Since 1979 Londolozi has had a Love Affair with Leopards
Described as an elusive and solitary predator, it was a rarity to see leopards in the very early days of Safari at Londolozi. Yet in 1979 that was all to change when John Varty, co-founder of Londolozi, and an incredible naturalist, Elmon Mhlongo, developed a relationship with the Mother Leopard.
She was tolerant of their presence and allowed them into her secret world. It was a relationship that endured for 12 long years during which time a dynasty of Londolozi Leopards was born.
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This dynasty has been chronicled over the past 31 years by the many guides and trackers, past and present, who have worked at Londolozi. From this documentation we are proud to announce the creation of ‘The Leopards of Londolozi’. This documentation is the result of their combined efforts and of yours, the reader. It is a record of the family lineages, identities, photographs, videos and stories of the various offspring and independent leopards that have been part of Londolozi over the past three decades.
Each year we add to this growing body of work as the Leopards of Londolozi continue to enthrall, entertain and inspire the many guests that visit our reserve. With this brand new online portal we hope that the collaboration and information will only continue to increase in magnitude and depth as we all begin to share our information, stories, photographs and videos, both past and present.
Most importantly we that recognise the Leopards of Londolozi is a continuous work in progress and a starting point to something far richer and enlightening. It is a place for sharing, dialogue and awareness and we trust that you will be inspired to pass it on to people who you believe will in turn be as stirred by these breathtaking cats.
This great Leopard saga is now entering its 4th decade as the sense of kinship between man and leopard grows ever deeper. Currently ther are a number of free ranging leopards that roam the wild lands of Londolozi and we trust that you may cross a few of their paths whilst on safari with us. Enjoy….
Rich Laburn is filmmaker, photographer and writer who is based at Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa. Spending his time capturing scenes of the wild and communicating the beauty of the African bushveld, he runs the Londolozi Blog as a way to entertain and engage people wishing to visit these wild lands.
