Of all the animals we saw on safari, the leopard was the most beautiful and my favorite to watch prowl. They are graceful creatures, with stunningly intense gazes. Their eyes are amazing to watch as they stare at either food or foe.
Leopards prefer hiding in the bush and are so stealth, we considered ourselves very lucky to have experienced seven different leopard sightings during our nine-day stay in the Timbavati. On our first early morning drive, Cabinet, the Umlani tracker, pointed to a female leopard hiding in a bushy area staring intently in one direction:
She still had blood on her long beautiful whiskers which indicated a fresh kill. As we drove around the corner to see if we could get a better view of her, we saw what held her impenetrable gaze:
A one-eye blind hyena was munching away on her recently killed impala. She was waiting to see if she could steal it back. Michael, our Wildeye Photographic guide, explained that hyenas are much stronger than the leopard, higher on the food chain and frequently steal their kills. Leopards attempt to get their meals into a tree and out of the reach of hyenas but this hyena was too quick for her.
As we watched the Hyena and Leopard, our Umlani guide said “Look, Ellies” ~ we turned around to see a large herd of elephants moving up to the waterhole. I was astounded that this was what we were witnessing on our first morning out. Absolutely amazing!!
All creatures in the bush give a respectful wide berth to the elephants. No one wants to be on the receiving end of a elephant tusk or foot. As the herd came in, the leopard watched closely to see if the hyena would scurry away but unfortunately for her, he confronted her. She’s a little hard to see in the following video but look to the left ~ she’s snarling in the bush. Her growl was enough to get the hyena to leave her alone
Any leopard sighting is thrilling because they are so secretive and prefer to stay undercover.
Our last morning drive we saw the same beautiful female leopard with a recently-killed grey duiker. We came full circle with her and I was pleased she finally got to eat the meal she caught.
Female leopard with bloodied nose from eating a grey duiker
Displaced Beachbums 
that must of been amazing. africa has always been on the top of the bucket list to do’s. Did you take those photos? Their absolutly captivating.
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Thank you so much. Happy you like the photos. All are originals from our recent safari. Hope you make it there soon – it’s an amazing adventure
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Wow, Really?! Great shots! Those picture sure are something else. To be that up close with safari animals is amazing.
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It was a thrill to get so close but most of these were taken with a telephoto lens. The safari company we were with are very conscientious about not disturbing the wildlife so we would sit and observe. If our presence bothered the animal, we would leave the area.
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Thats incredible. I’m sure of it, last thing you want is to disrupt the animals habitat.
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Patti, what camera(s) were you using?
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Sorry, just saw your comment. Camera: Canon EOS 70D with 18-135mm and 75-300mm lenses. We were on a private-guided photographic safari through a company from Johannesburg called WildEye. Our guide, Michael was not only an expert on the camera but on animal behavior. Made all the difference in getting the great shot. I think you would LOVE a photo safari!
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Your photos capture that special feeling one gets on a safari watching these wild beauties do their thing.
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Thank you! I’m enjoying going through all the photos (and there are a lot!) – so many gorgeous creatures in the wild.
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Such beautiful photos!
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Thank you! It’s easy with such great subjects!
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