Leopard Mother & Cub

Leopard story- This happened in Serengeti National park, Tanzania where we were looking for leopards. There was a Kopje (rock) with dense bushes and we were told that there is a leopard with a cub hiding inside. As you all know mothers are extremely protective of the new borns and leopard being a elusive animal, it would even stay for days hidden inside. After a long patient wait, we saw this beauty coming out of the shade, behind the rock, holding the new born and walking to another bush. This was just a 5 second glimpse but totally worth the wait.

Newborn leopards are extremely vulnerable and rely entirely on mom for nourishment and protection. They are born blind, opening their eyes at around 10 days of age, and weigh only 1 pound. Mom carries the cubs to a new location every couple of days to ensure they are hidden from potential predators.

The following are the sequence at which the whole scene shaped up.