Sometimes we are very lucky and find animals with ease just by driving on the right road at the right time. At other times we need to put in a lot more effort to get the reward. In this case, on a scorching hot day we were tracking a male leopard in a dry riverbed. Because under the circumstances any encounter with such a dangerous animal would likely be at close quarters, we almost forgot the heat as we concentrated on the animal and its tracks. After about 20 minutes we were able to determine the general direction the leopard was moving and cautiously followed, trying to locate it. It was slow going through the thick brush, the recent rain making it difficult to walk through the riverbed itself and the long grass making it difficult to track. Finally we did spot him in a very shaded enclosed area. We succeeded in finding a small gap in the vegetation far enough away not to disturb him but close enough to allow us a great view of this magnificent beast known as the Malewane male!
