Masai Mara: Day 4

After the leopard session yesterday, we decided to go back and give it another shot. Our very simple plan was to focus on leopards at Kicheche Mara Camp, and cheetah and lions when we moved south to Kicheche Bush Camp. There are leopards further south, but many of them are very wary and not easily photographed. Supu, the cubs, and Nariku were accustomed to tourist traffic and therefore much easier to approach.


We arrived at Supu's lugga early and found the shy female cub almost immediately. She was sat near a jeep track where it cuts through the lugga. She ran out of view almost instantly. Just a few metres further on, we found the male cub. He was sat out, underneath a tree, staring up at the boughs. We checked in the tree for the mother, but was unable to see what was so interesting to him. Soon after arriving, a leopard call came from deep within the lugga, the cub responded immediately, turning his back on us and disappearing into the gloom.


We drove around the other side and waited for another hour. Suddenly, a small line of wildebeest came charging through at full speed, so I managed a couple of grab shots before they passed. The brief interlude was soon over and we carried on our search. Eventually, we found the male cub wandering through the bushes on the other side.

He approached a large tree and climbed up. Frustratingly, it was impossible to get any clear shots as the undergrowth around the base of the tree was so dense. In a nearby tree, his sister was also sat on a bough, obscured by branches and twigs. I decided against photographing (you just learn when it is worth the effort and when it is a hopeless case!), so we pulled back, had an early breakfast, and watched from a distance.


We were positioned about 300m up the plain, away from the lugga. Out of the corner of my eye, I sensed something moving. When I turned, I could see another leopard walking out in the open. It was Supu, the mother. We drove over, but she was already veering off, back into the bush. We watched her subtly pass through in silence, then leap over a small stream. She turned and crawled down the small bank to drink. It was hideously dark, but I sneaked shot through the foliage with the 600mm. She rose from the stream and, once again, vanished. We cruised back to camp for lunch and returned at about 3:00pm.

For the afternoon session, we continued with our search of the leopards. The lugga was full of game and potential prey with Impalas, Thomson's Gazelles, Hares, and Dik Diks. No wonder she liked this lugga so much! While we waited... and waited... and waited... I took more shots of the prey animals. This was a young hare that was amazingly approachable. Normally shy, this one merely looked up and then carried on munching the grass.



Forty minutes later, we bumped into another jeep. Our guide chatted with the driver (an old friend). The jeep drove off, but moments later came circling back round at speed. They had spotted a leopard and had come back to let us know - incredible! We followed and rounded a bush to find Supu sitting under a tree. I fired off a few shots before she started walking.


She climbed an ancient and overgrown termite mound and laid down. She was staring out across the plains for prey or threats, we could not fathom. The number of jeeps had quickly increased with the sighting and soon ten jeeps were jockeying for position. It is rare for this to happen and I have only ever seen it once before, also with another leopard. Usually, it does not feel cramped and stressful as you are out on the open plain, but when you mix jeeps, an elusive creature, and dense bush, things can get a little out of hand.


The heavens opened and the rain poured. Just like the other day, we were under a substantial thunderstorm. The cubs had appeared, called along by Supu. The leopards did not appreciate the rain, especially when they now had to negotiate the jeeps. The male cub (above) had the look of a disgruntled teenager.

Supu was taking them somewhere - a safer lugga or to a meal. Supu had quickly vanished from sight and the jeep drivers were now doing their best to show their clients Africa's Beautiful Death, the 'shy' big cat! We had driven round to see one of the cubs, but had fallen into a large hole. The ground can be so treacherous! We were stuck for a few minutes, but Julius managed to extricate the jeep and we rejoined the mêlée from a distance.

From our vantage point, we observed the true wit and guile of the leopard. In the jostle, the cubs had concealed themselves in a bush - they were practically invisible. Then, Supu walked out into the open, trotted along in full view, right in between the jeeps, but in the opposite direction. It was a ploy. A clever one that I have known otters to do on many occasion.

Predictably, the jeeps followed Supu some distance. At the same time, the cubs left the bush in peace and headed on their way, following the scent path that Supu had laid down for them. Supu then did her 'vanishing act' and doubled back on her own, leaving the jeeps lost and confused. Bloody brilliant! We were the only ones able to see this, as we had stood off and watched from afar. We slowly and respectfully followed the cubs to their destination, sat back, and marvelled.