The leopard lay still, observing a rising sun on the distant horizon.

Namanje means “still” in IsiZulu.

Early morning brings the stories of the night to light. Pressing past some fallen trees, we noticed the silhouette of this beautiful cat astride a fallen mopane tree. Her tail occasionally twisted and curled, her senses alert, letting us know she was aware of our arrival. But her stare seemed far away, unperturbed by our presence. While we kept at a respectable distance, a soft, ebbing breeze wrapped around and through the bush, its scents telling of others and their morning sojourns.

She turned quietly, facing us, and as one of us made a rustle while settling down, her golden eyes locked, ascertaining our intentions. Comforted that we were no threat, she slowly reverted back to her poise, like a queen of her land stretched along the gnarled wooden pulpit beneath her. The senses all seemed to meet infinity as we all remained still in our respective spaces, all appreciating a moment in nature and perhaps life. All things seemed to come to a standstill for just a minute, but then her ears twitched, picking up on something further out, much deeper in the bush, and it seemed to interest her. Slowly, she raised herself and stretched in her cat-like form, every inch a beautiful queen that was about to go about her business of the day. And with that, she was suddenly gone.

Conservation of the African Leopard

The African leopard, a species widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, has experienced significant population reductions, particularly in the western and northern regions. These solitary and territorial animals meticulously defend the core areas of their home ranges while tolerating some overlap at the peripheries, employing strategies such as mutual avoidance and alternating land use to maintain their territories.

Known for their athletic prowess, leopards are formidable climbers and capable swimmers, adapting their behaviours as necessary to thrive in various environments.

Despite facing numerous threats, leopards have managed to fare slightly better than some other big cats. Their wide distribution and incredible adaptability have allowed them to persist in areas heavily impacted by human activity where other carnivores cannot. However, this resilience is being tested; leopards have been extirpated from approximately 37% of their African range, and populations in North Africa, the Middle East, and Russia are now critically endangered.

The primary threats to leopards are loss of habitat and prey, along with intense persecution as livestock predators. In southern Asia, they are heavily hunted for their skins and bones, which feed into the Chinese medicinal trade. Meanwhile, in western and central Africa, leopards are hunted for their skins, teeth, and claws. In tropical forests, bushmeat hunting competes directly with leopards for prey species, posing a significant threat to their survival even in unlogged forests.

Conservation efforts are crucial to protecting this magnificent big cat from further decline. Strategies must address habitat preservation, prey protection, and mitigating human-leopard conflicts to ensure the survival of leopards across their natural range.

Raw Africa Collection

Welcome to Africa - the wise, the restless, the life giving.

This soulful land of dreamers gives rise to the underbelly of a beautiful gentle beat that is only heard by those who listen for it. This photographic journey explores, profiles and captures what I hope is the heart and soul of Africa's true wilderness kingdom. From its deep bush to its dry savannah and desert, Africa remains a place where life is represented by timeless vistas that are distilled into moments to treasure.