Balancing act

Finding a leopard

South Africa is undoubtedly one of our favorite summer vacation destinations, largely because Greg is South African and the national parks provide fantastic opportunities for photography. We’re home from South Africa for almost two weeks now and look back at some incredible wildlife sightings.

One memorable encounter was with a leopard that had made a kill. We learned about her from another driver and went to see if she was still there. We found several cars at the spot where she was supposed to be, with the kill hanging in a tree, but no leopard in sight.

We decided to search for lions further north and eventually found them, though they were moving away from the road and becoming harder to see. We returned to the leopard's location, now crowded with cars, and discovered the leopard resting near a log—what a sight!

A special sighting

We parked and waited. Around 1 p.m., the leopard climbed the tree and began feeding, providing a spectacular view. Despite our patience, she only climbed the tree once and didn't reappear before sunset. The next morning, with better lighting, the leopard was back in the tree feeding, while two hyenas waited below for any scraps (they didn’t get much though). After finishing her meal, the leopard posed on a branch, carefully planning her escape from the hyenas. Eventually, she seized her chance and vanished from sight.

Overall, we were thrilled with our experience. We captured some great photos and enjoyed witnessing nature's raw beauty. It was a reminder of the harsh realities of survival, to survive as a predator you need to kill. This time it cost the life of the gentle duiker.

Leopard looking up

Leopard feeding in the tree