Spring has sprung!

In celebration of September 1st: Spring Day, we've selected a collection of adorable baby leopard cubs. 

Prepare yourself for a cuteness overload.

If you have any pics of leopard cubs, please send them to our blogger with the date and time and she'll share them for you on our Facebook page.


(The above images were selected from a Google Search)

Leopard With Baboon Kill

Nottens female with her baboon kill in Sabi Sands on July 5, 2015. Photography by Marc Cronje.

 

Leopards from Ingwe Bush Camp.

Our contributing photographer is Marc Cronje. 

Marc is a free lance guide in Kruger. He was brought up stains conservation and wildlife. His Dad worked in the JHB Zoo for 25 years it was there that Marc's passion for animals was born. 

His family moved to Nelspruit to run the Jane Goodall Institute, Chimp Eden. (It's a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees from the illegal bush meat trade in central Africa.) He worked there for 7 years is  about to finish a degree in nature conservation.

We hope you enjoy some of his November 2014 collection from Ingwe Bush Camp. 

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Pictures 1, 2, 3 & 4 are from Ingwe Bush Camp. Natamweri causeway. 15 Nov 2014

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Pictures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 are from Ingwe Bush Camp. Watergat, Dois.19 Nov 2014 (Flat rock male)

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Pictures 11, 12, 13, 15 & 15 are from Ingwe Bush Camp 1.7 past lower sabie towards skuks. 29 Nov 2014  (Lubye Lubye male)

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Pictures 16 & 17 are from Ingwe Bush Camp. Lake Panic. November 2014

5 Fresh Sightings

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Pictures 1 & 2: Female with cub. Paul kruger gate. 18 Jan 2015

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 Pictures 3, 4 & 5 are all of Baby Ingwe. Pk Loop. 27 Dec 2014

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Pictures 6, 7 & 8 are of  the Flat Rock Male. 2.2 clicks down Dois from Kruger gate junction. 29 Dec 2014

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Pictures 9 & 10 are of the Lake Panic male. 29 Dec 2014

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Pictures 11, 12 & 13 are also of the same Lake Panic male. These were taken earlier: 15 Dec 2014.

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Pictures 14, 15 & 16 are of a Male leopard. Alpha loop. 03 and 04 Jan 2015

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Photographs by Marc Cronje. To find out more about him, watch this space for the follow up blog post! 

Questions and Answers

Q: How do you know when a leopard is not stalking it's prey?

Answer:

When a leopard stalks prey, it keeps a low profile and slinks through the grass or bush until it is close enough to launch an attack. 

When not hunting, it can move through herds of antelopes without unduly disturbing them by flipping its tail over its back to reveal the white underside.

Q: Which other predators do leopards need to avoid in the wild?

Answer:

Both lions and hyenas will take away a leopard's kill if they can. To prevent this leopards store their larger kills in trees where they can feed on them in relative safety.

Q: Leopards are solitary creatures, so why do they sometimes allow other leopards into their territory?

Answer:

The solitary Leopard each  has a large territory. They mark their ranges with urine and leave claw marks on trees to warn others to stay away. Male territories are larger than females. They only overlap when the intrusion is tolerated for mating purposes. 

Q: Are leopard spots round or square in shape?

Answer:

Leopards come in a wide variety of coat colors, from a light buff or tawny in warmer, dryer areas to a dark shade in deep forests. In newly born leopards, their coats appear to be smoky gray as the rosettes are not yet clearly delineated. The spots, or rosettes, are circular in East African leopards but square in southern African leopards.

Send us your questions and we'll share the answers with you!