Leopard Kill, Serengeti National Park

Africa – the only remaining land with unmatched natural beauty. Visiting it is the highlight of my year, and the serenity in its animals and landscapes is addictive. Chasing this ‘addiction’, I witnessed a sight I’ll never forget, which I’m sharing here.

On 18th July 2013, in Serengeti National Park, I set out for a safari. The land had an electric buzz, as if its wild residents were calling me. Soon, I saw a leopard sleeping high in a tree, resting on a branch, shaded by leaves.

My jeep joined others below, waiting for her to wake. She didn’t. One by one, the jeeps moved on. But I stayed—for almost four hours—hoping to catch that magical moment.

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.

It was amazing to see that throughout this exercise, the gazelle could not make out the movement of the leopardess, and was completely unaware that it was being stalked by a predator just a couple of hundred yards away from it. Our leopardess settled herself into the grass, and with having the advantage of not being spotted by its prey, it was about to begin its assault.

But alas, that wasn’t to be. Just as the leopardess was about to start her run at the gazelle, a couple of jeeps arrived, and in the commotion, our poor leopard lost her chance at grabbing a meal, for the jeeps had scared away the gazelle. Her quarry gone, she dejectedly made her way back up the tree.

Once she was back on the tree, I noticed, much to my pleasant surprise, that there were two leopards on the tree now! Through my lens, I could see the coat of another leopard, and told my guide so, who refused to believe me! Only after having shown him the exact location through my camera lens did he realize that there were two leopards on the tree indeed!

After giving him a firm scolding, the leopardess climbed down the tree. The cub, though tempted by hunger and excitement, hesitated for a while before finally following her down.

Both the leopards then made their way through the savannah, and I was in pursuit of them. They travelled for about a mile, to an open expanse of land, where finally, the two came to rest upon a log.

As soon as the leopardess reached the log, she began calling out to someone. I was perplexed, wondering who she could be calling out, since there was no one in the vicinity. They then moved a little ahead, and once more she began calling out.

It was then that the second cub of the leopardess arrived, the mystery of the recipient of the calling now solved! Together, the family then began their journey back to the tree where a sumptuous meal awaited them…but the watchful eyes of a hyena halted their path up ahead.

Leopards aren’t threatened by hyenas, but with two little cubs in tow, the leopardess decided that a confrontation wasn’t required, and she altered her path, breaking off from the track, and continuing towards the tree.

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.

She began her climb but slipped midway. Still determined, she quickly regained her footing and continued upward, showing great tenacity and strength.

Meanwhile, her cub circled the tree excitedly, eager to reach the meal his mother had caught for both of them. His enthusiasm was clear as he paced restlessly around the trunk.

When she finally reached the fork of the tree, a wave of cheers and applause erupted from all the tourist jeeps, celebrating her successful climb.

A cute moment followed — the cub scratched the tree and called out to his mother, as if complaining that the kill was now out of his reach. He kept circling and crying out.

She began her climb but slipped midway. Still determined, she quickly regained her footing and continued upward, showing great tenacity and strength.

Meanwhile, her cub circled the tree excitedly, eager to reach the meal his mother had caught for both of them. His enthusiasm was clear as he paced restlessly around the trunk.

When she finally reached the fork of the tree, a wave of cheers and applause erupted from all the tourist jeeps, celebrating her successful climb.

A cute moment followed — the cub scratched the tree and called out to his mother, as if complaining that the kill was now out of his reach. He kept circling and crying out.

Annoyed by his constant calls, the leopardess dragged the kill even higher, finally settling it on a larger branch.

When his cries failed to get her attention, the cub decided to climb up himself. Reaching the branch, his curiosity and hunger got the better of him, and he tried to swipe at the gazelle.

His mother, however, immediately growled at him, perhaps warning him to be patient. Stunned, the cub could only respond with a meek growl.

Annoyed by his constant calls, the leopardess dragged the kill even higher, finally settling it on a larger branch.

When his cries failed to get her attention, the cub decided to climb up himself. Reaching the branch, his curiosity and hunger got the better of him, and he tried to swipe at the gazelle.

His mother, however, immediately growled at him, perhaps warning him to be patient. Stunned, the cub could only respond with a meek growl.

After giving him a firm scolding, the leopardess climbed down the tree. The cub, though tempted by hunger and excitement, hesitated for a while before finally following her down.

The cubs, being the young guns they were, continued to the tree undeterred.

They arrived at the tree before their mother could, and immediately set about climbing up the big tree, desperate for a good meal! It was quite amusing to see their hurried climbing.

In the next photo, you’ll see one of the cubs looking anxiously in the distance for his mother, awaiting her return, so they could start their meal. The expression the little tyke’s face is one of the most adorable sights I’ve seen!

While the leopardess made her kill, and the family’s subsequent journey to and fro, they were under the watchful gaze of a group of hyenas, ever the opportunists, who were waiting for a good opportunity to grab the leopard’s hard earned sustenance! Here we see a hyena focused on the kill.

Unfortunately, I had to leave this incredible scene as the evening deepened. By half past seven, the light was fading fast, even though the photos made it look like day — credit to my love for nature and my camera gear! My guide had to firmly promise a return early next morning to finally convince me to head back to the lodge.

The next morning, when we returned, the kill was missing, although the leopards were still around. I suspected that hyenas had gotten to it — and this was confirmed when I saw a group of them feeding at a distance. I believe the cubs, in their excitement, might’ve accidentally dislodged the kill, allowing the hyenas to grab it once it hit the ground.

Even after losing her kill, the leopardess didn’t give up. She descended again, carefully picked her target, and succeeded in catching another gazelle. This time, learning from experience, she didn’t haul it up the tree. Instead, she called her cubs to the spot, and together they fed peacefully.

It was a truly unforgettable sighting that will stay with me forever. I’m grateful for Africa’s magic and hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did living it.