From top: Leopard, Limpopo; Okavango River, Botswana
Leopards Famously unable to change their spots, leopards are habitually solitary creatures, often seen lazing in trees in the day, making the most of the vantage point and the cooling breeze. Nocturnal, they stalk their prey by night, and often haul their kills up trees to keep the carcasses away from scavengers. The beauty of their markings meant their glossy coats were once much in demand amongst the rich, but fashion trends have since moved away from a demand for genuine fur. Leopard populations have now improved over much of Southern Africa. Find them: Along the Okavango, Botswana One of the best places for leopard populations is the Okavango Delta, where the river system that rises in the highlands of Angola to the north spreads itself out into the lowlands of northwestern Botswana, creating lakes and wetlands and verdant grazing country, with plenty of trees for leopards to rest in. The Okavango’s added attraction for safari is waterborne travel by mokoro (traditional wooden canoe), which allows visitors to get closer to the wildlife than they would on a typical drive.
