Injured Mother Leopard Disappears and Makes Miracle Return With Cub After 2 Weeks
The Shimonga female leopard is a well-known individual in the Londolozi Private Game Reserve in South Africa. She’s around 10 years old, placing her in the prime of her life as a wild leopard. She is known for her hunting skills and calm temperament, and she has become one of the most followed leopards in the reserve.
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Content by Londolozi Game Reserve
Her territory lies in the central to southern region of Londolozi, often near the Sand River, a prime location rich in prey and cover. She’s raised multiple litters, though not all have survived.
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Londolozi’s strong leopard conservation has stretched over 100 years, which is why today we have such detailed information on their wild leopard population. If you are interested in learning more about this history, we recently took a deep dive into the story. Check it out.
The Shimonga female comes from a long lineage of leopards that have been monitored by Londolozi trackers and rangers for generations. While her exact maternal line isn’t confirmed, she is likely descended from leopards such as the Tamboti, Nottens, or Sunset Bend females. These are some of the most iconic names in Londolozi’s extensive history.
A couple of Sundays ago, just after a sighting where the Shimonga female was seen playing with her 7-month-old cub, a guide radioed in that he had found the Shimonga female, but she was alone and badly injured, limping heavily and unable to put weight on one of her front legs. There was no sign of her cub, and that’s when concern started to grow rapidly.
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Content by Londolozi Game Reserve
Then, as if the story couldn’t get worse, the mother leopard disappeared. Over the days that followed, despite extensive searching, no one could find either the cub or the mother again. When she was finally located, she was still severely limping and all alone. With each passing day, the fear grew that she had either been forced to abandon the cub after the injury, or that the cub had been killed by a predator like a hyena, lion, or even another leopard.
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Content by Londolozi Game Reserve
Content by Londolozi Game Reserve
But then, nearly two full weeks after the injury, everything changed. The team relocated her again and noticed she was contact calling, a vocal behaviour mother leopards use to call their cubs. The guides were stunned. That kind of call only happens if the mother still thinks the cub is alive. Moments later, in an absolutely breathtaking scene, the cub came running out of the bush and reunited with her.
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Content by Londolozi Game Reserve
The cub looked healthy and well-fed! It was a miracle! The mother leopard, despite still being injured, had somehow managed to survive and possibly even get food for the cub. It’s still a mystery how the cub survived those two weeks, but the Shimonga female did what needed to be done, and is a fantastic example of a brilliant mother leopard!