By Todd Gustafson
We had a fantastic morning and afternoon of shooting! There's that rhythm of safari where you need to know when to be done with a shoot and get on to the next thing. Today was like that. We had so many great things including a 3-day-old giraffe, Crested Eagle, and the most amazing White Storks. They migrate from Europe by the thousands and drop into Ndutu. We happened to be along a stream in the valley when they started landings in the mirror-smooth water. They waded and drank, creating perfect reflections. Photo Heaven!
On the way home, as the light turned golden, I said, "Nico, it looks like leopard light." He said three seconds later (I’m not lying!), "Good, because there is the leopard!” There she was on a branch, sitting upright. She let us get within 30 feet. I didn't want to spook her, so we stayed there. No one else on the planet but us!
She ended up getting down to chase a baby zebra! She missed, but walked all over the meadow and allowed us to follow. Up another tree in the golden light of the setting sun, she sat and posed on a branch, 8 feet off the ground and 15 feet from us, until we had to leave. She gave us the most memorable 40 minutes you could imagine. I still can't breathe.
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On the way home, as the light turned golden, I said, "Nico, it looks like leopard light." He said three seconds later (I’m not lying!), "Good, because there is the leopard!” There she was on a branch, sitting upright. She let us get within 30 feet. I didn't want to spook her, so we stayed there. No one else on the planet but us!
She ended up getting down to chase a baby zebra! She missed, but walked all over the meadow and allowed us to follow. Up another tree in the golden light of the setting sun, she sat and posed on a branch, 8 feet off the ground and 15 feet from us, until we had to leave. She gave us the most memorable 40 minutes you could imagine. I still can't breathe.
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Next day >>
