Time to wrap up the big five with the most elusive one - the leopard! On our first day, as we were finishing up our game drive in Nairobi National Park, our guide was hopeful we would spot a leopard and her cubs) out and about at sunset (he had heard there was one in the area of the gate he chose to exit the park) - no luck though!Then, on the 2nd day in Masai Mara, our guide drove around a river bank for about an hour looking for a leopard that he had heard about the night before, but again - no luck! Here's where I should insert that driving around for an hour on the bumpy (which is an understatement) roads and not spotting anything interesting would have been SO boring for our kids (we determined it was probably for the best they weren't with us - they need to work on being bored some more!) While disappointed not to have seen a leopard yet, there were plenty of other amazing animals we did cross paths with later that trek so we were happy with our drive.
Of course, good things come to those who wait 
The next day, when we weren't looking for a leopard, we spotted something hanging in a tree as we crossed a river (did you see the video in comments in a previous post?) As we got closer, we were rewarded with a spectacular leopard show! This leopard started resting in the branches up high - it was probably tired after attacking the impala and then dragging it up the tree for safe keeping! Since they are solitary creatures, leopards do this with their "prize" in order to keep other animals from helping themselves. Kifa did tell us that sometimes baboons will climb up the tree (when the leopard is off somewhere else) and throw down the bones and animal parts so other animals can enjoy in the spoils - cheeky baboons!
The next day, when we weren't looking for a leopard, we spotted something hanging in a tree as we crossed a river (did you see the video in comments in a previous post?) As we got closer, we were rewarded with a spectacular leopard show! This leopard started resting in the branches up high - it was probably tired after attacking the impala and then dragging it up the tree for safe keeping! Since they are solitary creatures, leopards do this with their "prize" in order to keep other animals from helping themselves. Kifa did tell us that sometimes baboons will climb up the tree (when the leopard is off somewhere else) and throw down the bones and animal parts so other animals can enjoy in the spoils - cheeky baboons!This leopard was absolutely beautiful - and then it got even better! The leopard decided to move around and we saw it gracefully descend the tree and find some shade in the bushes at the bottom. When you look at the photos you can see the intricate rosettes on the leopard (which is different from the cheetah's spots - stay tuned).
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I zoomed out on a couple photos so you can see how camouflaged the big cat is in the tree! It was a phenomenal experience to just sit and watch this big cat do it's thing for a bit - I guess 3rd time is a charm! If you want to learn more about the leopard, try this https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/leopard
Don't worry, there are still plenty of animals left to share - coming up is the beautiful five, the ugly five, and more as well as our visit to a traditional Masai community and the other two countries on our trip...
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