Leopard Kill, Serengeti National Park

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After what felt like an eternity, our sleepy leopard finally stirred and woke up from her slumber! She looked at me with dreamy eyes, almost as if puzzled by my presence, wondering why I was still patiently waiting. She was absolutely stunning in that golden hour light, and I eagerly clicked away as she calmly surveyed the vast savannah around her. Her gaze eventually locked onto a Thompson’s Gazelle in the distance, and it became increasingly clear that she was interested in more than just observing. She watched the gazelle intently, her muscles tensing with quiet anticipation, and I found myself completely captivated—her piercing eyes were magnetic every time they met my lens. With her target in sight, she began to descend from the tree, each movement fluid and precise, exuding the graceful elegance and silent power that only leopards are blessed with.

I was very delighted and happy to be able to see a mother leopard and her cub together in their natural habitat.

In the photo above, we see the leopardess making her way down the tree. It is important that I now tell you about the preceding events. After having lost out on the gazelle and making her way back to the tree where her cub joined her, the leopardess again spotted a potential meal, this time a Grant’s gazelle. It was heartening and immensely inspiring to see her once again make her way down the tree – failure didn’t deter her, and that is something we as humans can learn too!

This time she was successfully able to stalk the gazelle and make her kill. Though we could not see the actual event, the huge commotion in the grass and her subsequent arrival with the gazelle firmly clamped between her powerful jaws was proof enough! Here’s the photo!

When leopards make a kill, it is usually a tiring experience, and it was no different with this leopardess, who looked a little worn out after bagging the gazelle. While she took a rest, I was able to capture a beautiful shot of her looking at me, having put the carcass down on the ground. Her expressions, as you’ll see for yourself, were mesmerizing.

By this time, having located a big cat with a kill, a lot of tourist jeeps had assembled all around. Yet, something I was immensely pleased to see, was the composure of the tourists, who maintained their silence, unlike their counterparts closer home, who jump and yell and shout, disturbing the peace of the jungle.

The leopardess dragged the gazelle carcass towards the tree, laboring slowly but steadily, with everyone present watching with bated breath. Carrying a large gazelle up a tree is an arduous task, and every one of us present there at the moment were skeptical whether she’d be able to make it to the top of the tree, hoping that she would.