SANParks.org Forums

Wow some stunning photos!!!!

Spanishwolf I've got some great pics of that huge fellow!he was so huge, he tried to climb up a tree but he couldn't grip to get up!dont think anyone has seen this guy on a tree in recent times, think he'll bring the branch down lol

YES SAF!!!!
I really thought it would weigh at least 80 kg. It's huge.
This Leopard is by far the biggest I've ever seen.
It's all a big boy!

Great images and sightings

Previously also uploaded an image of the big mail just before Paul Kruger Gate and presume it is the same one (page 82).

Does any one know why he have a collar around his neck?


http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii6 ... G_7801.jpg

Heksie I couldn't see anything either, but this is what we saw last year!!

as promised, the prelude:

It took us quite a while to reach a good spot among all the other cars - in the end it turned out to be the ultimate spot. When we got there, the leopard was busy cleaning himself. A closer look revealed a single porcupine quilt on his right cheek - seemed like he had recently tried to catch one of these huge rodents. A few minutes later the cat got up and disappeared - or so it must have seemed for the big majority of car drivers, that's why a lot of them started their engines and left the scene. My daughter was pretty much the only one who could see that in fact the leopard had gone into one of these drainpipes underneath the road so we course stayed, hoping that it might emerge again. All of a sudden I heard bones crushing under car wheels - I honestly thought this idiot driver had caught both leopard and porcupine (btw: you can hear me swear at him - so for those sensitive motherly ears that are out there, I have learned - out there, please do not watch this clip or at least turn down the volume). In the end it was "only" the rodent he killed - however, I am extremely sure the leopard would have gotten the porcupine even without the unwanted aid, after all, he had chased the prey out onto the road.



An interesting side note: a few days later a guide at Lower Sabie told me that porcupines are a delicacy both for lions and for leopards - an allegation I was later able to confirm with a look at Smithers' "Mammals of Southern Africa": in the Kalahari remains of porcupines occur in 30% of leopard scats, in Kruger 13% of all lion kills are porcupines.

Is the collar not a bit tight?

first time I see a collared Leopard

It was about 4 km from Kruger gate towards Skukuza

The same Male on the tar road 2km from Paul Kruger gate

Why the collar?

generaly females are collared...
to study comportment and cubs, etc...

Gus and Margie Mill are now between Europe and Kruger... and they use to collared all the cats in Kgalagadi

This is a huge male leopard!

Saw him on the H11 & S1 junction last year.
Seen him again in my previous trip on the S3 Sabie River Road about 2km from Kruger Gate.
He was in a territorial fight with another male leopard
This guy was too big for the other leopard
He was so big he tried to climb up a high tree, went halfway up and realized he Couldn't get up and just let go
don't think a lion will chance him

Will post some pics of him tomorrow

WOW. Some amazing pics there of these Beautiful creatures.