Location: Jao Concession, Okavango Delta
Date: 2nd September 2010
Compiled by: Jacky and Justin, Tubu Tree Camp Managers
Photographer: Victor Horatius
Keledi, one of Tubu Tree Camp’s new star attractions, is a young female leopard resident in the Jao Concession. She was seen in June, struggling to take down and kill a young wildebeest before receiving help from mother. She has, over the last few months, slowly been honing her hunting skills…
As guests made their way into Tubu Tree Camp on August 30th, they came across Keledi stalking some impala – an exciting start to their safari! They then watched her slink towards the impala and attempt to catch one but the impala got away. Keledi seemed to just sit there in utter disbelief until a bird caught her eye, pouncing at it as well – but she missed again. Still very inexperienced in the finer art of effective leopard hunting, guests found her again the next day still quite relaxed but definitely looking hungry.
September 1st saw a new chapter in Keledi’s life dawn: that of solo hunter and independent adult. Guests came across her on a morning drive and she had just killed a full-grown male red lechwe. Still out of breath and standing over her kill, there were drag marks indicating the area where the kill took place. Reconstructing the events, it seems that she grabbed hold of the lechwe, and owing the antelope’s size relative to the leopard, had dragged it into the water before she managed to kill it. After some minutes of trying to regain her energy she started to drag it out of the water and towards the sanctuary of some nearby bush.
She struggled though, as her energy was tapped and because of the size of the lechwe so, after dragging it few metres but still a distance from the bush, she started to eat. This was her first observed large prey animal, and as guests left her they all wondered if it would still be hers by the next day, as the size of the lechwe would make it tough to conceal her prey from other predators.
The next morning, after a short breakfast, the guests headed out again in anticipation of what had happened at the kill site during the night. As guests got close to the area, they spotted some hyaena tracks. Thinking her kill was taken away by these relentless predators in own right, they drove on.
Keledi was found again, still with her prize – she had dragged it closer to the bush by about another 30m, but still not eating that much. As guests spent some time with her, she ate some more and then dragged it even closer to the bush. Then the guide received a radio call from another game viewer that there was another leopard heading in their direction. They waited in anticipation and then the other leopard appeared some distance away. There was a pause and it seemed as though the leopards exchanged a glance and then the other leopard went off again. Taking a closer look at the other leopard it was identified as Keledi’s mother. Perhaps she was just checking how her latest offspring was getting along…
This was all a tremendous success in the young leopard’s life and we at Tubu Tree Camp are certainly looking forward to seeing more of her.
