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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:08 pm 
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Legendary Virtual Ranger
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A count now, relying on my memory reveals 24 leopards in Kruger and two outside of Kruger in North West parks.

Lower Sabie(5)
Skukuza(5)
Letaba(3)
Pretoriuskop(3)
Punda Maria(2)
Satara(2)
Croc Bridge(1)
Biyamithi(1)
Malelane(1)
Orpen dam(1)

Only seen leopard twice on night drives - once from Satara and once from Punda Maria.
Most of my leopard sightings were around noon to 2pm.

Best leopard trip - 5 different leopards in one day during our first day on the Duke mission, beginning with a mom carrying her brand spanking new born baby in her mouth. A L.I.T right next to the road and another mom with two cubs. :D All with photos or video to boot! :D

Were fortunate to witness 2 leopard kills. 1 at Orpen dam - waterbuck calf and 1 on Mahonie loop - Sharpe's Grysbok.

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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:49 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:03 pm
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My count is 34 in Kruger and 1 in Pilanesberg . No leopard kills (1 lion and 1 cheetah kill witnessed in Kruger ) . Two of the most memorable leopard sightings were on a trip in May 2012 to L.Sabie . Witnessed a male stalking an impala at Sunset dam , only for an Egyptian Goose to sound the alarm when he was about 5m away . The leopard then sauntered off and confronted one of the medium size crocs sunning themselves , chasing it into the water . The next morning we saw the tail end of a fight on the L.Sabie bridge between 2 different males . For me , L.Sabie and the Biyamiti private road are undoubtedly the best leopard areas in the park . Skukuza , Satara and the Tshokwane area are also good . I have seen 2 at Mopani which is a little underrated . Despite the apparently favourable habitat and reports from others , I have Shingwedzi overrated as far as leopards are concerned .


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 5:09 pm 
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Wildchild, you're undoubtedly a leopard magnet! :clap: :clap: :clap:

The other end of the spectrum: I met a gentleman at Timbavati who lives close to the Park. He told me that, in over 30 years of coming into the Park for day trips - at least twice a month - through Orpen gate and travelling around most of the day, he had ...
wait for it ...

... only seen one leopard, and that in a tree. To add to that, four times cheetah (including on this last trip), and maybe 10 times wild-dog! :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall:

Also, some time ago I met a woman who visited Kruger for two weeks every year for over 20 years, and who claimed that she had NEVER, in all of that time, seen a leopard or a cheetah! :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: How is that possible? Even if one drives too fast and does not look sideways, sooner or later one must come across a LIT or a bunch of cars by one of the cats? Perhaps she never exits a camp? :hmz: :hmz:

I am aghast at the HUGE difference between various people's number of sightings. Which still reminds me to enjoy every single cat sighting I see, for one never really knows when one will see that cat again.

I would LOVE to understand why some people can see leopard every trip, while others see one, or even none, in a lifetime?

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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 6:48 pm 
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Senior Virtual Ranger
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So true OWN :thumbs_up:

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August trip with the folks to Kruger!!

25-27 Skukuza 3 nights

28-01 Letaba 5 nights!


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:03 pm 
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Location: mind in SA, body in The Netherlands
Wow, some leopard magnets :mrgreen:
1 LS
1 Afsaal
1 Orpen
1 Biyamiti weir
1 Berg en Dal
1 Skukuza


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 4:16 pm 
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Location: johannesburg (but soon in Kruger)
I would like to say that ever since 2007 I have kept track of everything that I have seen in Kruger.

I keep track of: Date, time, Temp, weather, time-in & Time-out of gate, Animal and number and male/female/cubs and where.

So in Kruger since 2007, only add 1 before that time (That I can recall):

Skukuza 2006 - 1
Kruger Gate 2007 - 2
Satara 2009 - 1
Singita 2009 - 1
Phabeni Gate 2010 - 1
Letaba 2011 - 1
Pretoriuskop 2012 - 3
Skukuza 2012 - 3

Total of 13 in Kruger

1 in Pillanesburg
1 in Augrabies Falls

And I'd like to point out that I have NEVER seen a leopard in a tree!

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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:58 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:37 am
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Location: south africa
Guess I should count myself very lucky:
This is what I remember from the last few trips:

July 2007 Can't remember but did find one in the pictures
July 2008 - Can't remember but did find one in the pictures
July 2009 -4 leopards
July 2010- 11 leopards
July 2011- 6 leopards
January 2012 - 4 leopards
July 2012 - 3 leopards


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:17 pm 
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Jeesh!
Interesting to see the drastic differences in the amount of leopards seen! In the same month as well!

My most recent trips:
March 2011 = 0 leopards
June 2011 = 2 leopards
December 2011 = 1 Leopard
February 2012 = = 8 leopards

The South is by far the best region for seeing Leopard. :thumbs_up:

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August trip with the folks to Kruger!!

25-27 Skukuza 3 nights

28-01 Letaba 5 nights!


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:25 am 
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wildtuinman wrote:
A count now, relying on my memory reveals 24 leopards in Kruger and two outside of Kruger in North West parks.

Lower Sabie(5)
Skukuza(5)
Pretoriuskop(4)
Letaba(3)
Punda Maria(2)
Satara(2)
Croc Bridge(1)
Biyamithi(1)
Malelane(1)
Orpen dam(1)

Only seen leopard twice on night drives - once from Satara and once from Punda Maria.
Most of my leopard sightings were around noon to 2pm.

Best leopard trip - 5 different leopards in one day during our first day on the Duke mission, beginning with a mom carrying her brand spanking new born baby in her mouth. A L.I.T right next to the road and another mom with two cubs. :D All with photos or video to boot! :D

Were fortunate to witness 2 leopard kills. 1 at Orpen dam - waterbuck calf and 1 on Mahonie loop - Sharpe's Grysbok.

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Latest Lifer(s): Grey Sunbird, Yellow-breasted Pipit

Follow me as I bird on Twitter @wildtuinman

http://www.laine-dirk.co.za


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:44 am 
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Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:54 am
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Location: In Limbo
Mine over the past 20 years or so (those that i can remember)

Berg en dal – 6
Pretoriuskop – 3
Skukuza – 9
Crocodile Bridge – 3
Lower Sabie – 8
Tshokwane – 3
Statara – 2
Letaba – 3
Shingwedzi – 1

Best has been 9 in a week.


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:48 am 
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Grand to see that most of the mites flourish with leopard sightings. :clap: :clap: It means we're doing something right!

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TR: A NEW DAY IS S-OWN
TR: NECTAREAN NICETIES OF THE NORTH
TR: PRIMEVAL PLEASURE

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." (Groucho Marx)


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 7:27 pm 
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Location: pietermaritzburg
This has certainly our best trip yet for leopard with nine since 23-07-2012 until today sadly we leave for home tomorrow but the memories will remain forever :dance:

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1st sept Croc bridge
2nd -7th Satara
7th-12th Berg en Dal


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 8:44 am 
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Nine! Excellent, Bushchild. :clap: :clap: Yes, leopards are unforgettable - I've never forgotten any of my leopard sightings; can tell you the road, the precise location on the road, and what the leopard was doing!

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TR: NECTAREAN NICETIES OF THE NORTH
TR: PRIMEVAL PLEASURE

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." (Groucho Marx)


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:08 pm 
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It will be really unfair to tell you how many leopards I have seen so far, as I am nowadays every weekend in KNP, and we see them quite regularly. :twisted: Just want to mention that we managed to see a beautifull leopard at Punda again on Sunday evening.


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 Post subject: Re: How many leopards have you seen?
Unread postPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:34 pm 
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I have seen 3. :dance: :dance:

Thats this week. :twisted:

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