A Leopard’s Tale: Chaos in the Serengeti

One sunny morning in Tanzania’s Serengeti, we stumbled upon a leopardess with her two tiny cubs. What started as a magical sighting quickly turned into heart-stopping chaos.

The crowd arrives

A few safari vehicles had already gathered. We hung back, hoping they’d move on. Instead, more cars poured in. The road clogged up fast. Drivers jockeyed for position, blocking everyone. Cameras clicked wildly. The leopardess paced in her tree, clearly stressed.

A dangerous crossing for the leopard cubs

Finally, she climbed down. One cub scampered after her. The other hesitated. She crossed the road and called softly. That’s when it happened – a vehicle lurched forward for a better shot, right as the cubs darted between the cars.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. The car nearly ran over one of the leopard cubs! Shouts erupted from nearby vehicles. The mother paced frantically, calling desperately for her babies.

One cub made it across safely. But the second? Gone. Lost in the chaos of tires and dust.

My heart stopped

My pulse hammered. Where was that little cub? I felt this fierce, protective rage I’d never known before. I was seconds from jumping out to save it myself. Or confronting the idiot driver who caused this mess.

We’d kept our distance, so we couldn’t see through the vehicle jam. All we could do was wait… and pray.

Joy in the dust

Then – a miracle. The missing leopard cub burst out, bounding straight to his brother. They tumbled together in pure, oblivious joy.

The mother leaped into a tree right by our vehicle. Patience rewarded. Most of the offending cars slunk away.

Playtime begins

One cub climbed up to join her. Peering down, he spotted something shiny on the ground – a forgotten item from one of those chaotic vehicles. His eyes lit up. For a young leopard cub, that meant one thing: playtime.

To be continued…

That morning burned itself into my memory. A stark reminder of how our excitement can endanger the very wildlife we love.

To be continued…