These pictures were taken during a safari in the Kruger National Park, in South Africa, in April 2019.

On our first game drive in the Kruger we were lucky enough to spot one leopard hiding in the bush. Very hard to see for us normal people, but not for our experienced guide! I used the maximum zoom of my lens (70-300 mm), but some more would have been definitely useful. Anyway, we were quite lucky as the leopard stopped its walk to smell something on a tree, which allowed us to see it pretty clearly, even if only for few seconds.


Kruger National Park. I took this picture on our first game drive in the Kruger, the morning of my birthday. We were driving along one of the main roads, when our guide spotted this leopard moving in the bush. We could not see it, until it stopped to smell something on a tree. I am still wondering how our guide could see it so easily!
Picture taken in April 2019.

 

The day after, early in the morning, we spotted a second leopard, which was much easier to observe. The big cat was probably marking its territory, since it walked gently next to our jeep and only gave a minor look at us. After crossing the road, it gave another brief look in our direction and then disappeared in the bush.


Kruger National Park. This picture was taken early in the morning. We were alone when we saw this beautiful big cat crossing the road. As you see in the picture, it noticed we were there! I think we all stopped breathing in the jeep!
Picture taken in April 2019.

 


Kruger National Park. It’s it, the big cat again, after crossing the road. What are you tracking? Clearly something got your attention, but we’ll never know what!
Picture taken in April 2019.

 


Kruger National Park. Same leopard as above, this time while it was moving back to the bush, after giving a last look at what caught its attention in the first place.
Picture taken in April 2019.

 

Facts #1

There are almost 1000 leopards living in the Kruger.

They are smaller than lions and larger than cheetahs and can compete and get involved in fights with both their cousins.

They live up to 15 years in the wild and are, in general, very solitary animals. In fact, males and females spend some time together only for mating, but then go separate ways, with the females taking care of the cubs. They live their lives mostly alone and are very shy, which is why our guide was actually very surprised that the leopard we saw did not go off the road as soon as it realized it was not alone.

Facts #2

Leopards are such fascinating creatures. They move so elegantly that it seems they are hardly touching the ground. This is a feature they often exploit to get their preys: they approach their target without being noticed and then make a quick final move, reaching up to 60 km/h. Be watchful!

When I heard about the 60 km/h, I thought “Well, if these animals want to catch you, they will, so no point in running away, at least if you cannot go faster than them.” However, this is not entirely correct, since their prey has one tiny advantage: leopards do not usually chase their preys and tend to give up if the element of surprise is lost.

One peculiarity that makes them different from the other big cats is their habit of dragging their preys into the branches of a tree, several meters off the ground. This allows them to “protect” their meal from other animals and to feed undisturbed.


Kruger National Park. After wandering on the main road, it is time to go back to the usual habitat and hide from these annoying tourists!
Picture taken in April 2019.

 

Do you know other interesting facts about these big cats? Feel free to leave a comment and share your experience!

 

Published by Federica on 1 June 2019

Category: Travels
Tags: Africa, South Africa, Wildlife, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter