The story all started when I picked up the guests and asked how they were doing and what they would like to see. The first reply I got was, “It is on my wish list to see a leopard.” Now, to those who know what a leopard is capable of and how extremely well they can camouflage, my first thought was, this is going to be a tough one to make come true.
An Unexpected Encounter: From Elephants to an Injured Hippo
On the second afternoon, we headed off on our safari. The route I planned changed in a second as soon as the radio came on with updates of elephants at Rhino Dam. I had a choice: go for the cheetah that had been seen near the airstrip or go for the elephants with a 5/5 visual. We decided to go straight to Rhino Dam in search of the elephants that had been called in. On the way, we found an injured hippo limping on its back left leg. My heart sank; it is never easy to see an animal injured, especially as a ranger who loves to share knowledge and passion with those who seek it.
We continued our search for the big grey animals we all adore, with their soft emotions expressed on their faces. There they were, standing next to Rhino Dam as reported, a young male right by the road, not even lifting an eye to look at us, while the crackling bushes in the background signaled the rest of the herd moving up the ridge. We were all ecstatic to see this monstrous elephant, probably weighing in at 5 tons and standing at a height of 4.5 meters at the shoulder. We were in awe.
The Ultimate Surprise: Wish List Fulfilled with a Leopard Sighting
After admiring the elephants, we decided to seek out the cheetah at the airstrip. On the way, a scream came from the back of the car, “Look, a rhino to our left!” I hit the brakes hard, and there she was—a beautiful female rhino had popped out of the bush. To our surprise, three more sub-adults were peeking through the shrub. We followed them until they crossed the road in front of us, seeing just how massive they truly are. We all felt blessed to witness these magical animals, knowing deep down that they are extremely endangered due to the illegal rhino horn trade and poaching.
Finally, after an hour and a half of ticking off many different animals along the way, we made it to the airstrip to search for the cheetah. There she was—a female cheetah sitting in the grass with her head stuck out, not even looking at us. We enjoyed her presence for a while and decided it was time to stop for sundowner drinks as the sun was about to give its last breath in 20 minutes.
The airstrip was quite suitable for drinks, as the sun was touching the horizon, and we enjoyed the silhouettes of blue wildebeest crossing the airstrip. The first round of drinks went out, and we toasted to a successful afternoon. I started pouring a second round of drinks when, suddenly, it came loud and clear on the radio: one female leopard sleeping next to the road. My first thought was, “Wish list!” I looked at everyone and said, “We are leaving now.” Drinks went everywhere as we chucked them into the cooler box. Out of the blue, one lady stated, “I need to pee.” I handed her the lavatory bag and said, “Gooooooo!” She went behind the cruiser, and I packed up everything in record time—three minutes flat. We raced to the location of the leopard, sleeping in the open. Wish list ticked off.
