Life graceful leopard photo

• Life graceful leopard photo

The leopard is the smallest member of the genus Panther after the tiger, lion and jaguar, but perhaps the most beautiful. The modern form of this large cat allegedly originated and evolved in Africa about 500 000-820 000 years ago.

Author: "Leopard - my favorite African" model ", and for the sake of meeting this cat I'm going back to Africa again and again!"

In the beginning of May, I received information from my guide from Botswana that one female leopard was born 3 kittens.

I have long wanted to shoot it small leopard, and then I had the chance. I dropped everything and flew in late June in the Okavango Delta.

When I arrived in the Mombo camp, the right to a small plane my guide took me to a tree, which hung in the crowns of fresh prey leopard - Antelope Impala:

Normally, when the female little kittens, she leaves them and goes on the hunt. If hunting is successful, it leads to the production of kittens. This occurs only during the day when the lions and hyenas are inactive.

To be honest, I did not expect to see a female with cubs on the first day, but there was just lucky. First we heard the cry Francolinus (bird pheasant family), which notifies the approach of a predator, and then saw a female leopard with two cubs. There were three, but 2 weeks before my arrival, a hyena killed a kitten.

They did not pay attention to us, we climbed the tree and began to eat. At this age, they are starting to eat meat!

We have lost sight of these cats, and found again. And then again lost. But throughout my safari we have been able to track them daily. I saw a lot of interesting things, such as the attack of baboons and hyenas.

The kittens are growing rapidly and need to be constantly fed. Once the female has left them for 3 days and went on the hunt. We stood side by side with the kittens and watched.

Antelope impala - the main prey Leopard:

On the heels of leopards followed by hyenas, and it happens that they take the prey for these big cats!

But when the female came back, we saw themselves with joy little kittens. These moments I will stay in the memory forever.

Being here, I booked the next trip to the camp at the end of November and beginning of December. I wanted to make the same kitten, but in the eight-month age.

While I was going, I received a message that the female had lost the two remaining kittens. Perhaps they were killed hyenas or lions. But there was good news - the female again was due to give birth just before my arrival.

In the first month after the birth of kittens are very small move, and the female does not leave them for a long time, so the chance to meet leopards zero.

By the way, leopard survives a very small percentage of kittens. Watching one female from birth, I knew her story. She has 12 kittens survived only two daughters, she lost all the rest - they were killed or lions or hyenas. Her mother also gave birth to 14 kittens survived but only one girl ...

Experienced female constantly changes its hiding place, transferring their pups from one den to another: