Feline encounters on safari

While I've not had the opportunity to hunt any of the big cats yet, a safari dedicated to lion and leopard hunting would make for a wonderful adventure and a proper test of patience, endurance, cunning and the stamina to hang in there when the going gets tough.  Deliberate hunting of the hyenas has certainly taught me a few things about hunting large predators - its a tough game!

In August of 2012 we spent three weeks in South Africa hunting elephant, hyena and a couple of the plains game species I had lucked out on in during previous safaris. We were fortunate enough to have encounters with lion, leopard and cheetah - so very lucky to have these sitings in such a short space of time! The photography certainky doesn't do justice to the experience; poor light, distance, thick bush and brief encounters mean that we don't always capture the moment as we would like to...

But the stories are part of the adventure... here's what we saw...

We were hunting Southern Greater Kudu on a private property in Mica north west of Hoedspruit, when I spotted a small face watching us from the long grass on the other side of a game fence fence; we were hunting land adjoining Olifants North Game Reserve http://www.olifantsnorth.co.za/. As we approached, the small face turned out to be that of a female cheetah with a full belly and a radio tracking collar.  I walked up to within 10 yards of the cat feeling rather vulnerable and insignificant, albeit with a fence between us. Our first ever encounter with a wild cheetah!

On the way into Kruger National Park via Phalaborwa Gate for a day trip, an oddly dark, round shape in the Mopani Forest caught my attention as the Range Rover cruised along the bitumen.  We packed up and I pulled out the Zeiss 10x40 binoculars from my pack to take a closer look.  Two lions lay in the long grass.  This male posed long enough for me to get a steady shot off with my Canon... of his ear!

Mid morning, with the hot sun having climbed to full height, we spotted three lionesses trotting through the bush, heading towards the river.  We were not too far out of Shingwedze Rest Camp. I snapped off a string of shots but with the sun beating down ahead of us, this was as good as it got.  There were no males in this group and we spotted a sick old roan bull crossing the dry Shingwedze River moments after this photo was taken.

Perhaps our greatest encounter with a big cat in close to ten years of visiting the Dark Continent.  We were heading out of Shingwedzi Rest Camp for an evening game drive, keeping a sharp eye out for one of the Sharpe's Grysbok we had hoped to see in this part of the park. As we drove along the riverine bush I couldn't help but scan the horizontal branches of the ancient trees looking for Mr.Spots... and there he was on the ground 20 yards out to our left... this very big tom had just brought down a young bushbuck ram and was crouched over his kill when we pulled up. Amazing.

A pair of lionesses.  These two big cats spotted us long before we were onto them as they lay in the long grass with their ears flattened against their head. The lead cat made a few mock charges towards us, never covering more than a few metres at a time.  These cats were photographed on the 34,600 acre estate owned by Ekland Safaris in Soutpansberg in the north eastern reaches of South Africa. http://www.eklandsafaris.com/