For me, leopard sightings still get my adrenaline flowing.
Even after almost 6 decades of bush visits, the sight and sound of this lone apex predator can get the hairs on the back of my neck to rise as if choreographed to do so.
Thus, it was exciting when we found this male lying in a drainage line during an early morning drive.
We were able to spend time with him before a fleet of vehicles arrived all claiming to want ‘their’ time in the sighting.
Time for a short rant:
I have issues with field guides who claim slots at a sighting and then overstay their welcome. It seems to happen in certain reserves, where one guide will make themselves the ‘boss’ of the situation and control who goes in and out, but often NOT for how long a vehicle can stay.
As a photographer, I too would like extended periods with certain species, but I know that it is not always possible.
This issue becomes more of a problem in the late afternoon/early evening when the light is fading and every vehicle wants to spend as much time as possible at a sighting.
Especially when predators or unusual species are involved.
End of rant… And yes, I do feel better, thank you for asking!
Not a happy cat…but his attitude was giving me the shots I was looking for.
Leopards are different from lions when it comes to being active. The former are usually always on the move while the latter tend to sleep for almost 20 hours a day.
“I have heard that although those green vehicles are crunchy on the outside, they are soft and chewy on the inside”.
Licking his lips in anticipation?
Pretending not to be too interested in us and checking the tree for scent marking.
Like all cats, leopards will spray urine onto trees to mark territory.
This is what an angry leopard looks like…
And back to scent determination.
It is said that a leopard can stare into the core of your being. And that is very clear here.
What was exciting was that on the afternoon drive, we had returned not expecting the leopard to still be in the same spot. But he was.
This time there were no other vehicles around so we were able to spend an extended time with him before the radio crackled into life with the ubiquitous “Any updates”? and with reluctance, our guide answered and left the sighting in order for the next vehicle to take our place.
An exciting and special sighting.
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