Leopard Stalk With A Twist In The Tale

Site members by now know that Londolozi is a private game reserve bordering the western boundary of Kuger National Park, and together with its northern and southern neighbours Timbavati and Sabi Sands is home to numerous large predators.

Recently a group of rangers viewed a young female leopard stalking an impala lamb, which possibly was the new lamb of a large ewe the same leopard had killed two days earlier. In the words of James Tyrell, for minutes at a time, the leopard would remain absolutely motionless, flattened to the ground. After a while, the impala lamb’s suspicions would be lower, and it even started approaching the leopard. It evidently had thought it had seen something, but couldn’t be sure.

James wrote that that particular area was still only exhibiting a short growth of grass and the whole stalk by the leopard took place with practically no cover. This afforded them a unique opportunity to view the stalk from start to finish. Then, with the innocence of the toddler the impala lamb tip-toed right right past the leopard, and the latter..... DID NOTHING!

Finally the leopard raised her head and the lamb got a clear view of her. The poignancy in the following scene can not be ignored by the most stoic amongst us. Understanding the dynamics of wildlife in a true wilderness the knowledge also exists that a few days old lamb that had lost its mother would not be alive for more than another day or two. That is the reality of nature. Nature must be, and is allowed to run its course:

(My thanks to Londolozi for sharing their experiences with the wider audience here)