Harriet Smith Photography

presents

"For The Love of Africa"

Previous

Country:                              South Africa                     
Location:                              Limpopo region
Reserve:                              Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

This picture shows a close up of a leopard and an impala rib cage after having killed and dragged  the impala to a safe hiding spot.   While licking the impala rib cage, this leopard gives the 'keep away' stare to the camera.  The leopard is classically feline in its hunting behavior, specializing in ambushing and stalking its prey, then pouncing before the victim can react. With its head low, legs bent and belly nearly touching the ground, a leopard will try to stalk to within 10-20 feet, close enough to launch an attack. If it misses, it will seldom chase its prey.
Leopards also hunt from trees, using their stealthy hiding place to pounce on animals below. The most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores, the leopard is also the shrewdest. Pound for pound, it is the strongest climber of the large cats and capable of killing prey larger than itself.

This picture was taken in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.   The Timbavati Private Game Reserve lies in the western region of the Kruger National Park, north of Sabi Sands Game Reserve, the borders between all of them unfenced, allowing greater freedom of access to wildlife. The reserve covers about 150 000 acres of pristine African bush. Kruger National Park itself is another 5 million acres in size, about the same size as Israel or Wales.  From stone age on, man never permanently settled the large tracts of land now comprising the Timbavati Reserve; leaving it truly wild land.    

Photographed and Copyrighted ©2005 - 2011 All Right Reserved By: Harriet Smith

Home

Meet Harriet Smith

Contact Us

African Map

Terms and Conditions

Copyright and Liability