View allAll Photos Tagged Leopard
“It was as if he had two faces, one of utmost calm, one of furious action; and he wore both with ease. He was like the animal whose face he wore, able to sit in silence for hours, without moving a muscle, then flying like a raging storm into battle, returning again to perfect calm when the fight was over.”
― Kaoru Kurimoto, The Leopard Mask
Sep 14, 2016 #315
Taken through glass given a Topaz Impressions 2 filter if only she looked up :)
These cats are so stunning :)
The Amur leopard is considered to be one of the most critically endangered big cats in the world, with roughly 30-40 individuals remaining in the wild. Habitat loss and hunting (for trophies and use in traditional medicines) are the biggest threats to Amur leopards in the wild.
The Amur leopard has been a protected species in Russia since 1956, but poaching is still a problem. Conservation efforts in the wild for these animals include anti-poaching patrols, customs control, fighting forest fires, environmental education programmes and working closely with local communities.
Information sourced from Marwell Zoo.
Visiting the Brookfield Zoo, you can have a close encounter with this beautiful Snow Leopard. She had two offsprings that are now grown, and she enjoys chasing the birds and looking at the strange people visiting the zoo.
A little leopard cub awaits momma atop a pride rock, far far away. She was probably out hunting, and he was amazingly well camouflaged.
From the series "INTO AFRICA"
Gilbert suddenly swung the Land Cruiser round and headed off across the reserve at speed. We knew we were on our way to something worth seeing.
To say we were all blown away when we came across these magnificent creatures was an understatement. Leopards are extremely difficult to trace and locate in the wild so I'm told. To find two of them finishing off their impala kill in the early morning sun having dragged the carcass into a large tree was a rarity. This was a big draw and pulled in safari vehicles from far and wide. By the time we left the spot there must have been 8-10 vehicles surrounding the tree.
Leopards are astoundingly strong and are renowned for their agility. They are pound for pound the strongest of the big cats. They are able to climb trees, even when carrying heavy prey, and often choose to rest on tree branches during the day. One reason why leopards sometimes take their prey up in the trees is to ensure lions or hyenas can’t steal them. The leopard is the most elusive and secretive of the large cats.
Original jpeg straight from the camera with a few tweaks in acr and photoshop. Fuji X-E2 with 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 (effective focal length 502mm @ 35mm), aperture f7.1, exposure 1/350 sec, ISO 800 taken resting on the top of a safari vehicle.