Cats Galleries

African Leopard : The leopard is a solitary cat with males weighing up to 175 pounds, females 70 pounds. These spotted cats vary in color significantly over their range and can be black (although this is rare in South Africa, but more common in India see our black panther gallery). The leopard is not the largest of cats, but is none the less an efficient hunter. After making a kill, they often move the prey up in a tree to protect it from lions and hyenas. I've included some shots of a leopard at the bottom of a tree and then in the branches with a full grown impala. Even more amazing is the photo of a warthog lying across a branch. So assuming that even African "pigs can't fly", it must have been put there by the large male lying in the shade about 25 yards away (the warthog photo appears after the suspected leopard). The majority of cats in this section were found and photographed in Sabi Sands Reserve and Kruger Park, both located in the Republic of South Africa. Some though were photogaphed in The Amami reserve in Namibia www.amani-lodge-namibia.com . To Let everyone know where a shot was taken, I will add to the caption an "A" for Amani, "K" for Kruger and "S" for Sabi We just returned from our third trip to Africa, and this one was the best yet. Please note the addition of a young female leopard with a cub that has to be no more then a couple of weeks old, as well as leopards with impala and warthogs in trees. Our visit to Namibia was to short and we will spend more time there next year, and will include another visit to Amani. In South Africa, we have to once again thank our tour operators and now friends, George and Judy James of Boma tours www.bomatours.co.za, for getting us in the "right place at the right time". Some of the leopard shots were taken within 5 feet of the animals. (We were in a vehicle sometimes, an open vehicle!!) Unfortunately. many were taken as night was falling, but some of these are, I think, super. Hope you enjoy.

African Leopard

African Lions : The lion is the largest African predator, with males weighing over 500 pounds. Females are in the 350 pound range. Only the male is maned. The lion is the most social of cats with prides ranging from 3 to 30 individuals, normally with a dominant male and female. The dominant male will drive away his male offspring as they grow and he perceives them as a threat. Lions tend to be active at night, mainly near sunrise and sunset. On our last trip we were fortunate to see a hunt at about 9 in the morning. All of the lions in this section were photographed in southern Africa in the Kruger Park South Africa, the Sabie Sands Reserve South Africa, the Etosha Park Namibia, or the Amani lodge also in Namibia. The first photos in this Gallery were taken in Amani, we found that they do their best to accomodate photographers. note the light on the cats. If you're in Windhoek we recommend you make this a must stop www.amani-lodge-namibia.com . Our latest (3rd) trip completed in October 2009. This was our first trip to Namibia, but not our last. One of the advantages of using a guide in Kruger is that he communicates and shares information on animal sightings with other guides, increasing your chances of sightings. Take care though, we have seen some (most) companies crowding 10 people into the vehicles, 3x3 and one next to the driver. If you're with one of these companies and you're in the middle or the wrong side, frustration is assured. Try to find a guide/company that doesn't take more than six. You've paid a lot of money to get there and for the safari, so get the most out of it. As mentioned on my opening page we have had great experiences with Boma Tours. www.bomatours.co.za In Namibia the best way ( in our opinion) to get around is in a rented vehicle. The trafic is very light once you leave Windhoek and your flexibility increases dramatically.

African Lions

Cheetah : The cheetah is the fastest land animal reaching reported speeds of 100km per hour. Some believe that in most instances the top speed is only about 80km or 50mph. In any case, they are very fast for short distances. Unlike other cats, their claws do not retract. They are terrestrial and use sloping trees or mounds as observation posts. They have even been known to jump on a car for this purpose.. The cheetah is a solitary and diurnal (active in the day time) animal. When seen in groups, it is generally brothers or a pair mating. Of the top 5 predators in Africa, the cheetah is at the bottom. They must give way for Lions, Hyeana, Wild Dogs and Leopards. This is why they tend to consume their prey rapidly. If not they may well loose it to one of the other predators. As they are not the worlds best climbers they do not have the ability to take large game up a tree. (See Leopards) The first group of photos were taken at the Amani lodge in Namibia www.amani-lodge-namibia.com the second group was taken in the Etosha Park Namibia and the remainder in Kruger. We have yet to see a cheetah at Sabi Sands. To clarify the first letter denotes the location of the shot "A" Amani, "E" Etosha and "K" Kruger.

Cheetah

Black Panther : The black panther in these photos is really a black leopard. There isn't a species of cat named "black panther" Both the leopard and Jaguar have been called black panther. The leopard being the more common. The leopard is related to Tigers, Lions and Jaguars who make up the group of felines who can roar. A little secret though is that when your watching TV and hear a lion roar, sometimes it's a dubed in bear. The black leopard is an animal that has a melanistic tendency (look it up). This tendency is hereiditary. Although not all animals in a litter may be black. They are often mixed. In any case it is an interesting and beautiful yet somewhat sinister animal. They range from africa to central asia india and china. The leopard often takes his kill up in a tree to protect it from scavengers such as Hyena and Lions. Yes the lion does scavenge the kills of other predators. The leopard while a strong predator in its own right is not a match for a lion or a pack of Hyena. In fact a single Hyena would be a major problem. Thus the meal in a tree concept. A leopard can actually move more then its own weight up into the tree. On trips to africa we have often seen large warthogs up in trees with leopards either on the ground or in the tree, and as pigs can't yet fly! We also once saw a small female leopard jump on the back of large Hyena in order to protect her cubs. The fur ball lasted about 5 to 10 seconds after which the hyena walked away. All of the photos in this galley were taken at Animals of Montana outside of Bozeman. www.animalsofmontana.com

Black Panther

The black panther in these photos is really a black leopard. There isn ...

Updated: Oct 25, 2009 11:38am PST

Siberian Tiger : The Siberian Tiger is the largest member of the 8 sub species of Tiger. The male can be almost 11 feet long and weigh over 600 pounds. The female can be over 9 feet and weigh 350 pounds. Most animals are smaller. In fact there are some who believe that the Siberian and Bengal are basically the same size. In any case the Siberian is considered the largest of Panthera Tigras Attricia. The gestation period for this animal is 3 to 3.5 months when normally 3 to 4 cubs are born. Litters up to 6 are not unknown. At birth the number of females to males is approximately the same. By the time they are mature (4 years) this has changed to about 3 females to every male. Females tend to stay with their mothers longer and stay closer to home, even after they leave their moms. Males have larger ranges and tend to get into more trouble. All of the photos in this gallery were taken at Animals of Montana near Bozeman. www.animalsofmontana.com

Siberian Tiger

The Siberian Tiger is the largest member of the 8 sub species of Tiger ...

Updated: Nov 29, 2009 4:03am PST

Barbary Lion : All of the photos in this gallery were taken in a controlled shoot in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on the Arizona/Utah border. For fans of the "Duke" this is where the calvary trilogy was filmed. The lion was provided by "Animals of Montana". His name is Mufasa and, as you can see, he is really photogenic. This sub species of lion (Barbary lion) is unfortunately no longer seen in the wild. The entire population is believed to be in the 200 to 500 range. Note that the mane goes completely under the animal to the back legs. He is truly Mufasa the magnificent. We hope that you enjoy the photos.

Barbary Lion

Snow Leopard : All of the photos in this gallery are of the very rare Snow Leopard. They were taken in a controlled shoot at Animals of Montana. The leopard "Asia" is one of very few in the US, or for that matter in captivity anywhere. The location is in the Rockies near Bozeman.

Snow Leopard

Mountain Lions : These photos were taken in southern Montana. The mountains shown are the bridger range. This was a controlled shoot.

Mountain Lions

These photos were taken in southern Montana. The mountains shown are t ...

Updated: Nov 08, 2008 8:26am PST

Cougars in Monument Valley : All of the photos in this gallery were taken in a controlled shoot in the Navajo Tribial Park (Monument Valley). The cougars were provided by Animals of Montana. The adult is Charlie. Several shooting locations within the park were used. It is believed that the shots with the mittens in the background are the first ever taken with a cougar in the foreground.

Cougars in Monument Valley

Bob Cat :

Bob Cat

Updated: May 04, 2008 8:17am PST