One of the most secretive and elusive big cat in the wild is a Leopard which at times people tend to confuse it with the cheetah. For the Leopard it has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull unlike the cheetah. Another difference is the marked rosettes similar to those of a jaguar but the Leopard rosettes are smaller and more densely packed.
Tsavo west National park offers some of the most magnificent scenery where you can watch the Leopards since of the savannah, grasslands and scrublands bringing out a perfect ecosystem for their habitat. Apart from the leopards at Tsavo west you will also find elephants, rhino, hippos, lions, cheetah, buffalos and birds species.
The leopard is distinguished the well skilled hunting behavior, broad diet and the strength to more heavy carcasses taking them on trees. They are also known for the ability to adapt to various habitats ranging from rainforest to savannah as well as their high speeds during hunting.
A major threat to leopard population is habitat loss and fragmentation is declining in large parts of the global range. Leopard haunting is another major threat to these big cats where they are illegally killed and their skin is smuggled in the wildlife and used for decoration. However in Kenya leopard hunting is not common unlike other countries in Africa where the killing is rampant.
Kenya Wildlife Service has strongly campaigned against leopard poaching so as to preserve this species. We urge all people to take an initiative of visiting visit Tsavo west National Park and see the magnificent game view all the wild animals.
All the images are available for sale at Versatile adventures office in canvas, frames, post cards and wooden mounts.
Story by
Kiiru Tyson