by Elephant Plains Rangers | Jul 27, 2026 | Weekly Big 5 Sightings
Monday, 20 July 2026
(33°C)
- The four Torchwood male lions, resting at the junction of Central Road and Hyena Road.
- A breeding herd of forty buffalo, mobile north from Brown Ivory Road.
- The Elephant Plains hyena den was active, with two adults and one cub.
- Xidulu, the female leopard and her two cubs feeding on an inyala kill on Marikeni Drive.
- Two buffalo bulls, mobile north from the Ntoma Crossing.
Tuesday, 21 July 2026
(29°C)
- A breeding herd of ten elephants, feeding along Dolerite Road.
- The 2:3 male leopard, resting east of the quarry at Arathusa Airstrip.
Wednesday, 22 July 2026
(28°C)
- Two elephant bulls, feeding at the Maddash junction with 16th
- A breeding herd of thirty buffalo, feeding on the Island loop.
- Tiyani, the female leopard resting on the eastern side of the Marikeni at the junction of road seven .
Thursday, 23 July 2026
(30°C)
- Hlambela, the male leopard was feeding on a warthog kill on Elephant Plains cutline with Sherley’s.
- Tiyani, the female leopard was mobile west on the fire break from the woodpile.
- The two Plains Camp male lions, sleeping on Bush Camp West.
- Two buffalo bulls, feeding along Bush Camp East.
- A breeding herd of eight elephants feeding along Hyena Den Road.
- Mahlowasi, the female leopard mobile south west from Horseshoe Open.
- A breeding herd of ten elephants feeding on Sixes.
- Two of Xidulu, the female leopard cubs on Zebra Drive at the junction of Parallel.
- A breeding herd of thirty buffalo resting around Staff Camp Pan.
Friday, 24 July 202
(26°C)
- Hlambela, the male leopard drinking at Kraainess Pan.
- The two lioness and five sub adults from the Kambula Breakaway pride were mobile west from Gaby’s Open Area.
- Tiyani, the female leopard resting on Sixes Road.
- Two buffalo bulls, feeding west of Tamboti Crossing.
Saturday, 25 July 2026
(23°C)
- One Ndhzenga male lion mobile West from MMM junction Impala Road.
- Xidulu, the female leopard and her two cubs mobile South on Safari Donga North.
- A pack of six African wild dogs finishing off the remains of an impala kill on Road Seven.
- One African elephant bull feeding on the Northern side of Elephant Plains Airstrip.
Sunday, 26 July 2026
(28°C)
- Makhomsava, the female leopard, mobile South from Lost Track junction to Central
- The two lioness and five sub adults from the Kambula Breakaway pride, resting in the Mzimba river, between Rhino Pan and Mamba Road.
- Pack of 8 wild dogs, feeding on a female impala kill, on Island Loop.
by Elephant Plains Rangers | Jul 19, 2026 | Weekly Big 5 Sightings
Mahlowasi female leopard. Photo by Armand Otto
Monday, 13 July 2026
(24°C)
- Tiyani, the female leopard, stationary northwest of Gaby’s Crossing.
- Xidulu, the female leopard, mobile south on MMM with two cubs.
- A breeding herd of approximately 20 elephants feeding along EP Driveway, north of 5 Way Junction.
- Two buffalo bulls feeding along EP/Manyeleti Crossing.
- Makhomsava, the female leopard, hunting a scrub hare around Ngwenya North.
Tuesday, 14 July 2026
(25°C)
- A breeding herd of approximately 15 elephants feeding at EP Open Area.
- A breeding herd of approximately 15 elephants feeding at Kimbeon’s Crossing.
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
(25°C)
- Tiyani, the female leopard, mobile northeast from Safari Donga South.
- A breeding herd of approximately 15 elephants feeding at Mfezi Open Area.
- Three buffalo bulls stationary on Saseka/Londolozi Boundary.
Side Striped Jackal. Photo by Armand Otto.
Thursday, 16 July 2026
(26°C)
- Tiyani, the female leopard, mobile southeast from Rhulani/Madash.
- A breeding herd of approximately 15 elephants feeding along Marula Bult South.
Friday, 17 July 202
(31°C)
- Two elephant bulls feeding at Seef’s Pan.
- A breeding herd of approximately 12 elephants feeding at Matandaluka Pan.
- Mahlowasi, the female leopard, with a duiker kill south of Ntoma Crossing.
Saturday, 18 July 2026
(33°C)
- Mahlowasi, the female leopard, with a duiker kill south of Ntoma Crossing.
- A breeding herd of approximately 12 elephants feeding on Arathusa Main Road, north of Silvan Driveway.
- Tortoise Pan, the male leopard killing an Nyala bull at Kimbeon’s Crossing, stolen by Hyenas.
- Two buffalo bulls south of Pungwe Pan.
Nkuhuma Cub. Photo by Armand Otto.
Sunday, 19 July 2026
(32°C)
- One Torchwood lioness with two sub adult males, hunting Banded mongoose on Short horns Road.
- Two sub adult male Cheetah mobile east from Sour Plum Road.
by Elephant Plains Rangers | Jul 12, 2026 | Weekly Big 5 Sightings
Ndhzenga male lion. Photo By Nicholas Greeff
Monday, 6 July 2026
(25°C)
- Tortoise Pan, the male leopard scavenged an impala kill from Langa, the female leopard and her cub with Xidulu, the female leopard sitting at the base of the tree South of Arathusa Safari Driveway.
- Mahlowasi, the female leopard East from EP Open Area.
Tuesday, 7 July 2026
(27°C)
- The Nkuhuma pride of lions consisting of six lioness, five cubs and the two Ndhzenga males mobile East on Central Road Djuma.
- Mahlowasi, the female leopard with a scrub hare kill on Eastern Bank Manyaleti.
- Two Imbali lioness stationary on the Manyaleti Boundary junction Lion Cage Road.
Wednesday, 8 July 2026
(27°C)
- A breeding herd of approximately twenty African elephants feeding at The Rocks.
- Xidulu’s two cubs stationary South West of Mafufenyane Crossing.
- Tortoise Pan, the male leopard mobile North West on Balanites Road.
Mahlowasi, the female leopard. Photo By Nicholas Greeff
Thursday, 9 July 2026
(26°C)
- Xidulu’s two cubs stationary North of Mafufenyane Crossing.
- A breeding herd of twelve African elephant feeding along Madash.
- Two Ndhzenga male lions stationary on Cheetah Cutline.
- A Pack of six African wild dogs mobile East from Twin Dams.
Friday, 10 July 2026
(27°C)
- Two Plains Camp male lions mobile West on Sawmill.
- The Nkuhuma pride of lions consisting of six lioness and ten cubs feeding on a kudu bull kill at One Eye Pan Open Area.
- Hlambela, the male leopard mobile West on Sawmill Road.
- Tortoise Pan, the male leopard with an impala lamb kill East of EP Driveway.
Saturday, 11 July 2026
(26°C)
- The Nkuhuma pride of lions consisting of six lioness and ten cubs stationary East of One Eye Pan MMM North junction.
- Two honey badgers feeding along Marikeni Drive.
- Two Ndhzenga male lions mobile West on Londolozi boundary from Londoz Drift.
- Hlambela, the male leopard finishing off the remains of the impala lamb kill that he scavenged on Elephant Carcass Parallel junction.
- Two Cape buffalo feeding around Old Staff Camp Pan.
Nkuhuma cub. Photo By Nicholas Greeff
Sunday, 12 July 2026
(22°C)
- Two Cape buffalo feeding West of the quarry on the firebreak.
- Hlambela, the male leopard mobile East from Gaby’s Open.
- A breeding herd of approximately twenty African elephants drinking at Rampan Pan.
- Two Imbali lioness stationary South of Jordan’s Dam.
- The Nkuhuma pride of lions consisting of seven lioness, ten cubs and one Ndhzenga male mobile South from Zoe’s Road.
by Elephant Plains Rangers | Jul 5, 2026 | Weekly Big 5 Sightings
Monday, 29 June 2026
(26°C)
- Xidulu, the female leopard mobile south on MMM from One Eye Pan.
- The two Imabli lioness, resting at Kobus Dam.
- A breeding herd of forty buffalo, on Simbambili firebreak at the quarry.
- A breeding herd of twelve elephants drinking at Baobab Dam.
- Tiyani, the female leopard mobile north east from Mafufunyana Crossing.
- A breeding herd of twenty elephants mobile south on MMM from One Eye Pan.
Tuesday, 30 June 2026
(30°C)
- A Breeding herd of twenty elephants feeding along Londolozi Boundary.
- A pack of six wild dog’s mobile north from Ngala Road.
- Makhomsava, the female leopard feeding on a impala west of Big Dam.
- A breeding herd of ten elephants feeding at the junction of Kudu Drift and Seepline West.
Wednesday, 01 July 2026
(32°C)
- A pack of nine wild dogs resting on Guarri Central.
- Makhomsava, the female leopard feeding on a impala west of Big Dam.
- One elephant bull drinking at Jordaans Dam.
- Xidulu, the female leopard and one of her cubs and Tiyani, the female leopard with an Impala kill on Matunduluka Shortcut.
Thursday, 02 July 2026
(27°C)
- Makhomsava, the female leopard feeding on an impala kill west of Big Dam.
- A pack of nine wild dogs sleeping on A-main at the junction of Hawk Eagle Road.
- Xidulu, the female leopard mobile east on One Eye Pan Road.
- A breeding herd of ten elephants feeding along the Manyeleti River.
Friday, 03 July 2026
(25°C)
- Tortoise Pan, the male leopard mobile east along the southern side of Big Dam.
- Makhomsava, the female leopard mobile east from Big Dam.
- Xidulu, the female leopard and her two feeding on an impala kill East of MMM junction with Zebra Drive.
Saturday, 04 July 2026
(25°C)
- Xidulu, the female leopard and her two cubs resting at the junction of Mafufunyana and Mafeking Drive.
- A breeding herd of twenty elephants feeding at Five-Way Junction.
- Mahlowasi, the female leopard made an impala kill which was stolen by hyenas at the link between Elephant Plains Driveway and Guarri Central.
- The two Imbali lioness were resting at Umbrella Tree Clearing.
- The two Ndzenga male lions were mobile south from Khaya Manzi.
- Thalamba, the female leopard mobile east from Baobab Dam.
Sunday, 05 July 2026
(24°C)
- A breeding herd of twenty elephants feeding around EP/Manyeleti Crossing.
- A Breeding herd of twenty elephants feeding south along Cheetah Cutline.
- A breeding herd of one hundred and fifty buffalo mobile south from Hyena Dam.
by Elephant Plains Rangers | Jun 28, 2026 | Weekly Big 5 Sightings
Zebra drinking Photo by Nicholas Greeff
Monday, 22 June 2026
(26°C)
- Two pangolins on Grass cut Road.
- Makhomsava, the female leopard stationary on Arathusa Main Road East of Big Dam.
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
(30°C)
- A breeding herd of fifteen African elephants drinking at Leeukuil Pan.
Wednesday, 24 June 2026
(32°C)
- Mahlowasi, the female leopard stationary West of Hyena Den Road.
- One Cape buffalo bull stationary on the Eastern side of the Island Crossing.
- A breeding herd of approximately 20 African elephants feeding on the firebreak junction Simbambili Driveway.
Tortoise Pan, the male leopard. Photo by Jordan Delvecchio
Thursday, 25 June 2026
(27°C)
- A breeding herd of eight African elephants mobile West from Robson’s Boundary.
- One African elephant bull drinking at Arathusa Safari Dam.
Friday, 26 June 2026
(25°C)
- One African elephant bull drinking at Big Dam.
- Tortoise Pan, the male leopard stole a grey duiker kill from Xidulu, the female leopard North of Zebra Drive.
- A breeding herd of ten African elephants feeding around Knobthorn Pan.
Saturday, 27 June 2026
(25°C)
- Two Ndzhenga male lions stationary North of the Quarry on the Eastern side of Arathusa Safari’s Airstrip.
- Ten Nkuhuma lion cubs playing on a dead tree West of Cheetah Cutline.
- A breeding herd of fifteen African elephants feeding around Jacana Dam.
Nottons male leopard. Photo by Jordan Delvecchio
Sunday, 28 June 2026
(24°C 0,2mm Rain)
- 0ne female and two sub adult cheetah stationary North of Our Fathers Crossing.
- Tortoise Pan, the male leopard mobile South from Drongo North.
- Mahlowasi, the female leopard mobile North from Ngala Road.
by Elephant Plains Rangers | Jun 22, 2026 | Weekly Big 5 Sightings
Mating Vultures. Photo by Armand Otto
Monday, 15th June 2026
(29°C)
- The Nkuhuma pride consisting of seven lioness and ten cubs, resting north of Gowrie Main in the Mluwati River.
- One buffalo bull, mobile west from Ntoma crossing.
- The two cubs of Xidulu, the female leopard hunting dwarf mongoose at Matunduluka Pan.
- A breeding herd of twenty-five elephants feeding around Sixteen Crossing.
- The Kambula Break-away pride consisting of two lioness and five sub adults east of Big Dam Link South on Londolozi Boundary.
Tuesday, 16th June 2026
(26°C)
- Xidulu, the female leopard and her two cubs feeding on a grey duiker kill on Southern Fork Road.
- Xiluva, the female leopard mobile north mobile north from Simbambili/Arathusa cutline.
- The two Nzenga Male lions, resting on Rhulani open area.
- Tortoise pan, the male leopard resting on a fallen Jackelberry tree at Elephant Plains open area.
Wednesday, 17th June 2026
(25°C)
- The two Nzenga male lions, mobile east on Londolozi Boundary from Leopard Drift.
- One Mantimahle male lion, feeding on a hippo at Nyala Dam.
Tortoise Pan Male leopard. Photo by Armand Otto
Thursday, 18th June 2026
(23°C)
- Tortoise Pan, the male leopard mobile north from KBR Road junction with A-main.
- The two cubs of Xidulu, the female leopard resting on Eastern Bank Marikeng.
- A pack of six African Wild dogs, mobile north on MMM from the junction of A-main.
- Makhomsava, the female leopard resting at the Rocks.
- One pangolin static on Grass Cut at the junction of Londolozi Boundary.
Friday, 19th June 2026
(23°C)
- The two Ndzenga male lions, mobile north into Djuma from Parallel Road.
- Tortoise Pan, the male leopard mating with Tiyani, the female leopard at Magic Willie Open.
- One Pangolin on MMM south of A-main Junction.
Saturday, 20th June 2026
(22°C)
- The two Imbali lioness, resting on Jackal Loop.
- One female cheetah, mobile north on Makalu Open.
Imbali lioness. Photo by Armand Otto
Sunday, 21st June 2026
(23°C)
- Makhomsava, the female leopard, mobile southeast from Leopard Drift.
- A pack of six African Wild Dogs mobile north from Londolozi boundary west of Leopard Drift.
