African wildlife adventures live from the bush
We left Manyari in peace last night while I caught up with other work. No unfortunately it wasn’t time off. Although that’s coming soon.
I’m sure we’ll find Manyari still in the hills tonight, but I’m not sure her cubs will be with her, possibly having moved off to find the rest of the pride. And hopefully Manyari has managed to join the pride too.
16th September 2000
Tjololo’s bashing his women again!
At sunset he was on the move heading east to the Kruger boundary and then north on the boundary. About half way up he headed further east into Kruger. Then he started calling frantically and we presumed he found the scent of a female in oestrus. But an hour later he was back resting up on Mala Mala.
Not for long ‘cos suddenly a female called to the east. Without hesitation Tjololo went off to attend to her.
Only several hours later did Tjololo venture back onto Mala Mala with the female in tow. We’ve never seen this leopard before but presume she’s the one he encountered on the 12th and that she lives in Kruger.
She was nervous of us and moved away the whole time we were with Tjololo. She ended up lagging far behind until we thought she’d given up. Tjololo showed no concern as to her not following and even when she called he didn’t respond.
We were concerned about interfering with their behaviour but having seen that Tjololo wasn’t interested we decided it wasn’t an issue and continued on after him as he was now hunting impala. He made several attempts on the same herd but no joy. By dawn he was already at the other end of his territory back in the Sand river to the north.
But just as he got there we realized he wasn’t alone. The female had followed us all the way and now seemed to have got over our presence and surprisingly didn’t give us another glance, all her interest in Tjololo. But he had other ideas and seeing her approaching, attacked. She was quick to get up a tree and out the way.
Her intentions were clear and she wasn’t going to spend all day up the tree. Coming down and trying to approach him, Tjololo flew at her again. He chased her down to the river and back and before she could get to a tree he’d tackled her and they fought briefly. Then he stood over her in her submissive mode lying on her back growling at him. He moved off. Both leopards were very tense and salivating.
Again she approached and again they fought. This time more aggressively and Tjololo found he had some tough opposition, but soon sorted her out and moved back into the river.
On the far bank a young male leopard had come to watch the proceedings too, but soon moved off.
Will Tjololo continue being aggressive to this female or will he eventually give in to her wishes? Time will tell. She’s taken the big risk of traveling this huge distance away from her territory only to receive this response from Tjololo. But maybe this is how it’s done. After all I believe some people enjoy it that way too.
Manyari’s injuries look worse by the day.
I’ve underestimated the extent of Manyari’s injuries. Each day when I get back and look at the footage I’ve shot I get a closer look at her injuries and I get to see it from many different angles. And everyday the extent of the injury looks worse. She’s not only lost a lot of muscle on her chest but that which is left is sliced through the middle.
Is this what is causing her all the pain? Or have her ribs or internal organs been damaged?
My feelings of her surviving seem to change every day. One day I’m confident she’s going to make it and the next day I’m just not sure. And right now my feelings aren’t very good.
She spent the whole night resting where we’d left her in the morning. Her cubs spent the night with her again. Soon they were entertaining themselves playing and chewing on twigs. Although they are good hunters and often help in bringing down prey they still haven’t got what it takes to lead a hunt and the courage to follow through with the attack. They need guidance, and for some time to come, they’re not going to get it from their mother.
The site they chose to spend the night was right on the ‘highway’ leading to Lojaan dam. Not a good plan as right through the night they, and us, were hassled by herds of elephant and a black rhino cow and calf. She was keen to charge not knowing which way was the best way out of there. Luckily she found the right gap and they disappeared.
It was only at sunrise that Manyari very slowly got on the move. Her cubs followed as she moved north east deeper into the hills where she ended up resting atop.
Mandlovu and the herd made their appearance moving through the hills too but they soon lost me when I wasn’t able to traverse an almost sheer cliff they descended down.
Yesterday was another of management burns some of which carried on into the night providing us with our own fireworks entertainment.
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