Leopards of Sabi Sands

[Sully]

Elephant Plains Safari: Salayexe, Her Cub, and a Kill …

News from Villiers Steyn:  

As we woke up we could hear baboons alarm calling nonstop so we suspected that lions or leopards were out hunting in the predawn darkness.
As we left the Lodge, and before it was starting to get light we found Salayexe near a waterhole. She was on a mission, clearly heading out on a hunt, but we managed some pretty decent shots of her meandering along, walking towards us and alongside our vehicles before she disappeared into the growth. She looked quite thin and definitely hungry – and a Spotted Hyena was following her closely – maybe a bit too closely in fact. The hyena made it very difficult for her to stalk and hunt anything even though she showed great interest in a Bushbuck ram and then some impala. The hyena continually blew her cover.
When we eventually lost her we continued to see what else would be available for us to see and photograph.
We found the 5 Birmingham Males (lions). If you recall we saw that huge herd of buffalo yesterday, and at some stage the lions had taken one and were feeding. We photographed as three of the males fed, although they were partially obscured at times by foliage. We were close enough to capture images of their eyes, teeth, and bloody faces. It was as impressive to listen to them crunching bones and continually growling at each other. 
From there we headed back to camp, stopping for Waterbuck, White-backed Vultures, a large herd of zebras and later to watch termites up close rebuilding their nests. We also took some macro shots of the huge umbrella-shaped mushrooms that have sprung up overnight.
When we left the Lodge this afternoon we were discussing the optimal settings for photographing a leopard walking towards one (which can be quite tricky), when lo and behold, there came Salayexe and her cub strolling down the road directly towards us. So we were able to put into practice what we had just discussed. 
We realised that they were heading towards the drinking hole near the Lodge, and quickly dashed there – in time to see them arrive. They were in beautiful golden light as they walked towards the water. As they drew closer, a hippo leaped out of the water and ran away as the leopards approached.
We left the duo to visit the hyena den, where the small pup was lying at the entrance to the den. We captured some great shots there again.
A large storm was building up, so we slowly headed back to the Lodge. On the way we saw elephants – notably a female that crossed the road ahead of us followed by three very interested bulls … one even carried a large branch for her, like a bouquet of flowers to woo his lady.
When we caught up with Salayexe and her cub they were busy with an impala carcass. She had made the kill during the day and had been out to fetch her cub. Unfortunately, as they settled down to eat, a large Spotted Hyena arrived and chased the two away. So we got images of the hyena eating while the two leopards looked on from the branches of a tree. They were up the tree to keep an eye on their kill, and hopefully return to their meal.
And we plan to return to the same spot in the morning …

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Reply