Big Cat Safari - June 2025 Highlights

Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, South Africa.

Day 1: 13 June 2025 We started off our Big Cat Safari at Elephant Plains with a bang, as our first highlight was of

a female Leopard (Tiyani) and her cub feeding on an Impala carcass not too far away from the lodge. There was an ever present Spotted Hyena waiting below, hoping the cub was going to drop the kill while it was busy feeding. Photographing them for the most part was very difficult, as there were many branches blocking our view, but just as we were about to leave the sighting both Leopards took a short break from feeding and posed in a small opening which allowed us to capture some photos of them. Our next and last highlight for the drive was a short sighting of a female Leopard (Tlalamba)

on the hunt. She was trailing a Common Duiker for quite a distance, and we eventually lost visual of her when she crossed a small drainage line.

Day 2: 14 June 2025 Our morning started off with a beautiful sighting of a few majestic Giraffes at sunrise close to camp. The rest of the drive was spent entirely with the female Leopard (Tiyani) and her cub which we had seen the day before feeding on a kill. We watched as they fed and played, and were thoroughly entertained by the antics of the cub. Watching the bond between the two Leopards was extermely special, and being able to spend so much time with them was a sighting our guests will never forget. For the afternoon drive we decided to head into an area where a Cheetah and her two cubs were briefly seen during the morning drive. We picked up on their tracks but unfortunately they had crossed into a neighbouring property. For the most part the drive was on the quiet side, and so we decided to stop for a sundowner close to a large dam. We were joined by a couple of Elephants that decided to come for a drink as well. We respected their presence and watched as they peacefully went along doing their business before moving off. Our night ended with a sighting of a female Leopard (Makhomsava) on the hunt. She moved through a few open clearings before making her way into a dense section of trees where we eventually lost visual of her.

Day 3: 15 June 2025 We decided to head to a section of the reserve from the get go where our best chances of seeing Lions would be. It didn’t take us long until we picked up on some fresh tracks for a couple of males that were walking along the road. One of the two males (Mantimahle coalition) was eventually located a distance away from where we tracking them, and it seemed as if the males had been separated at some point. He was resting at first before he went on a very short scent marking mission and decided to rest once again. After a while we decided to move on and go see the female Leopard (Tiyani) and her cub at the kill site where they had been during the past couple of days.

The two Leopards were still at the kill site busy finishing off the kill when we got into the sighting, but photographing them was nearly impossible for the most part due to the many distracting branches. But every once in a while we would have an opening to capture a few shots of the cub as she looked towards her mother as she was busy feeding.

Our hope for the start of the afternoon drive was to catch up with some of the Spotted Hyenas at a den site which was situated close to the lodge. As we were approaching the den we spotted an adult laying next to the termite mound which was being used as the den site. Once we got closer, we spotted two cubs suckling, and so we waited patiently for a bit of playful behaviour from the cubs but unfortunately for us they had other plans and later retreated into the den.

Our last highlight for the drive was of a female Leopard (Makhomsava) feeding on a kill up a tree. Our tracker, Dion, successfully tracked her down after finding footprints on the road and followed it towards a dry river. We suspect she had killed an Impala but the view of the carcass was not great. After finishing off her kill, she made her way down the tree and went to relax in the dry riverbed.

Day 4: 16 June 2025 Our first highlight for the drive came in the form of a herd of Impalas alerting us to the presence of three Spotted Hyenas feeding on a kill. Not long after, the Impalas starting to alarm call again, which alerted us to a male Leopard (Tortoise Pan) lurking close by. We weren’t sure if the Hyenas had made the kill or perhaps the Leopard did and it was stolen by the Hyenas. The male Leopard came in to investigate where the Hyenas had just finished off most of the kill, and at one point chased one of the Hyenas that was carrying some meat away from the site.

Our morning drive ended with yet another Leopard (Tiyani female). She was busy hunting Cane Rats in a marshy area close to the lodge. Her patience while doing so was evident, as she remained still like a statue for a long time hoping for her prey to show itself. We eventually moved on and let her be.

Majority of our afternoon safari was spent with a large male Lion (Plains Camp coalition). At first he was resting along the Manyeleti River in close proximity to a large herd of Elephants. At one point it seemed as if the Elephants were going to walk straight towards him, and so we prepared ourselves for some action. But the Elephants chose a different route and left him in peace. We later followed him as he went along walking on the road for quite some time. Our guests had multiple opportunities to photograph him head-on as he did so. Watching a large male Lion walking straight towards you is a hair raising experience, and one which left smiles on all of our faces.

Day 5: 17 June 2025 Just like the previous day, our first highlight was brought about by some alarm calls. But instead of alarm calls from Impalas, it was a Kudu which alerted us to the presence of a predator. After moving into the area where we heard the calls coming from, we bumped into a female Leopard (Makhomsava) walking along the road. We followed her for a bit as she walked on the road before moving off into the bush. After capturing some images of her on the move and posing on a termite mound, we decided to let her be and moved on.

A call came in on the radio that a young Leopard (Tshipondo) was found a distance away from where we were, and as we still had a lot of time left, we decided to go view her. But just as we were approaching the area the Leopard had disappeared. Luckily for us, her mother (Tlalamba) was found close by, and we had a short sighting of her before she also disappeared into a drainage line.

Our last highlight for the drive and to wrap up our stay at Elephant Plains was of four male Lions (Kambula coalition) on the hunt. They came across a breeding herd of Buffalos and gave chase on a couple of occasions. But unfortunately both chases were unsuccessful and the Buffalos managed to evade the jaws of the Lions. The Buffalos soon made their way to a dam to quench their thirst before moving on. Want to join me here? Go to https://www.capturedbyanique.com/tours to see when I am hosting my next tour here.