🐆 I am an epitome of stealth. I can arise from nowhere and vanish to nothing. I can even snatch a sleeping dog without being detected. And of course, non-sensitive two-legged creatures are able to see me only if I had a nice supper and am too lazy to move from my place. And if they stay windward and their smell and sounds don’t disturb me.
I am a simply perfect creature. I am a strong swimmer and, unlike other cats, I like water. I can run with the speed up to 58 km per hour, leap 6 meters forward in a single bound, and jump 3 meters straight up. Having feline grace, I am the smallest and strongest from the big cats. Once I was spotted dragging a 100 kilograms young giraffe into the heavy brush to hide it.
I’m only 8 months old, but I’m already a skilled hunter! My mother taught us the craft of hunting from 3 months of age. We go for the food during the night, but during the hot days, we prefer to rest in bushes, or on the branches of the trees. My uncle from Kalahari, where shade is scarce, will make use of an old aardvark hole for shelter. But we don’t invite him here - we love our space and freedom more than relatives.
Actually, we are happy to live here in Chobe: there are few of us and we have a lot of trees to climb, bushes to hide and game to hunt. So, if you are not leopards and not going to hunt my prey, welcome! Maybe, you will be lucky to see me!
🧒 In 2012, my daughter managed to see the spotted relative of Bagheera in Sri Lanka, but I, being distracted by a mongoose, haven’t noticed it. For six years I was waiting for this encounter. And, during those remarkable two days, we’ve spotted them three times! They are not that common in Chobe NP, and sometimes people don’t see them for up to 6 months.
Thank you, dear Botswana, and thank you, my ranger Leo, for the opportunity to see this miracle!
How to see Leopards:
📍Address: Chobe National Park, Kasane, Botswana.
🚀I came to VicFalls by plane and then I have been taken from my hotel by safari company. You also can fly directly to Kasane and book a tour there, or rent a car and go by yourself.
🏕There are several lodges and guesthouses in Kasane, but I highly recommend to stay at least one night inside of the park. Believe me, you’ll never forget it.
☂️The best time is Southern winter (July-August), because it is dry season and animals come close to the water; also there is no high grass that obstacle the vision. And no, when I was there I didn’t see crowds of people.
💶I booked 3-days-2-night guided safari for €376 (AI) plus tips, with Kalahari Tours.
✍️Although it is possible to go by a rented car, in such places I prefer to go with rangers. The area of the park is huge, some roads are very bad; I’ve seen a tourist car got stuck in the sand, and rangers are not allowed to leave their group and help them :( Moreover, rangers know animals’ habits and favorite places and communicate to each other telling where the animals are. And it is difficult to make good photos or videos while driving and from the closed windows.
