Sunday, October 2, 2016

The Leopard . . . . . . . .


Meet Twig, a young male leopard whom we watched on a couple of occasions
 when out on game drives. 
Twig had taken down a young wildebeest the day before we first saw him. 
For some reason the kill was still on the ground, not carried up a tree and hung
 across a branch which is what a leopard will usually do to protect its meal for
many days from other hungry predators and scavengers.
Leopards are one of Africa's 'Big Five'. They are the smallest of the big cats yet pound
 for pound the strongest. They are also the most secretive, elusive and shrewdest
 of the large carnivores. Cubs live with their mothers for about 2 years, and then
 become solitary animals in the bush.

Leopard : Panthera pardus
Adult Height - to 31 inches at the shoulder
Lifespan 12 - 17 years
Speed 36 mph (running)
Conservation Status - Near Threatened 





Twig's kill kept him busy and I do have many more gory close up shots! We were
 parked just a few feet away from him. In case small children view this I'm not
sharing those photos here.




Truly the most handsome of the big cats!
Do you agree?

10 comments:

  1. Really gorgeous. Great shots! Some that make him look like a big sweet kitty. :)

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  2. He certainly is a handsome fellow. Some of the shots of napping Twig make me want to reach out and scratch his neck...ha! Good thing I wasn't there. Thanks for protecting us from the wildest side of Twig.

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  3. Astounding. He is the most beautiful. Hard to believe he could bring down a wildebeest.

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  4. Dear Mary, What a wonderful and exciting experience you are having. Your photos are the very best.

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  5. Fabulous!! Wonderful photos Mary! I am just getting caught up on some of my earlier blog posts and read that you were going to Africa. Looks like it was a great trip! xx

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  6. Wow! What a wonderful photo op! The leopard is such a lithe, strong animal!

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  7. Mary, I'm in awe of the amazing shots our manage to take to share with us. Yes, I agree, leopards are most handsome.

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