PhilHydePhotos: Sura ya kwanza - Chui watoto wa Serengeti

Chapter One - Leopard Cubs of the Serengeti

Leopards are not always easy to.... erm.... spot. They tend to hide in trees, cunningly merging-in with the branches, leaves and resultant dappled shade, so that often they are simply impossible to see with normal primate eyes. Thankfully our guide appears equipped with super-vision and can see animals from far away, that I would need to trip over before spotting.

This ability to hide so effectively is a disadvantage both to photographers and to any other prey that happens by, with or without accompanying camera.

They also love rocky outcrops. There are many of these granite islands (called kopjes) dotted around the Serengeti savannah. Here leopards will often bathe in the morning sun, surveying their domain, waiting patiently for a passing breakfast treat. These rocks are also their preferred place to hide their offspring. Despite being high in the food chain, their cubs are at high risk of being taken by hyenas for food, or by lions simply to reduce the competition. The wide cracks in these rocks make ideal hidey-holes for their young, with their den often being deep within the rocky labyrinth.

Here is one such rocky outcrop. It appears to be otherwise occupied.

Getting close enough to leopards for photography can thus be challenging, to get close to their cubs, doubly so.

And yet, this is exactly what we did. Twice.

Hidden away within a fissure in a huge granite outcropping not far from the Mara River in the Northern Serengeti, we found this small bundle of spots.

A very young leopard cub, only about 2 to 3 weeks old, eyes only recently opened for the very first time.

It was one of two cubs. There had been a third, but that had succumbed to Mother Nature, most likely in the ever present form of a cackling hyena. They were on their own, no mother was to be seen. She was presumably off hunting or playing bingo.

The two were playing together, stumbling into their new world, attempting to stalk each other.

For two days we visited them to watch their progress, but still there was no sign of their mother. Their father, as is their way, had already left to sow his seed elsewhere. Typical.

Then, on the third day, she thankfully returned, with a stomach full of impala-burger and mammary glands full of life-giving milk.

Her presence gave the cubs more energy and more confidence.

Now they were brave predators.

Instilling fear in their invisible prey.

Despite this being an incredible find for us, a huge privilege to witness this family scene, we were in for yet another treat. Some distance away, on another rocky outcrop, sat this magnificent beast with another two cubs, these being about a month old.

More cunning, more adventurous, just as spotty.

These two were full of energy and mischievous curiosity.

They were already starting to hunt.

Despite still being on their mother’s milk, this cub hunted and caught a young rock hyrax (stars of a future chapter).

It took it into some thick grass, but had no idea what to do with it. It’s mother tried to help but it was too possessive and would not allow her near!

The other cub looked on with jealous admiration.

We saw them again the following day. This time in a huge fig tree. Spot the leopards...

The female was quite high in the tree, and quite difficult to see.
Here she is, lying in a bowl formed by the upper trunk of the tree branching outwards.