A Leopard!

First Leopard Sighting today.

It’s been a few weeks since we saw anything good on a game drive. It’s sad to think that I’m already getting bored with giraffe and zebra because they are very interesting to sit and watch but that is all we have been seeing for the past month. This week we have 3 exams and I was thinking the time could have been better spent studying for it as we are all stressed about how little we are prepared for these exams. Fortunately, it is not up to us when we go on a game drive because if it was we would have missed out seeing our first leopard!

Since we arrived it has been at the top of many people's lists of things they wanted to see but the leopards kept eluding us. Today while out tracking Lions we heard via the radio that another vehicle had tracked one down so we sped, and I mean really sped, over to the sighting only to have to sit and wait our turn. Only 2 to 3 vehicles are allowed at a sighting and since our other group got there before us we had to wait. When it was our turn the other vehicles left and we had the sight to ourselves. The leopard was very difficult to see at first lying in the grass eating something and I was worried that was all I would see of it would be it's ears. Then moments after we arrived it jumped up into the tree and continued to eat. It stayed there for a few moments and jumped back down to resume its position in the grass just as another vehicle joined us. We left so they could see better and returned after dark.

This time when we arrived we watched it for a few moments, by the help of a small spotlight, when a hyena came and chased it away. The leopard practically jumped in the vehicle it came so close to us as it ran away. On the way back to the gate we came across 3 different Civets as well. One we practically ran over and the other two were in the trees on the side. Never again will I be upset about having to go on a game drive.

It sure has made my day.