Mirror Mirror..
I don't think that I can think of anything more beautiful than seeing a leopard in the wild.
I remember that when I was a child I had this poster, a portrait of a leopard, hanging above my bed. Every night I stared at it and I could never have dreamed that one day, I would see these magnificent mystical creatures for myself. And to this day, they hold a magical spell over me.
This particular night in MalaMala, we had found the beautiful Kikelezi Female who had caught a prey and was calling out for her daughter who was hiding nearby. After only a short while, the baby came out of the dense bushes and it's difficult to explain what a joy it is to watch the reunion of mother and daughter. Lots of rubbing and kissing as if they hadn't seen each other in ages. It's truly breathtaking!
After the welcoming ceremony they went off together to where the mother had hidden the prey but not after stopping for a drink. I have taken several shots of both mother and daughter drinking but I was really taken by this one of only mum Kikelezi, with the perfect reflection in the dark water of the pool.
If you want to read what happened to another picture I took during this fantastic trip to South Africa, you are very welcome to the Wildlife Diary.
Mirror Mirror..
I don't think that I can think of anything more beautiful than seeing a leopard in the wild.
I remember that when I was a child I had this poster, a portrait of a leopard, hanging above my bed. Every night I stared at it and I could never have dreamed that one day, I would see these magnificent mystical creatures for myself. And to this day, they hold a magical spell over me.
This particular night in MalaMala, we had found the beautiful Kikelezi Female who had caught a prey and was calling out for her daughter who was hiding nearby. After only a short while, the baby came out of the dense bushes and it's difficult to explain what a joy it is to watch the reunion of mother and daughter. Lots of rubbing and kissing as if they hadn't seen each other in ages. It's truly breathtaking!
After the welcoming ceremony they went off together to where the mother had hidden the prey but not after stopping for a drink. I have taken several shots of both mother and daughter drinking but I was really taken by this one of only mum Kikelezi, with the perfect reflection in the dark water of the pool.
If you want to read what happened to another picture I took during this fantastic trip to South Africa, you are very welcome to the Wildlife Diary.