Shenton Safaris - Photographic Newsletter
Leopard Interlude 2006 issue
Have I mentioned Kaingo means leopard in Nyanja, our local language? There is an excellent reason our main camp is named Kaingo. With 10 leopards in the areas directly around our two camps, Kaingo and Mwamba, your chances of seeing leopard on safari just don't get much better than this.
Even for us FOUR leopards at the one tree has broken the record. The guests on this drive broke another record "the shortest distance game drive in history". They arrived at the leopard tree - in the Kaingo ebony grove 2 minutes drive from camp - at 4pm and proceeded to sit tight watching the magic unfold until 8.15pm!
Unfortunately I didn't arrive at the scene until after dark, and missed two very brave (or incredibly stupid) warthogs come in and challenge the female leopard for scraps of bone beneath the tree.
The following images depict the evening from my arrival at about 6.30pm.
The first leopard I spied was this female sitting at the bottom of the tree.
Seconds after we arrived this hyena loped in, followed shortly after by three more members of its clan.
The female leopard held her ground for quite some time until the numbers of hyena increased to four, at which point she decided to move off for safer ground a little bit further back.
It was then Derek's spotlight picked out the male leopard we believe had chased the female off her kill -big, fat and sleepy. Not only had he chased the female off the kill, he'd eaten his fill then promptly fallen asleep on top of it ensuring no-one else could share the spoils. Believing him to be our favourite male Kaingo leopard ("Goldie's Son") I have to admit to feelings of disappointment in his behaviour (anthropomorphism is alive and well in my heart I'm afraid).
"Goldie" was a beautiful female leopard who was in the area when Derek first built the camps in 1992. He and our guests spent many amazing hours with her in the ensuing 10 years. Whilst she has passed away, she left a son behind who has claimed her territory and spends much time around Kaingo - and even within the bounds of the camp. We often find him on the driveway at night.
Our guide Innocent, who was on the vehicle with guests, pointed out an even lovelier surprise, leopard number three, a cub high up in the branches of the tree. This was our first glimpse.
A few well timed Puku alarm calls from Derek woke the sleepy male and had the little cub looking down at us inquisitively from his extremely high perch.
Shortly after Derek woke him from his slumber, the leopard (obviously sensing something we could not with our limited senses) sat up, turned around, grabbed the kill and bolted down the tree.
In spite of my best efforts all I have of the leopard running away is a light blur in a very dark image. Feeling disappointed all the action was over so quickly, but thrilled with the experience anyway (three leopards is not to be sniffed at), I was gob-smacked when Derek whispered - "there's another one"! Another what!! Another leopard?? I thought he must have been mistaken and the female leopard had returned.
Sure enough it was indeed another leopard and I was thrilled to see it was "Goldie's son" easily identifiable at the moment by a wound on his left hind quarter. By comparison the other male seemed quite small. "Goldie's son" didn't waste any time chasing this other male leopard (who had run like lightening), instead he grabbed the kill (the other leopard had dropped in his haste) before the hyena had a chance to grab it and manoeuvred himself to the base of the tree with his prize.
The following images show his progression up the tree.
Knowing he should not come down whilst the rival male was on the kill the cub had succumbed to sleep. In the image below you can just pick out his little pink nose in the right of the image.
"Goldie's son" deposited the remains of the kill (a male puku by the way) to another branch and proceeded to tuck in to his feast.
Very audible crunching sounds plus the smell of his father (presumably) woke the little cub. In the image below he seems to have a red nose so it would seem he managed to feed a little with his mother prior to the interloping male stealing their kill.
"Goldie's son" continued to enjoy the spoils, inadvertently dropping bits of the carcass to the hyena waiting below.
There were four hyena skulking around the base of the tree and each time a morsel dropped they would launch into excited giggling, becoming more and more excited by the smell of blood and their squabbles over scraps.
Finally, having eaten everything he'd dragged back up the tree "Goldie's son" made a series of calls to his cub signalling for him to come down.
Quick as a flash the cub began his descent. Interestingly he did not go to his father (nor did his father wait for him to come) he went straight to the branch the kill had initially been on.
Having finished his meal "Goldie's son" climbed into the lowest fork of the tree. Here he waited for some time. There were four hyena circling the bottom of the tree and whilst this would normally be no deterent for such a big male leopard he waited for at least another twenty minutes before jumping down.
One could guess he was staying there to make sure his cub remained safe whilst in the lower branches. Here he is looking up at the little one who had found a puku leg (left on the original branch) and was busy carrying it up to the safety of the very top of the tree.
He manoeuvred around to get a better angle on the hyena below and demonstrated his displeasure with ears flat back and a bit of a hiss.
He waited and waited - and they waited and waited...
Finally he'd had enough, turned tail and jumped out into the night...
We turned our attention to the cub to find him high, high up in the branches of the tree grasping his prize and tucking into it for all he was worth.
Unfortunately about 10 minutes later he dropped it to the hyena waiting below. Our last view was of him high up in the tree looking down trying to see where it had gone.
Derek has now written a July/August newsletter, I'm just waiting for his images and I'll upload it. My June newsletter is on the way...
Until then
Jules
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