After spending a great afternoon in Nairobi National Park, where I saw lions feeding, buffalo grazing, a black rhino and her calf, and in the last few minutes of my drive, the most elusive creature deigned to make an appearance.
On my way out, ahead of me I saw a large feline emerge from the bushes. In the twilight its coat seemed to glow in the surrounding darkness and I initially thought it was a lion. As it crossed the road, I was able to confirm it had a white tip to the tail, and even though it's spots were almost invisible, I knew … woohoo.
As it disappeared into the bushes on my left, I cautiously rolled forward in my car, scanning the bushes in hopes of another glimpse. And as though waiting for me, there he was. Less than 50 metres away. Our eyes locked, and not daring to blink, I clicked off a burst of shots with my camera. And then the moment was over and he melted into the jigsaw of leaves.
And that is the wonder of the leopard. There one second, gone the next, leaving you wondering whether you imagined the whole thing