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Leopard One has to wonder who is in fact the king of the jungle when confronted with a large male leopard. This beautiful animal, with white irises, is unsettling to the viewer. When he fixes on you, it’s as if you are not even there. Overseeing his domain, this leopard disregarded us and fixed on the lone Thompson gazelle, 100 meters away that, surprisingly, was walking straight for this kopje (rocky outgrowths of granite found in the Serengeti) and the resting leopard. Rising slowly, with no wasted motion, the leopard disappeared into the tall grass, stalking his prey. Leopards, unlike cheetahs, exert their energy to run down a prey. Using stealth instead of speed, a leopard will wait until the prey is less then 5 meters away before pouncing, startling, killing and then dragging his prey up a tree and away from other predators. |
