Cam Chat Nkorho and Elephant Plains Friday 21 Dec 2007

Wow ..talk about new day coming fast LOL ...left a neat link about the moon phases over on Thursday LOL

The moon is full 24th.

Hearing Hyaena calling at NK 

Did EP go out for anyone else ?

I've only got NK up now WD.

I mistakenly posted this in the thread that was about to close for Thursday so I will repost here in the thread for the new day:

 Very interesting news from Josh in the Q and A thread above re the leopard killing a baby wildebeest. Was it the Newington male that we saw on the camera on Tuesday?

Here is some information about the Newington male from the Mala Mala site (for those who may not know, Mala Mala reserve is just south of Nkorho), from what I have read in some of the sightings diaries there, he seems to have shifted his territory a little in recent months due to pressure from other male leopards.

http://www.malamala.tv/LEOP_newmale.htm

I thought Aquila had captured female but I thought it looked like a huge cat when I saw it. Maybe lack of perspective. If that was female then I can't wait to see him. Stop teasing us with the film, Josh!!!

Were there really 2, though, or just 2 sightings? 2 sightings could have been same lep since Josh didn't see the one. That was the way he said it, "2 sightings" and he had missed 1.

Gosh, I'm guessing he's going to stick around a bit now...Newington that is. :-(

The cat we saw, and the one Aquilla captured was the female. When Josh and the staff at NK saw the BIG male, we had lost power at that point. This was confirmed by Josh.

Wow how exciting about Newington being in the tree or around the tree with a kill...that is awesome. goodness we thought someone was breathing into the mic...lol I wonder if the daylight leopard was him too..becuz I remember that leopard kept looking up in the trees like he was scoping the area out to find good trees...lol sorry for the baby wildie but everyone has to eat sometime..I hope he makes the area his home area so we can see him more often..

ok just read Ms.C response so it was a female during the day..still very cool..

It sure is bright there at NK, does anybody have EP up mine won't connect?

Newington or Pink Nose is an old friend to Africam,

Fani posted some of her old pics of him in February this year....

here

wow look at the reflection of the moon in the water at NK.

What a beautiful male leopard he is! I also just heard a whining whooper at NK. Sounds like someone wants to share some din din with, perhaps, a spotted kitty.

Glad to be back home. It took me forever to clean more snow off my car after work. Now I can get down to some real business, if I don't go out, and hopefully catch some good shots tonight.

Thanks Ingwe, he is beautiful...just think how exciting it would of been to be in the pool watching him walk by..lol Exciting and scary at the same time..lol

Yes Ms.C that moon is bright thats for sure..

Ms Charlie, did Josh ever get that confirmed that the one we saw was a female. I know he didn't see it and wasn't sure if it was confirmed or not. It did look big enough to be a male but then again the cam can be deceiving. LOL

Not to be a downer, but a while back when I first confirmed 9 baby wildebeest in one of my videos there were still several females that looked like they were about to drop any day. Hope we haven't actually lost more than just the one baby from last night but bless their hearts... they are so vulnerable at this age.

THat Moon at NK is just Awe Inspiring !!!   can you imagine what it will look like in a couple of days ? Hope the skies stay clear . I wonder if Hyeanas like to Whoop at the full moon like Woulfs like to howl ? LOL

Yes Aquilla, Josh confirmed the one you captured on film was a female. he said the one that appeared at the pool side was HUGE and definitely not the one you saw on camera. Looks like were in for some bumpy nights these next few weeks. Not sure how long leopards hang around, but there is so many new baby's around, it's pretty much easy pickins.

I was just wondering ..Do Leopards stay together like Lions and mate for days ? Or is it just a one nite stand with them ?  And if it was a male AND a female, do you think that is what may be going on ?

WC, females are in heat usually 6 to 7 days so I would guess that they stay together and mate as much as they can and then go there own way...

They are solitary.  They do the "one nite stand" (LOL) thing and then go their separate ways.   

I have a question for you if you don't mind. why did that leopard take that kill up that tree, than later move it...?

MH, really one night eh..hmm you would think since they are in heat for the 6 to 7 days they would try to mate more than that...interesting...

Heh, Penzi.  I was just playing off the funny phrase.  I honestly don't know how many nights they might be together. 

I remember that conversation I had with Campbell on the phone at our second event. remember someone had asked why are these leopards so endangered. We couldn't hear Campbell due to the sound problem, so I asked him on the phone, than over my head set, Gerda typed out to you guys what he said. Campbell said a study was done on these Leopards, dozens were tested and it was prov-en that they were so inner-bred, that was the cause of there demise. Habitat encroachment, and inner breeding.

Campbell went on to say, a study was done by taking skin from one leopard and grafting it onto another. 85% of those grafts took. That's un -heard of. Much like you would do in a burn patient.

This study was the proof they were looking for to prove just how badly inner-bred they are. So when Josh told me the BIG male made that kill last night, I felt bad for the baby, but another part of me was rejoice-full for the Leopard.

Oh, lol I thought you were serious...lol I thought it was strange that they are in heat for so many days just to have a one night stand...lol I had to go get my mammal book...lol geez thanks for making me do my homework..lol

Penzi I pulled out my books as well rofl rofl .

Come on for a pool party whoopers at NK..

I did some reading about the skin graft study. I am no scientist, but knowing man ..I can not like how they went about it.  They used captive Leopards , and knowing how "records" are kept on "legal" captured and bred animals ( not just Leopards ) I take about as much stock in that as when they told me Eggs and Milk were bad for my health !  Nature takes care of its own in that way ..and I blame the demise on Modern Man ..as with all the other troubles the "wild animals and native peoples endure all over the world.  Thats my Opinion and I will stand by it ! LOL I still drink Milk and eat eggs too .

LOL. I'm glad you did your homework. I've got plenty of my own to do. Compared to the knowledge we get from some here, I'm definitely at Freshman level. I was fortunate enough to view a documentary on Leopards, and always remembered how "un-romantic" they seemed. Taking care of the business of making kittens seemed their main goal. The ones shown mating seemed like they couldn't stand being around each other.

Whooper sounding at NK right now.

I love it when they laugh..hyena laughing at NK..

I agree with almost everything you said but one. Consider this. First of all I am not aware of how they captured the Leopards for this study but Campbell did say who the Biologist was who conducted the study and subsequently published his work.

Here is what I would like you to at least consider: Knowing now, after such an extensive study as the one this man did, they could possibly introduce other leopards from a different gene pool into this mix. Be it through artificial insemination etc. In the knowing, man as you put it, can attempt to try and alter the inevitable.

Thats not to say it would work, but heck, if you know your sunk and will loose this magnificent cat because we stood back and did nothing, when science has developed  and advanced so far that would make it possible to at the least TRY and alter this, I would have to error on the  side of, TRY.

If not, the inevitable is.... Extinction. IMHO

I have never had the pleasure, or I should say Privalege, of watching wild cats mate. But I have had domestic cats around my whole life, both spoiled rotten house pets, and feral domestic cats. I have found that the really spoiled pets that are "intact" and given the opportunity to breed will be very loving, affectionate, and loyal to one mate at a time.  The Feral cats ( like barn cats, street cats, ( the unlucky ones ) will mate with several cats in a day, or even an hour if given the chance. They will, and do have offspring from more than one male in a litter !  I do so love my cats LOL