Seeing a leopard in the wild is a special thing. But despite being widespread in Africa, it is one of the hardest of the Big Five to find, as its elusive, solitary nature keeps it out of sight.
Leopards are also nocturnal, hunting mostly at night. By day they lie up in thick bush or rest in trees. Poaching and conflict with people have cut their numbers sharply.
All of which means seeing a leopard takes some luck and some strategy. A few safari destinations in Africa hold healthy leopard populations where your chances are good.
If you do come across one, keep the chatter to a minimum so as not to startle it. Leopards are shy and easily spooked, and it is always best to stay quiet around them and other big cats, and to take extra care around cubs.
To improve your chances, here are five of the best places to see leopards in Africa.
1. Masai Mara and Samburu, Kenya
The Masai Mara is a well-known reserve home to a great range of animals. Best known for its lions, it also has plenty of leopards, drawn by the sheer number of zebra, wildebeest and other prey from the great migration. From July to November, as the herds move up from the Serengeti, predator sightings, leopards included, increase.
To find leopards, skip the open grasslands where cheetahs and lions roam and head for the wooded river areas, especially along the Mara and Talek rivers. The Mara itself does not allow night drives, but you can stay in a private conservancy for after-dark leopard sightings.
Samburu, further off the beaten track, is reported to have many leopards, with its arid woodland, rocky outcrops and dense riverine bush. It is often rated the top place to see leopards in Kenya.
2. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
The Serengeti in Tanzania is famous for its great migration, and where there are gazelle, zebra and wildebeest, predators are never far. Leopards are among the big cats here, and one of the best spots to see them is the Seronera Valley.
Remember to look up, as leopards like to watch for prey, and feed, from up in the trees, often lazing in the branches of acacia, kigelia and sausage trees. They are also seen along the riverbeds of the Serengeti.
3. Kruger National Park, South Africa
In South Africa, one of the best places for leopards is Kruger National Park, which has one of the most diverse ranges of wildlife on the continent, leopards among them.
The Sabi Sand, a group of private reserves on Kruger’s boundary, has the highest density, with more than 50 leopards across about 100 square kilometres.
Londolozi, in the Sabi Sand, is one of the best known and has a high leopard population. The area suits them well, with thick vegetation, high-branched trees and plenty of prey such as monkeys, impala and bushbuck. Night drives are allowed near the Sand River and Londolozi, giving good chances of a sighting.
4. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
In eastern Zambia, in the Luangwa Valley, South Luangwa National Park has one of the highest leopard populations in Africa, so much so that it is called the Valley of the Leopard. The density is down to the wealth of prey and the dense woodland, ideal for ambush.
The leopards of South Luangwa are said to be particularly bold, and are often seen lounging in trees by day. The park also allows night drives, which improve your chances of seeing one hunt after dark. The best time to visit is the dry season, August to October, when leopards hunt the animals gathering at the waterholes.
5. Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
There are several places to see leopards in Botswana, such as the Savuti and Linyanti reserves, but the Moremi Game Reserve tops the list. It lies in the eastern part of the Okavango Delta, a highlight of Botswana’s wildlife.
Moremi protects part of the delta, and rather than heading deep in, it is worth watching its fringes. On the eastern side, the Khwai River holds permanent pools that draw plenty of animals, and leopards do well in the thick woodland, hunting along the floodplains.
Leopards at Moremi are numerous enough that you may see them even in the daytime, and the reserve also allows night drives.
Africa offers some fine places to watch leopards in the wild. Bear in mind, though, that a sighting is never guaranteed, so it is best to plan and talk to your guide to make the most of your safari.
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