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One of the biggest draws of any trip to Africa is almost always the wildlife. The vast and wonderful species that call this continent home are some of the most iconic in the world.
The African leopard is a predator as powerful as it is elegant. Considered the most majestic cat in the animal kingdom, the leopard is an elusive animal that is rare to spot while in the bush. This is typical of leopards, who always act on their terms; they don’t often reveal themselves as they would rather not be seen by prying human eyes.
Quick, agile, feline, light on their feet and with one of the most beautiful furs of almost any creature in the natural world, leopards are fascinating creatures to study.
In celebration of the leopard, we’ve shared some of our favourite photos of this big cat in action below.
‘And almost where the hillside starts to rise –
look there! – a leopard, very quick and lithe,
a leopard covered with a spotted hide.
He did not disappear from sight, but stayed;
indeed, he so impeded my ascent
that I had often to turn back again…
…and the gentle season
gave me good cause for hopefulness on seeing
that beast before me with his speckled skin.’
– Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy (Inferno I, 31 – 40)
Image credits: Amit Rain, David Lloyd, Great Plains Conservation, Jacques Wildlife, Londolozi, Mithun H Photography, More Family Collection, Natural Selection, Ross Couper, Shashwat Harish, Skye Meaker & Singita.
We hope this encourages you to learn more about this very special species, and inspires you to enjoy your own special live sighting on your next safari.