Matimba, meaning "the powerful one"in XiTsonga, is one of the big males we currently have this side of Olifant River and operating around Nzuwizi Safari River Lodge. That big boy is more than 10 years old and is the son of "Golden Balls", the huge leopard wandering throughout Balule for the past 17 years proudly bearing the attributes that earned him his name. This is always a gift to have a sighting with that impressive leopard as he doesn't really mind the human presence offering us quite close and incredible encounters.
Matimba is a majestic leopard by definition : Thick neck, a patibular look, successful hunter,... Everything a lady leopard is looking for in an ideal partner! So it is without any surprise that our main character enjoys his success to spray his genes throughout the Southern part of Balule Nature Reserve.
This is during an evening drive that I first spotted out impressive king. After an evening drive along the river and then to the top of the hill to enjoy a nice sunset we decided to go back to the lodge as the light was fading on the bush. There, on what we call "Mala Road", we saw that leopard, crossing straight in front of us, walking peacefully into the bush on our right. While trying to spot the animal again we heard some interactions and noticed quickly a second one. As you maybe know, leopards are solitary, so to find two of them on the same sighting is quite rare. It can be a female with her cub, two males fighting their territories,... But here we were clearly in presence of a male and a female meaning one thing... A mating pair!
The action was a bit hidden by the bushes but we didn't mind, it was still amazing to know we were spectators of such a scene and the roars were literally giving us goosebumps. After only few seconds of mating the two "lovers" crossed the road behind our vehicle and disappeared into the bush to continue their love affairs every 10 minutes for the next few days... Exhausting but necessary process in the reproductive life of a leopard!
I am generally unlucky in terms of spotted cats while I'm driving so I needed time to process the fact that we really had a mating sighting just next to the road and I think that I'm currently still processing it as it was just an incredible event. We were clearly blessed with the encounter. One that everybody, in this car, that evening, will always remember!
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