My most memorable experience was photographing the leopard on pages 22–23. We spotted it in a canyon one afternoon and I asked our guides if we could spend the rest of the day quietly observing it. The leopard moved several times as it explored its immediate surroundings, and I hoped it would come into the open so I could photograph it. But it always walked within the cover of tall grasses and acacia trees. Sometimes it vanished from sight altogether and I thought we would lose it, but our guides always seemed to know where it was. Eventually the sun was close to setting and I realized we were almost out of time for photography. Then, like a miracle, the leopard emerged silently from the undergrowth and sat just yards from our vehicle. It seemed to be enjoying a few minutes of relaxation, basking in the last warmth of the sun before the evening hunt. It was one of those magic moments, and I took my photograph. Not all cat encounters were so peaceful. One evening we were watching elephants from a boat on the Chobe River in Botswana. Suddenly there was a distressed trumpeting sound in the distance. The whole herd became alarmed and raised their trunks high, trying to catch the scent of danger. Later, as we turned our boat for home, we discovered the reason. A pride of lions had brought down a young elephant that had come to drink. It was a difficult sight, but a reminder of how things are on the African plains. And our sadness was softened by the sight of two tiny lion cubs with their mother. Their lives depended on the pride’s successful hunt.
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