Where the leopards are the gift under the tree.
This week’s writing comes to you from a quiet, peaceful Pretoria. Yes, I know. Usually I complain about traffic or the rain or both at the same time, but this time around it’s all smiles and blissful memories. My partner came up from Cape Town for a visit, today will be spent with my family doing a belated Christmas lunch — in the form of a pork belly on the Weber — before heading off to Pilanesberg for a week tomorrow.
I’m rather excited to share the inner workings of my passion, hobby and lifeblood with my partner. This may or may not include standing around silently staring at bushes.
The past week has been nothing short of phenomenal, absolutely ridiculous and amazing all in the same sentence. Without further ado, let’s rewind and start from the beginning.
A few days prior to Christmas I had gotten bored of being in Pretoria for more than five days — which is usually my upper limit — so I phoned Debbie and asked her if there was the slightest chance of me crashing on her couch and joining her on a couple of game drives before I needed to be in Black Rhino for my next assignment. Naturally, all was in order and I went through to Manyane.
Now bless Debbie — and this is why I love her — upon arriving it turned into not so much of a social visit, but rather a you need to help with game drives situation. You see, she is also a highly functioning leopard connoisseur and a businesswoman of merit. No complaints here. I was in the bush. Life was good.
Moloto Males – Pialnesberg National Park
The week was kicked off with a rather wet afternoon and the moment the rain let off, the two Moloto males and a rather angry-at-life lioness strolled right past our vehicle. This was the first time in a while that I had seen the two of them together and I managed to get some good shots out of it. Perfect start. No easing into things, apparently.
The next day, believe it or not, was even more exciting.
Three sightings of two leopards in under half an hour. Yes, really. And while all of this was going on, Debbie had found Rain’s last daughter walking in front of her vehicle for nearly twenty minutes. I made it there just in time to see her showing her full marketing potential. I would have been happy to call it right there and then and head through to Black Rhino, but the next morning Pilanesberg said, hold my beer.
Just a quick throwback to the 21st of December 2024 — with my mom sitting next to me and on a self-drive in the park — we found Kgodisa sitting in a tree. My first real photo of a leopard in the Pilanesberg was secured. A small but very significant victory.
On the 22nd of December this year, that very morning, we found not Kgodisa… but Kgodisa’s cub, in a tree, right next to the road. The timing was suspiciously perfect, if you believe in sentimental fate. Which I don’t. But still. Christmas had again come early, it seems.
This cub has been eluding me for months. Constant sightings of her mother, but never her. And finally, after all the worthwhile waiting, I got to see her. Some things are better when they take their time.
After a fantastic three days in the park, I headed off to Black Rhino over Christmas. I got to have Christmas dinner with my friends, saw the three western breakaway males looking as bloated as I normally am after Christmas dinner — fed to the brink on an elephant carcass — and enjoyed quiet drives filled with many oddities. Frogs included. Because of course they were.
All in all, this turned out to not be the worst festive season I’ve had. And with more time in the bush coming up very promptly, the year promises to end on a very, very high note.
Catch you in the next one.
Wildlife Beyond the Lens 