Sunday 12 August 2012

The Leopard

When you are out on safari, it is not uncommon to see vast numbers of wild animals, including huge herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and all kinds of antelopes. With an experienced guide, you even have a good chance of spotting some of the big cats, such as lions and cheetahs.

However, there is one particular animal in Africa which is very elusive and can be a real challenge for even the most experienced of guides to track: The Leopard.

Leopards are largely nocturnal creatures and usually spend their days resting high up on tree branches. Their camouflaged coats, dotted with rosettes, enable them to blend in seamlessly with the surrounding foliage. With such unique characteristics, most people find it very difficult to spot these exotic felines.

Fortunately, I had the privilege of spotting these beautiful cats several times during my game drives in Botswana. On one particular occasion, while we were casually driving back to camp, not expecting to see anything special, we came across a handsome looking male, purely by chance. Not to let this wonderful opportunity slip by, I grabbed my camera and began to click away.













8 comments:

Finn said...

Just beautiful! Hope you are having a great trip!

How Sam Sees It said...

Oh my - how absolutely beautiful he is!

Sam

Molly the Airedale said...

What a beautiful kitty and what gorgeous photos!

Love ya lots,
Mitch and Molly

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

No words, just 'WOW!!' :-)

The Life of Riley said...

Such a beautiful animal - thanks for sharing your photos. It must have been amazing to see the lepord so close.

Bigdogzola said...

Beautiful Leopard boy - super.

KT and Easton said...

What Kim said........WOW

Mode Dog said...

Lovely pictures thanks for posting them!