The Xivindzi female was without a doubt one of the most beautiful leopards which I had the pleasure of viewing during my time at andBeyond Kirkman's Kamp.
She is the daughter of the Teadrop female. In 2018, upon gaining independence from her mother, she took over most of the territory along the Sand River itself, with its tall riverine trees and dense reed beds. She proved to be a difficult leopard to find; only making occasional appearances along the river.
Xivindzi
Xivindzi
Xivindzi
On this day which I photographed her, she was laying in the branches of a Marula tree which was hidden among a dense grove of other tree species along the Sand River. It was a cloudy, and rainy day, and she had found a certain amount of cover underneath the foliage of the overhanging branches.
Xivindzi as a cub
The picture below, is one of the very first images I ever took of a leopard, and probably one of my best of a youngster.
Xivindzi and her sister (the Xivati female) were following their mother through a dense stand of red bushwillow trees. The little cub leapt playfully onto this fallen Marula branch and posed momentarily; whilst looking back toward her approaching mother.
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Xivindzi as a cub
Xivindzi as a cub
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