ORPEN – Witnessing animals that are not usually seen doing something out of the ordinary during visits to the Kruger National Park (KNP), made Lisl Moolman’s recent visit so much more special.
Lisl, a professional photographer, was on her way home after a visit to Skukuza. As she came around a bend, Lisl said she witnessed a unique sighting.
“Near Orpen Rocks, between Skukuza and Tshokwane, I noticed three feline shapes in the road. As I was driving into the sun, I thought at first it was lions, until I recognised the unmistakable shape of leopards. They were all of slight build, and I assume it was a female with her juvenile cubs.”
Lisl then saw that the mother did not notice two of her cubs wandering off, as she was looking the other way. One of the juveniles moved into the long grass on the right-hand side. “After a few minutes, the mother crossed the road and started calling and searching. All of a sudden she sat upright, looking from left to right in search of the cub.”
Lisl just sat in her car taking pictures when the other cub suddenly appeared next to the mother and they started rubbing against each other. “It was one of the moments that I will never forget as long as I live,” she told Lowvelder.
“It was my first time to witness three leopards in one sighting, and the special bond between them made it very special for me.”
