Show us your leopard pics...

[offshorebirder]

Great photos @penolva - I especially like the shot of the grumpy male cub.

[penolva]

On 10/10/2017 at 7:17 PM, offshorebirder said:

Great photos @penolva - I especially like the shot of the grumpy male cub.

Thanks he was a very photogenic little chap! 

[Gilgamesh]

Kenya Trip report here...

 

[pomkiwi]

Hunting.  Porini Lion, Masai Mara, Kenya, February 2017

 

 

Nikon D7200, 80-400mm lens@400mm. 1/1250sec, f/5.6, ISO400

Edited November 21, 2017 by pomkiwi

[Paul T]

South Luangwa NP November 2017

 

 

 

Mating pair ...

 

[Kimburi Tours]

This big boy was scent marking his territory in hluhluwe imfolozi game reserve. was a very brief sighting. only about 2 mins.

[SAFARILEGEND]

@Game WardenYes, Leopards mostly descend trees head first ?

[penolva]

Masai Mara September 2017

[CarolAnnDenverCO]

Serengeti May 2017

[CarolAnnDenverCO]

Serengeti May 2017

[CarolAnnDenverCO]

Serengeti May 2017

[CarolAnnDenverCO]

Serengeti May 2017

[JessicaA]

Everyone's leopard shots are amazing!  Below from Sabi Sands, December 2017.

 

[Lyss]

Oh that looks to be Shadow and her cub how lovely.

[africaaddict]

My first image post here for some months, my apologies, have been quite busy editing large numbers of images for work projects.

My recent month long Ruaha/Namiri TZ trip has been one not easily forgotten.
With lost bags, escaping a fatal plane crash by 24hrs,  https://www.nation.co.ke/news/africa/Eleven-killed-in-Tanzania-plane-crash/1066-4188912-8v9ex4z/index.html

 

a smashed D5 & 400 f/2.8E long lens combo (on only my 4th day!!) which saw my 70-200 +1.4tc become my long prime and how one quickly must adapt to such setbacks, always a good reason to carry 3 bodies.
Highlights were four ........yes 4 amazing Caracal sightings, a zebra birth, great close encounters with a cheetah mum and sub-adult to a magical last day sighting of a lioness walking & carrying her 3 x four week old cubs over 4 km from their birthplace in the marsh to their new Kopje home to join the rest of her 10 other siblings.

Can't wait to return here again for the Gnu calving in 4 weeks time.

 

Here are a selection of leopard images from this trip.

 

Golden hour ascent (x2)
6.19am and the 3 yr old male leopard known as Moyo (Swahili, meaning "heart") climbs a tree to a beautiful golden hour sunrise, opportunities like this happen very rarely and was thrilled to capture him in such an iconic pose and soft golden light.
Ruaha NP

Nikon D850
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8E FL VR + 1.4tc
ƒ/4
1/1000s
ISO 1000@ 100mm

 

 

 

 

 

Leopard in Sycamore fig.

A wonderfully camouflaged male leopard known as "Ghost" descends from inside a beautiful Sycamore fig to grab his warthog prized kill below.
Ruaha NP

 

Nikon D850
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8E FL VR + 1.4tc
ƒ/5.6
1/1000s
ISO 640@ 135mm

 

 

 

 

Sabre-tooth grimace

A young leopardess looks down and displays her best Sabre-tooth impression (indicating a submissive grimace/pose) as she had been caught out snacking on Ghost's warthog kill. I suspect this pair were mating recently.

Ruaha NP

 

Nikon D850
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8E FL VR + 1.4tc
ƒ/5.6
1/250s
ISO 110@ 175mm + fill flash -1.7EV

 

 

 

 

Contentment in a Yellow fever acacia (x2)

Namiri Plains- Central Serengeti.

 

Nikon D850
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8E FL VR + 1.4tc
ƒ/5.6
1/2000s
ISO 360@ 280mm

 

 

 

Nikon D850
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8E FL VR + 1.4tc
ƒ/5.6
1/250s
ISO 250@ 280mm

 

 

 

 

Leopardess on Vultures rock

A leopardess relaxes high up on Soit lemotony  (Swahili  for Vultures rock).
Namiri Plains- Central Serengeti.

 

Nikon D850
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8E FL VR + 1.4tc
ƒ/6.3
1/2000s
ISO 450@ 280mm

 

 

 

 

Descent from Soit lemotony (x2)

 

Nikon D850
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8E FL VR + 1.4tc
ƒ/5
1/1250s
ISO 6400@ 280mm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stare down

 

A leopardess stares down my lens on her way to an early evening hunting session,

Nikon D850
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8E FL VR + 1.4tc
ƒ/5.6
1/2000s
ISO 1100@ 280mm

 

 

 

 

 

Relaxing @ dusk

Nikon D850
Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8E FL VR + 1.4tc
ƒ/4
1/500s
ISO 2800@ 280mm

 

 

 

Cheers

Marc

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2018 by africaaddict

[SafariChick]

@africaaddict these are gorgeous! I hope you will do a trip report - between these and your caracal photos (and FOUR caracal sightings - what??!!) I think a lot of us will be really excited to see it!

 

And oh my, that plane crash, thank goodness you weren't on it - we had a thread about it as I recall and were wondering which ST members were in Tanz at that time.  

Edited February 5, 2018 by SafariChick

[pomkiwi]

Hunting leopard at Kambaku River Sands, Timbavati, South Africa. Nikon D7200, 80-400mm lens@290mm, f/5.6, 1/160sec, ISO400

 

Looking forward to my return next week!

[Peter Connan]

@pomkiwi, I apologise.

 

The Kambaku I referred to in another thread is a different lodge from Kambaku River Sands...

[pomkiwi]

@Peter Connan No worries, the same family has Kambaku River Sands and Kambaku Safari Lodge which are close together. There is also a Kambaku River Lodge but I don't think it is in the Timbavati.

[Ben mosquito]

 

 

 

 

Samburu National reserve, our very first leopard 15 minutes after leaving the camp, beginner's luck, long time ago !!

 

 

[Wild Dogger]

The surprised Impala

[YS Wildlife]

We have a favorite leopard in Samburu...

These were all taken one afternoon this past November (2017). 
We were hosting a family of five: a couple and their three adult children, so we took two vehicles. 
My partner, Yaron, was eager to head out on the afternoon game drive to find a leopard, so he took the "kids" out early, and I took one for the team and waited behind with the parents who needed a longer break. 
As luck would have it, even though we departed later, we were the ones to find my favorite leopard girl!
(Don't feel too bad for Yaron -- he eventually caught up to us, and captured some stunning pictures of her in February!)
Isn't she something???
~Amy
YS Wildlife Photography & Safaris 

 

Edited March 30, 2018 by YS Wildlife

[YS Wildlife]

Mara Naboisho Conservancy - February 2017

The story behind the shot: 
Often on safari, patience is the name of the game! We waited all day to see this little leopard cub, as he and his mom were hiding in in a ravine covered with bushes to guard an impala kill from the day before. We came upon them in the morning, and waited along with other cars, hoping they would make an appearance. Once in a while, we could see an ear, or the flicking of a tail, but that was it. As lunchtime drew near, the other cars began to disappear, but we decided to wait, even if it meant skipping lunch. Our camp was kind enough to bring our lunches to us, which made it even more special. Eventually, Mom and cub came out of the bushes, and we had a "private show"... By the time the others came back after their lunches and siesta, the leopards disappeared back into the ravine. When the sun went down, hyenas came and chased away the cub and his mom, and stole their kill. 
Just another day in the bush...
YS Wildlife Photography & Safaris

[YS Wildlife]

Taken in Serengeti, Tanzania - March 2018

Sometimes the most amazing things will happen when you least expect them... That was the case with this leopard.
It was high noon, the light was too bright outside, and we were a minute away from camp to have lunch, shower and head to the airstrip to catch our plane back home. It literally was the last moment of our safari, when our amazing guide Noel spotted this gorgeous lady. She was enjoying the last few bites of her lunch up on the tree, and made us forget about our lunch as we admired her beauty...

[pomkiwi]

 A study in concentration as a female leopard descends a wet tree in the Timbavati.

 

 

Nikon D500, 80-400mm lens @ 80mm, 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800