Okonjima is a protected area where wild cats can run free. We often spotted wild boar by the side of the road, and did they run away quickly!
Local farmers bring them young cheetahs in particular, whose mothers have been killed by poachers. The cheetahs and leopards wear collar with radio tracking devices, allowing the rangers to search for them within the range.
The start of our afternoon hunt for cheetahs.
It is late afternoon as these two are dozing under a tree. We are allowed out of our vehicle to walk towards these huge cats, protected only by sticks!
The next morning it was time to hunt leopards! This one is a ‘tame’ leopard who lives within the inner confines of the reservation.
The ‘wild’ leopards are harder to find than the cheetahs as they hide in the thick bush. We drove for a couple of hours tracking one leopard, and almost got the vehicle stuck in the process. So, the guide gave up on that one, and we sped off in the other direction in search of another leopard which his colleagues had reported sighting.
We then saw this beauty taking her morning stroll; their camouflage is really good!
She rapidly disappeared up a tree!
Then came back down to earth for a yawn.
Before she strolled off out of sight, she walked up right behind our open vehicle. Everyone was thinking this was a great photo-opportunity and were dismayed to find the driver peeping the horn so she would run away. Our guide tractfully reminded us that we had just seen how high she could jump, and he did not want her jumping into the vehicle.
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