Wild Dogs tree a Leopard

by Bob Shepardson
(DeBary, Fl. U.S.A.)

This didn't really occur in Etosha, but rather in Okonjima. It's close to Etosha though. In Okonjima which is part of AfriCat, Many of the animals are collared which for a photographer isn't the best. Not all though. The reserve is quite large, and within it there is an unknown number of un-collared and unknown Leopards. This having been said we were tracking the two wild dogs that live in the reserve Robin and Jogi. Jogi is collared. Our guide received a signal from the area around one of the dams so we were off. Upon arriving at the dam and while the vehicle was still moving I started photographing the dogs. Sherry yelled leopard followed closely by our guide, or maybe the other way around, not sure. I continued to shoot the dogs not seeing the Leopard. Tunnel vision I guess. After a bit the vehicle stopped and there in front of us was a male Leopard in a tree, with the dogs bouncing around under it. We then began to shoot this unique sighting. The leopard was one of the unknown, and our guide didn't know he was there until it raised its head on the dam wall and the dogs saw it, and started the pursuit. When I checked my photos I did in fact have photos of it on the dam wall even though I was shooting the dogs. Pure luck. We then photographed the leopard in the tree and the action of the dogs. When the dogs tired of annoying the leopard they started to walk off the Leopard started to come down the dogs saw him and it was off to the races again. The dogs sent this Leopard up three different trees, before tiring of the game, if it was a game. Bottom line we have a number of photos of a sighting I wouldn't have imagined. Hope you enjoy. One last excuse, We were shooting into the sun.