Monash University > Science > Biological Sciences > Research > Leopards

This female (estimated age: 4.5-5.5 years) displays the characteristic 'split personality' of many of the Phinda leopards. During the night she is incredibly relaxed, allowing extended viewing without showing any signs of becoming perturbed. As soon as it becomes light, however, her entire demeanour changes and she becomes extremely skittish, slinking off into a nearby thicket whenever approached. She has now been collared for almost two years (the longest of all the project leopards) and eventually, with much time and patience, is beginning to relax during the day and provide some useful diurnal data. In July 2003 she was found with two seven-month-old cubs (a young male and a female), though tragically the female was shot by a hunter whilst in attendance with her mother on an adjacent property. The young male, Hlazagaza, is still dependent on Ulla, although, with every passing day, their relationship becomes more strained and he will presumably soon head on his separate way. Ulla is also the 'hunter supreme' and the only female in the area regularly recorded bringing down adult nyala bulls; an antelope weighing upwards of 110kgs (almost three times her weight!).