"Where IS That Leopard Laura ?"

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Geo: -24.9854, 31.6018


One of those memorable days

What is that noise I hear?
Drive on a little further and there are cars pulled every which way. We drive up and can hear this pretty intense sounding noise. We recorded it and then got to where we could see what was going on. There was a mess of hyenas on the ground and some were even lying on the road. It appeared to be a den of hyenas with some of them just hanging around.

Finally a Leopard and what a leopard it was!
From there we continued on back to Skukuza when we saw once again a lot of cars pulled over on the side of the road. Got close to one vehicle and a guy told us there was a leopard out there.

Started looking, looking and could see nothing. Got where we were turned so Robert could take pictures and started scoping the place. It was one of those areas where they done a controlled burn and so it was fairly burned looking with trees and some leaves on the ground.

Then.........suddenly by an upright dead tree, there was the leopard lying down.

We watched it for a brief time and then it stood up and started moving toward the area where all the cars were. We were up the embankment from the area where the leopard was lying and so we all had a pretty good view from where we were. Got ourselves positioned again where Robert could get pictures when it crossed the road which is what we thought was going to happen. We drove close to the edge of the embankment and wondered where the leopard was.

My what a big head you have!
Where is the leopard we wonder, when suddenly this massive head appears right by Laura's side of the car and moves around our car! Too bad not quick with the smaller camera because it was right there and was huge! This was a very large leopard and we guessed it was full grown but not sure how old.

Robert noticed it had a dewlap under the chin and later we were told by a gnetleman that had been a guide that this dewlap can be used by the leopard to store more food when times are tough for getting food

It crosses the road and heads on across the open area and then disappears from sight.

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Photos

The man said there was a leopard there
well hidden

Where is that leopard Laura ?
only when it moved were we able to see it

Where is that leopard Laura ?
blends so well with the vegetation and the coloration

Where is that leopard Laura ?
this is one large animal