Share this article:

A Night with Hlarulini

on Mar 09, 2016

A few nights ago we had the pleasure of witnessing one of nature’s most amazing spectacles, a true tale of Africa’s raw struggle in the art of survival. It goes without saying that witnessing one animal lose its life to aid in another’s survival is not for everyone, but for some it is a life-long dream to see nature in its most raw form. Whether we like it or not, it is the natural way of things...the circle of life.

Leopards have fascinated me for as long as I can remember and possibly one of the most exciting experiences one can have with one, is to watch a full-on hunt. A few nights ago, my guests and I got to see just that. The Hlarulini female is a vibrant young leopardess whose beauty is unsurpassed by any other leopard I have seen thus far and recently she has been seen frequently within our range actively establishing herself in the area and pursuing the dominant male, Maxabeni. I’m not entirely sure if she’s made contact yet, but I sincerely hope that she is successful in her endeavors to align herself to the big male so we can spend many more hours with her.

We responded to a call on the radio that Hlarulini had been seen near Bush Lodge and I was really hoping to show her to my guests so we made our way to the area. When we arrived, she was calmly moving through the bush, heavily scent-marking along the way, until she saw a duiker in the distance. It was already dusk and the light was fading rapidly so we followed with care as she skilfully stalked her quarry. We had eyes on the duiker several times as she followed it, and at no stage was the poor animal aware of its pursuer. It always amazes me how these cats manage to sneak up on animals such as these, animals with extremely acute senses.

We could sense the mood change as it became dark. Hlarulini’s confidence grew and she stalked the duiker within mere meters, still unaware of its impending doom. Before we knew it, there was a brief scream and a scuffle and when we arrived at the scene, after having given her more than ample space to complete her task, she had the duiker in her jaws. It was an incredible experience and one not often seen.

We spent more time with her after that as she dragged her quarry towards a large Marula Tree where she then began to consume her prize, all the while being very weary of her surroundings and the knowledge that there could be hyenas in her midst. She was right though, because it wasn’t long before she had to scurry up the tree with her kill to escape the clutches of a very large hyena. A job very well done I might add.

It was an amazing evening and one that will be remembered for years to come. All in a day’s work at one of Africa’s finest Private Game Reserves.

  • Blog by Mike Palmer (Bush Lodge Ranger)
Share this article: