Home > Blog > May 12, 2015 – Leopard Hunt, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

May 12, 2015
Leopard Hunt, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The following series of images is from a thrilling encounter with a Leopard (Panthera pardus) in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. It began as a typical, and not-so-exciting, encounter with the leopard sleeping in a tree late in the morning. Because there was decent cloud cover to diffuse the light, we waited and watched and eventually had our picnic lunch. Things started to get exciting when a lone Wildebeest or Brindled Gnu (Connochaetes taurinus) mother and calf walked within about 1/4 mile (400 m) of the leopard, but the leopard was fast asleep and the wildebeest disappeared over a small hill.
Leopard Jumping From Tree
Leopard Jumping From Tree
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Canon EOS 1D X, 600 f4 IS II, 1/1000 sec, f8, ISO 500
Image taken on February 14, 2015.
Maybe half an hour later, the same (?) wildebeest and calf came back over the hill and this time the leopard saw them. :) After he determined that the probability of a kill was high, he climbed down from the tree and leapt to the ground.

Leopard Pursuing Prey
Leopard Pursuing Prey
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Canon EOS 1D X, 600 f4 IS II & 1.4x III, 1/1000 sec, f8, ISO 320
Image taken on February 14, 2015.
We quickly crossed to the other side of the dry stream and followed the leopard from a safe distance as he started to close the distance to the wildebeest calf. We dropped back as he entered stalking mode and kept our distance as to not interfere with the final chase.

Leopard With Prey
Leopard With Prey
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Canon EOS 1D X, 600 f4 IS II & 1.4x III, 1/750 sec, f8, ISO 320
Image taken on February 14, 2015.
After the leopard took down the wildebeest calf, we rushed to get close to the scene of the kill and were able to photograph the leopard carrying the dead wildebeest calf towards another tree.

Leopard Climbing Tree With Prey
Leopard Climbing Tree With Prey
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Canon EOS 1D X, 600 f4 IS II & 1.4x III, 1/750 sec, f8, ISO 320
Image taken on February 14, 2015.
The encounter ended as the leopard carried the wildebeest calf up into the tree to keep it away from hyenas and lions.

This particular blog entry is www.jameshagerphoto.com/blog/?date=2015-05-12. Visit www.jameshagerphoto.com/blog to view the latest blog entry, and you may click here to create a URL that you can bookmark to go to the latest blog entry.

All of the images on this site are ©James Hager and are intended for viewing only. They are not to be
downloaded or reproduced in any way without the written permission of James Hager Photography.