2011-10-15 – Masai Mara

Back in 2007 and 2008 there was a young female Leopard we used to see regularly along the Ol Keju Rongai river. She was born sometime in early 2006. We call her Lorian, she was extremely confident with vehicles and very beautiful. At the end of 2008 she left that river and was very rarely seen as she changed the core area of her territory. In December last year she was seen with her first litter, but she unfortunately lost it quite soon. Since mid September she has been seen regularly and it seemed like she was suckling. And today, as we drove searching for her in the area where she has been reported, we were delighted to see her come out of the bushes accompanied by two tiny cubs, I presume to be about two months old. She hid into a burrow with them for the whole morning, and during lunch time she came out, left the cubs and rested on an Olive tree for a while. Then she went up the hill hunting. She came to within pouncing distance from a resting Reedbuck, but just when she was about to leap out the Reedbuck saw her and ran away. She searched a little more but there wasn’t much around, so at around five she returned to the cubs, called them out and nursed them. The cubs played, practiced climbing trees, went back to her repeatedly. All this while we were completely alone for the whole day, a whole amazing day sharing the most intimate moments in the life of one of the most elusive felines.