In the floodplains of Mombo, in the heart of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, there are fertile floodplains filled with trees and vegetation and the best game viewing imaginable. This place is known as Africa’s ‘Last Garden of Eden’, with large herds of herbivores being tracked by the numerous predators continually lurking. These predators include big cats like the lion, cheetah, and leopard.

The normal gestation period for a pregnant leopard is about three months to a hundred days when one to five cubs are born in a rocky den. After about eight days they emerge to start exploring. The cubs are in constant danger as packs of hyenas stalk the young looking to discover the leopards’ lair. The mother should also be on the lookout for packs of baboons which are known to eat just about anything and have also been known to attack burrows. Therefore, the puppies must learn to climb trees quickly. They learn to stalk, hunt and kill and become masters at ambushing their prey.

The leopard is a silent and invisible killer that is arguably the ultimate predator. It is a very beautiful creature and its fur provides the perfect camouflage. Invisibility is this creature’s best weapon and it can disappear into the foliage before your eyes under a cloak of invisibility. This is also a fast cat and in the first 30 meters he is like lightning vying with another Botswana cat, the Cheetah, for the crown.

The leopard’s preferred habitat is the dense foliage of lush forests, as these areas provide cover for hunting and refuge from other predators such as lions and hyenas. To give you an idea of ​​the success of these predators, imagine the skill it would take to catch a monkey or better yet a squirrel… in a tree. They are excellent climbers and can swing through trees like acrobats. Other prey consists of wild boar piglets, young baboons and
impala which is a medium sized antelope and is the preferred prey. A leopard will always attempt to drag prey up a tree and store it safely out of reach of other predators, but can often kill prey too large to lift. Unsurprisingly, the hyenas follow them in the hope of free food.

These cats are secretive and solitary creatures. Male leopards will defend a territory against other males, while two females sharing the same territory is a recipe for disaster. This is true even when the female is her own pup. So at what age is another female leopard no longer her mother’s cub? Up to a certain age, the pup survives on what the mother provides and smaller prey, such as guinea fowl. No leopard comes of age until she has killed an impala and when a young female protects her death from her mother, it is time. Their territory is marked with what is known as a home range with a central area in the center that is heavily defended and a less defended outer area around the center.

There is no doubt that leopards are very successful predators, but are they the ultimate predator and are they on the endangered species list? They have amber eyes like honey and sharp teeth with lethal intent. The soft pads cushion his approach, his speed is something to marvel at, and his ability in the trees is monstrous. The coloration of their fur is spectacular and makes them invisible in the dense foliage of the trees. They are very difficult to see in the wild and censuses are very difficult because these animals are more difficult to locate. In Africa it is estimated that more than two thousand leopards are still hunted and shot as trophies each year. However, a visit to Camp Mombo in the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta has a reputation as the best chance to see a leopard up close… but don’t hold your breath.