Female leopards will certainly leave an area to follow a male when they are in oestrus. And could the taking of the cubs to this area just be a good way of getting rid of them? But if the White Cloth Female stays away from her old area for too much longer, other young and land-hungry female leopards will almost certainly look towards it and try to claim it for themselves.

FEBRUARY 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 8 YEARS 5 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 16 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 16 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

Location: CENTRAL MALA MALA/ NORTHERN & CENTRAL FLOCKFIELD

(7 sightings of the female, 1 of these together with both cubs, 6 sightings each of only the cubs, 2 sightings of only the young female cub and 2 sightings of only the young male cub)
There was generally more seen of the cubs of the White Cloth Female this month than of the female herself and in fact there was only one encounter with all three leopards together. This sort of development is quite expected as the cubs get left alone for longer and longer periods of time whilst the mother spends more and more time hunting. Also, as the youngsters grow and become more adventurous and more sure of themselves, so they will be seen alone more often. These days off on their own are in effect the cubs' school days and valuable learning is the rule. The young female leopard had at least one important lesson when she walked into the 8 lions of the Windmill Pride. But her response to the lions - scrambling to the very top branches of a tree in record time - showed that she knew exactly what to do and also that her senses were well in tune, allowing her to detect the lions before they were aware of her. Another humorous incident occurred when both cubs were found in an open area, keeping themselves busy whilst awaiting the return of their mother. As they gambolled around, a large male warthog suddenly ventured towards them. The warthog seemed unaware of the leopards and was probably not even expecting such cats in a large open area. But the leopards saw the warthog and started stalking and before the two parties were probably aware of it, they were mere meters apart. At this stage the young leopards almost certainly realised the exact size of the pig and their enthusiasm surely dampened. The warthog also suddenly became aware of what was happening and after initially taking fright, turned and chased the young leopards, clearly unimpressed with having his day so rudely interrupted. Both parties then went their separate ways, the two leopards soon forgetting their humiliation when they noticed a slender mongoose nearby. Another legitimate target and the leopards gave chase. The slender mongoose darted into a thorny buffalo-thorn thicket and in spite of the efforts from the cubs, made good his escape. And during all this time the dedicated White Cloth Female is feeding the cubs. As always when it comes to preparation for the inevitable days of independence, the longer their mother can keep the food coming in, the more they can 'study' and the greater the chances of survival as independent leopards.

JANUARY 2002

WHITE CLOTH FEMALE * 8 YEARS 4 MONTHS
1 MALE CUB * 15 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS
1 FEMALE CUB * 15 MONTHS & 2 WEEKS

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

(8 sightings of the female, 5 of these together with both cubs, 1sighting each of only the young male and young female & 8 sightings of the cubs alone)
Good viewing from this trio of leopards was again on hand during January and the two youngsters have continued to prosper under the effectiveness of their mother. Food just does not seem to have been much of a problem for them. But, as has been the case more and more, as the cubs get bigger and their food requirement greater, so they can expect to see less of their mother and have more time alone. And this time alone is most valuable. It's the time when they need to learn the skills of survival after the inevitable day when their mother simply leaves them and does not return. One sighting of the two young leopards was of them scuttling up a tree when chased by four hyaenas; such experiences when on their own are invaluable. As this food need becomes greater, it will be interesting to see if the White Cloth Female leaves her borders and tries to seek food in other areas. This was seen with her last youngster, a male which she looked after for 2 years. One sighting of the White Cloth Female this month had her deep inside what is thought to be Hlabatini Female territory, an area the White Cloth has been to before, but perhaps also one which she would visit only if desperate to find food. Perhaps this 'invasion' of the territory of another leopard will become more noticeable as her cubs get bigger and the need for food greater.

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

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