One of the Kruger’s big five animals, leopard encounters are always special because of their elusiveness. They aren’t always easy to spot, let alone when they might be being extra sneaky to keep young cubs safe.
Murray Graham from Discover Kruger managed to spot not only a leopard, but also her three cubs that she was escorting as the family crossed the H3 road at the Kruger National Park.
A Particularly Elusive Animal
Leopards live alone, and don’t have the support of a pack, pride or clan to fall back on. Because of this their most effective defense mechanism is to try and remain unseen in the first place.
This makes sighting one a great moment, as they can often be elusive, especially when they know other creatures are nearby. Murray was hunting for this female leopard before finally coming across her.
He told Latest Sightings that they spent “ages driving up and down, following rumours of a female leopard with cubs in the area”. The big cats rewarded his diligence by appearing.
See More Sightings Just Like This!
Incredible sightings like these leopard cubs play out across the African bush every day. Sign up to our WhatsApp group below to make sure you never miss out on an amazing sighting!
Why Did The Leopard Cross The Road?
Road crossings can be risky for animals, but in many cases they are unavoidable. The obvious risk is cars and other vehicles, although anyone visiting a safari park should be driving carefully.
There are other risks as well. Roads aren’t just useful for motor vehicles and other animals, or rival predators like wild dogs or lions, can occasionally be seen using them as ready-made paths through the bush.
With cubs to protect, this road becomes a wide open space where they would be vulnerable. Without experience the cubs might not know to avoid cars, or if spotted by other predators they might be targeted.
Too Quick For The Camera
Murray saw the adult leopard first, but she was on a mission, and had moved across to the concealing cover on the other side of the road before Murray started filming. The cubs weren’t as quick and seemed more nervous to cross the road.
Murray said about the experience that: “To witness one leopard is always special. To see a mother with three cubs is something many people dream of seeing and a true once in a lifetime sighting for most visitors.”
The three cubs were obviously old enough to leave the den and explore the world with their mom, but they were also still small enough to be incredibly cute as they hurried across the road.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
The Leopards Came One By One
After seeing their mother cross the road, the leopard cubs knew that it was safe for them to make the journey as well. Despite probably feeling safer as a group, they didn’t travel in one.
Maybe some of the cubs had more courage than others, but it was almost as if they were waiting from some signal from the other side before taking it in turns to cross.
One by one they hurried across the exposed road to the safety of the bushes and long grass on the other side. Already showcasing the stealth abilities inherent in her species, the leopard mom was nowhere to be seen.