There are no guarantees on safari. But Rhulani’s statistics show that all members of the famous "Big Five" are seen with a high probability. Except leopard. This is a hard nut to crack even for our experienced rangers, like Sean.
Making the final balance, Rhulani’s guests sometimes miss the leopard at the end of their stay. Sean shows empathy: "I am so sorry, but with a little luck you will see it next time". As the quality of safaris is usually overwhelming, even without the leopard, the situation can be resolved. The guests leave with a happy face.
There are only rough estimates of how many leopards live in Madikwe. Maybe 20? 30? Or maybe 50? As this agile cat jumps over the fence of the reserve, in and out, the number changes every day. Certainly there are a lot more elephants, giraffes or buffalos to see in the reserve. This reduces the likelihood of discovering this impressive animal. And most of the leopards are shy, despite their strength, and they hide when one comes close.
Sometimes our guests are skeptical: Are there any leopards in Madikwe at all? Or is it all just a fairy tale to keep guests in a good mood when they drive around in the bush?
The proof that leopards really exist, is given by wonderful reports and photos from guests who have found it. "It is always one of the safari highlights, not only because of the beauty of the animal or the wonderful photos with the leopard hanging in a tree. One is always aware of being very lucky, which makes the moment very specifically, "says Sean.
There are periods where one recognizes the habits of a leopard. For example, it always goes at a certain time of day to the watering hole, or walks the same route through the savannah. Then, we see one leopard, that lives near Rhulani, every day. "We call him Samson, and he is like our house leopard," says Sean.
If our guests still do not believe these stories, Sean takes a specific, earthy road with trees on both sides. He says: "Welcome to Samson's trophy room". And then he points to certain trees. “Here is a half-eaten leg of an impala, and there are the leftover horns of a young buffalo.” The trees are decorated with impressive trophies of our house leopard, they almost look like Christmas trees. Samson seems to really love this area for having lunch, and he changes the tree permanently.
If you come to Rhulani, ask Sean about Samson, about his trophy room, and maybe, you are lucky and will see him?
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