Shy, solitary, largely nocturnal, leopards are the most elusive of Africa’s big cats, the most sought-after and by far the most beautiful. By day, if you are lucky, you may find one asleep in a tree, stretched out on a branch with all four legs and long tail dangling. That rich saffron coat with its black rosettes keeps it safe from prying eyes until darkness falls. That’s when the leopard comes into its own; the shadow-stepper, the moonlight hunter whose ripsaw cough causes the roosting baboons to bark in alarm and makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck if you are fortunate enough to hear it. BRIAN JACKMAN
TURN TO PAGE 40 FOR A STUNNING PORTFOLIO OF LEOPARD PHOTOGRAPHS.