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Spotting a leopard on safari in Africa is a rare thing. Spotting a leopard walking is even more rare. Well, we happened to see three different leopards on three different occasions on trip to the Masai Mara. This leopard was hanging in a tree hiding from sight for a very long time before Dave captured this shot. It was our last evening on safari and we had seen all of the big 5 and more, including cheetahs, giraffes, warthogs and zebras. We decided to wait and see if anything exciting would happen with this leopard.
It must have been a slow day on the savanna because at least a other dozen safari vehicles were lined up with us as well. This leopard was barely visible. Most people couldn’t see it from their vantage point. They only heard whispers that there was something up that tree. Some people saw his tail or a paw and screeched “I see him I see him!” But mostly there was no movement.
After awhile everyone left to look at the elephants below. All that was left were a couple of vehicles. We had made friends with a couple from India who seemed to be as determined Dave and I. They were in the truck next to us, patiently waiting. 6:30 was coming fast. We had to be back at camp by then so that the rangers could check everyone in and make sure nobody was stranded somewhere in the middle of the plains.
I started to play Tetris on the iPhone and my knee got a sunburn from the sliver of sun beating through our trucks roof. But at 6:20 (I am not exaggerating) our leopard decided to climb down the tree for us. It was like he was waiting for the perfect lighting conditions for his photo shoot. We snapped away taking video and photos and with one final glance he looked back at us before disappearing into the shrubs. It was worth the wait.
Leopard
- The ever elusive Leopard shows his spots in the Masai Mara
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More Big 5
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