Africa Wild

Lisbeth wrote:That's a close up ellie (Of course I do not know how much it is zoomed or cut ) Nice details though

Uncut at 35 metres ...70-200 full frame sensor

One of my best leopard areas in Kruger is around Orpen and especially Tamboti Camp where they often are found in the camp if you look carefully . This one was 150 metres from the gate of Tamboti Camp

Have you seen one in Tamboti?

Flutterby wrote:Have you seen one in Tamboti?

I believe PB has spotted one in camp just outside the hide

PB

Love the oxpecker airport

Sirheni magic

Flutterby wrote:Have you seen one in Tamboti?

Yes I have seen 2 ..The recent one last year near the hide and the first one in 2008 August near the old Boma at o8h30 while birdwatching ..Eyes in the trees and almost tripped over it as it slunk away. Whatever you do NEVER report it to Orpen or anywhere as they call the Kingfisherspruit Ranger who then has to shoot it (They shot 2 in 2011 because terrified guests ran to Orpen. They should rather stay at Commercial Satara )..Just accept they are there and enjoy like a Kgalagadi Botswana side unfenced camp. I also surprised one just over the fence in the pre dawn gloom at Tent 40 as I was walking to my car to go and wait at the gate ..I exclaimed right next to the bedroom window of Tent 40 and my wife who likes to sleep in just chuckled as she knew what had happened as we had heard a close by leopard rasping at 04h00 about

The Shawu Vlei East of Mopani/Tsendze tourist nodes ..hosts some MONSTER lions

This is for Flutterby...A friend arriving back at camp in Mabuasehube to find Mrs Spots waiting for her Whiskers Pellets!!


DONT YOU JUST LOVE THE NO FENCES here ...Comon Kruger Take down The Tsendze and Tamboti fences for starters ..they come in through the open unguarded gate at Tamboti big time anyway and the fences get washed away in floods too ...leave it to nature ..sign an indemnity form or go to Skukuza

Leopards are not dangerous only if wounded or really cornered..They co exist with humans big time (Like Tamboti and Tsendze { another TOP leopard area }) In Gauteng at Hartebeestport dam town folk always think their Jack Russels etc have been stolen or run away but camera traps have shown a huge density of Leopards in the Magaliesberg..Moral of the Story ..Lock your dogs up at night ..they are part of the family afterall

Lovely pics, Peter!

Ja, it's difficult to decide whether to shoot the leopard or not. The problem is Kruger has a huge tourism density at camps, so to speak, quite unlike anywhere else in the world. Also a huge predator density, similarly. The combination leads to both habituation and feeding stress, I think.

Better to shoot them, especially with a lot of kids running around?