Through my experiences in the african bush, there is no better place on the planet to photograph Leopards in the wild. I have certainly photographed Leopards in all the locations I run tours to, but the average hit rate when it comes to quality sightings of Leopards is bye far the highest at Mala Mala.
Being able to follow these magnificent cats off road and having the flexibility that Mala Mala offers when it comes to length of time spent with the animals, has allowed us to get some great photos of these Leopards and more importantly it has enabled us to spend time with them and observe their secret lives and interesting behaviours.
Over the last three years and a total of 17 visits to Mala Mala, I have photographed 21 different Leopards (6 of these were small cubs) Many of these Leopards I have seen multiple times and it is always great to see an individual that you have photographed before. I can't help but wonder what they have been up to during the time since I last saw them. Dodging Hyaenas, Lions and other Leopards, interacting with females or males, all the hunts they have embarked on and the successes and failures. All of this as a solitary animal !! (for the most part)
So on that note I wanted to share some of my favourite leopards that I have encountered at Mala Mala in this article.
First up is the legendary "Airstrip Male". On my first few visits I saw this stocky male a lot and he became my firm favourite. He has character and a face of a seasoned boxer !!
This shot was taken in March 2013, and a huge thanks goes to Yuri who got us into a great position down at the causeway and we waited for the leopard to walk down towards us.
shot details: Canon 5Dmk3 500mm f4 lens
1/250 sec @ f5.6 ISO 1600 - Manual Mode
time: 18:00
March 2013
Next up is the "Bicycle Crossing Male" or the "Bike" for short. He is believed to be the father of the "Airstrip Male". My encounters with this Leopard were always close to Rattrays Camp. Thanks again for a great angle Yuri !
shot details: Canon 5Dmk3 500mm f4 lens
1/500 sec @ f5.6 ISO 800 - Manual Mode
time: 17:40
March 2013
The "Tamboti" female is a beautiful leopard and very photogenic. My first encounter with her was back in 2011 when she was mating with the "Airstrip male". This photo was taken in April 2013 and she had recently been seen with two small cubs. Pieter our ranger did an excellent job to get around her for a great angle as she watched some Impala in the distance.
shot details: Canon 5Dmk3 500mm f4 lens
1/640 sec @ f5.6 ISO 400 - Manual Mode
time: 08:33
April 2013
The "Newington male" a large male with a characteristic damaged left eye. On this occasion he gave out a half hearted roar, almost as if he did not want anyone to hear him. To our surprise - and his, another male leopard arrived on scene, the "Princess Alice Pans male" and he showed submissive behaviour towards this larger and older male.
Noldy the master tracker !! thanks for finding this leopard barely 10 minutes after we left camp :)
shot details: Canon 5Dmk3 500mm f4 lens
1/320 sec @ f5.6 ISO 800 - Manual Mode
time: 06:54
June 2013
The "Daughter of the Matshipiri female" is rather elusive. She is strikingly beautiful and on this occasion she chased a tree squirrel around a Marula tree determined to catch the small prize. The squirrel got away ! Thanks Brendan for getting us here just in time before we lost the light :)
shot details: Canon 5Dmk3 500mm f4 lens
1/250 sec @ f5.6 ISO 1600 - Manual Mode
time: 17:02
June 2013
The "Princess Alice Pans" Male is a large older male who has held his territory for many years. The dark rings around his eyes are the tell tale sign that this leopard has been around the block a few times. On this occasion we followed him as he walked out onto the sand river, bent down and picked up the remains of a kill and walked back to the safety of the tall reeds to consume his prize.
Thanks Brendan for the awesome effort to get us out onto that sand bank and back !
shot details: Canon 1Dmk4 70-200mm f2.8 lens
1/640 sec @ f8 ISO 800 - Manual Mode
time: 08:33
June 2013
The "River Rocks Male". On this occasion we found him resting up in the tall grass and waited until he decided to move. We then followed him for a long time as he walked on game trails and on the road. Brendan did a superb job of getting us multiple photo opportunities and walk - bye's.
shot details: Canon 5Dmk3 500mm f4 lens
1/640 f5.6 ISO 800 - Manual Mode
time: 16:11
June 2013
The "Ostrich Koppies Female". On this occasion we found her in a small riverbed with her cub who unfortunately died shortly after this photo was taken. She has the look of a seasoned campaigner with tattered ears and experience written all over her face. Noldy - thanks for getting us to spend so much time with this leopard and her cub, what a treat it was, especially when the Airstrip Male arrived on the scene too.
shot details: Canon 5Dmk3 500mm f4 lens
1/1000 sec @ f8 ISO 640 - Manual Mode
time: 09:30
July 2013
The "West Street Male" - a very handsome Leopard, big and strong, just coming into adulthood. He is one of the most photogenic male leopards I have encountered. On this occasion we found him walking down one of the river roads and Noldy did such a great job of getting round him numerous times to position us for the front on shot - thanks Noldy !!
shot details: Canon 5Dmk3 500mm f4 lens
1/400 sec f4 ISO 1250 - Manual Mode
time: 07:15
July 2013
The "Emsagweni female" On this occasion we found her in a tree with a pack of Cape Hunting Dogs beneath her. She had an impala kill which had been stolen by the dogs. She watched them from her safe vantage point waiting to seize an opportunity to run in and pick up any left overs. Thanks for another great sighting Noldy !!
shot details: Canon 5Dmk3 500mm f4 lens
1/400 sec @ f8 ISO 320
time: 07:30
August 2013
If spending quality time with Leopards is on your wish list, observing their interesting behaviour and getting great photos of them in a wild environment, Mala Mala is the place !
Leopards are of course a highlight at Mala Mala, but it is also home to the rest of the Big Five as well as Cheetah and Cape Hunting Dogs. The beautiful Sand River flows through this amazing place and so bird life is top notch too.
Look out for next months post titled "NKAYA PAN - KRUGER'S BEST ?"
Enjoyed 4 days with Noldy at Mala Mala in Aug. 2012 and hope to do it again before too long.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your beautiful photos.
Glad you enjoyed the photos and yes, Noldy is a great guy and an excellent ranger.. :)
DeleteFantastic pics and narrative of these most beautiful creatures! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous Collection
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Irene, glad you enjoyed them :)
DeleteWhat a collection
ReplyDelete