After a break of almost a year we went to the B R Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, for just a day. Though we have been to this Sanctuary numerous times, we have never seen a Leopard or a Tiger on any of the Jeep Safaris. Our earlier two sightings of the Royal Bengal Tiger had happened on the state highway, which runs through the Sanctuary. Little did we know that in this visit our luck would change! It was about 5:45 pm and we were out on the evening safari. The jeep was ambling along the safari track when suddenly someone noticed a Leopard walking within the lantana adjacent to the tracks. We stopped the jeep and spotted the Leopard moving around. He was very well camouflaged and we could only see his spots when he moved. However, when he stopped moving, it was impossible for us to sight it, even though it was just 50 feet from the Jeep. He was in no hurry to show himself to us and stayed still and hidden in the thick Lantana for several minutes. We decided to wait it out. And after about 15 minutes, the Leopard lost its patience and started to stroll deeper into the Lantana while keeping its eyes trained on us all the time. We managed to get a couple of shots, one of which is this.
While all of us in the jeep congratulated each other on this chance sighting, I wasn't very happy to have missed out on a great photo opportunity. After some discussion, we decided to trace back along the safari road and return to this location after 5-10 minutes. We had just about reversed 100 meters, when a few Chitals (Spotted Deer), which were right next to the tracks, started giving alarm calls. We switched off the jeep engine and looked at the direction where the Deer were looking, trying to spot the predator. We were all pretty convinced that the Leopard was on a hunt and would soon appear to stalk the Deer. Another 20 minutes flew by, and except for the occasional alarm calls by the Deer, there was no movement. We had to exit the Sanctuary by 6:30 p.m; light had died down and we decided to call it quits.
The jeep started and we moved about 10 meters ahead when Narayanan, the Jungle Lodges Resort naturalist, spotted the Leopard lying casually on the branch of a tree about 150 feet from the tracks. The Leopard had been there all the time for the last 20 minutes and should have been looking at us, while we just couldn't spot it! No wonder they say that the Leopard is "the master of camouflage ". In the next 9 minutes, in dying light, we had a portrait session with this Leopard. All these near full frame images were shot with the D300, 300 f2.8 lens mounted with the 2x convertor. ISO 1600 to ISO 3200 indicates the challenging lighting conditions, fortunately we had the mini beanbag and it helped us get some decent shots even at 1/25s-1/60s.
While all of us in the jeep congratulated each other on this chance sighting, I wasn't very happy to have missed out on a great photo opportunity. After some discussion, we decided to trace back along the safari road and return to this location after 5-10 minutes. We had just about reversed 100 meters, when a few Chitals (Spotted Deer), which were right next to the tracks, started giving alarm calls. We switched off the jeep engine and looked at the direction where the Deer were looking, trying to spot the predator. We were all pretty convinced that the Leopard was on a hunt and would soon appear to stalk the Deer. Another 20 minutes flew by, and except for the occasional alarm calls by the Deer, there was no movement. We had to exit the Sanctuary by 6:30 p.m; light had died down and we decided to call it quits.
The jeep started and we moved about 10 meters ahead when Narayanan, the Jungle Lodges Resort naturalist, spotted the Leopard lying casually on the branch of a tree about 150 feet from the tracks. The Leopard had been there all the time for the last 20 minutes and should have been looking at us, while we just couldn't spot it! No wonder they say that the Leopard is "the master of camouflage ". In the next 9 minutes, in dying light, we had a portrait session with this Leopard. All these near full frame images were shot with the D300, 300 f2.8 lens mounted with the 2x convertor. ISO 1600 to ISO 3200 indicates the challenging lighting conditions, fortunately we had the mini beanbag and it helped us get some decent shots even at 1/25s-1/60s.
91 comments:
This one seems so relax... I can almost heat it noring.
Look @ eyes - The 1st pic.
Attentive & focused.
Claps for the leopard.
And claps for the clicks.
nice, very good pictures.
Anything this beautiful always leaves me with the stunned an unable to proceed feeling. ~Mary
Loving and intriguing!
Always very beautiful photos.
François et mta.
Great pictures of a beautiful (maybe the best) animal.
Your pictures are great because taken in a very difficult situation:a jungle.
There,I think,every autofocus,can get "crazy".
My Leopards come from the desert:a really easier situation...
All are magical but the first one is stunning.
you guys have been so lucky!!!!!! great pics, as usual
Amazing photos. As usual! What is more amazing is that the leopard was there all the time, indeed the master of camouflage. I wonder how the deer knew it.
Beautiful series, gotta love the first shot.
Thanks for sharing what must have been an amazing encounter. The shots of the leopard in the tree are obviously gorgeous, but the first shot of the cat peering through the leaves really demonstrates the "master of camouflage" statement and might actually be my favorite.
Hey Thomas excellent collection of leopard. He is in fact camouflaged. I love the clarity and sharpness of the photo. BTW do these animals every attack, can you walk by foot by this sanctuary or you always need to have vehicle? Anna :)
While I love your bird photos too, I must say the big cats are my all time favorites of your work...thanks so much for sharing your great adventures!
My favourite cat (but then again I've never seen any tigers in the wild!)
Thanks for sharing
Spectacular shots Thomas! What a beautiful creature.
You have captured this critters majesty!
Spirithelpers
Those pictures are so fantastic, I'm speechless looking at them.
Hi Thomas,
Wow a beautiful beast that I would like to see with my own eyes. It is a superb predator and looks so cute (and dangerous probably). Beautiful as always!
Great series, the eyes on the first one is awesome... they have spotted you it looks like. Very nice captures
The most beautiful creature! The 3rd photo is my favourite. Just look at those amazing eyes and velvety coat!
I always am astonished by your shots, you two. Whether or not you are chosen, you really are fabulous e-envoys of India's natural wildness and beauty.
With fingers crossed,
Chris
Wow, these are fantastic photos. I love the eyes. You were so lucky to see the leopard.
Spectacular!
its amazing how a huge animal like this is able to camouflage ... especially from people like u who manages to spot even the tiniest of birds :)
yet another amazing set of shots
I agree that it's difficult to shoot wildlife in these situations, and even in the most difficult lighting situations you got some very nice, clear shots. excellent work!
Como consiguen camuflarse en su habitat natural, hay que observar bien detenidamente cada rincon, asi podremos ver estos preciosos animales.
Saludos.
Oh...what luck to have sighted a leopard again. It is such a beautiful animal. Lighting is poor, but you seem to have done a fantastic job with the pictures.
What a majestic creature.
Beautiful! It is very intresting to see the camouflage in the first photo!
stunning as always!
you really walk the wilderness and bring it to us :)
how relaxed seems the leopard in the last pictures is amazing..
wish you nice trips and a lot of sightings!
congrats!
./z
it must be really hard spotting him with that camouflaged fur of his.. :) he looks so cute in the second to the last shot.. :D nice work!
wow the first shot is just amazing
What a beautiful creature! Very nice series as usual.
Thomas: What a great capture of the elusive cat. You caught it perfectly at rest.
Thomas,
I'm speechless..these are wonderful captures and that first pix of him peeking thru the vegetation is to die for!! How nice you caught him at rest..such a wonderful and majestic creature..What a great job Thomas!!
It looks like a big, majestic, tame pussycat here! But I wouldn't want to treat it like one! yay! I love the one of it in the bushes, with just its eyes showing. Beautiful captures, Thomas.
except the first image the leopard seems to be very relaxed! the eyes in the first image is excellent!
Superb and beautiful beast! Impressive pose on is natural living place. Awesome exif data... Bonne semaine.
The first photo in this series is just amazing!!
We are looking at each other ....
Kudos of those with sharp eyes for spotting this beautiful animal! Your photos are truly incredible. Keep up the great work!
oh wow! i never realized quite how camoflauged that cat was before. great work on the first capture. you've really go to search for the cat. even on the tree branch it blends right in.
Ths majestic leopard...I guess the wait was worth it! Great snaps of this magnificent animal...
As always your photos of animals in their natural environment - take my breath away!
Stunning! Absolutely beautiful cat... I do love the resting shots. So comfortable, so relaxed. I'm glad you were there to capture those moments.
wow - gorgeous, gorgeous photos!
Unbelievable! I wouldn't even be able to breathe if I saw that! He's magnificent, and your photos are, as always, perfect.
Your patience paid off, Thomas. What a pussy cat! :)
What a beauty.
fantastic work you have done here. well well done!!!!
Quel magnifique animal !
j'aime beaucoup la première photo prise à travers le taillis de feuilles.
Beautiful photography.
Wow! Perfectly captured! Congrats... wonderful pictures even in this low light condition you describe !
Lovely photos. I envy you guys. I was in BR Hills on 28th and 29th August and we din't get to see a thing on both days!
wow how lucky you have been to spot such a gorgeous leopard ... and this one looks really nice lazily lying on his branch ;-)
owh the first is a cool one thomas, really shows his camouflageskills. (you do seem to have some funny artifacts around the leaves, seems like something went a bit bad with exporting ?)
The last set is also a job well done, especially considering the settings you had to use.
I can feel my own heart racing as I read your account of this magnificent cat! Though you were disappointed if the first picture was the only one - it is a stunner and one I have seen so many times in a movie - when this beautiful animal is peeking through at the people watching - this is such a natural and wonderful sighting!!!
ahhh but then the how AMAZING to see this cat acting like a happy, leisurely cat - hanging out on this branch (probably laughing at you) - I LOVE them and the low light make them looks so seductive! You have done a marvelous job in these lighting conditions - bravo!
Bonjour,
Always great setie..Nice framing and lightness..Bravo!
Looks like a lazy day. They are laying there posing for you!
Majestueux !... merci Thomas pour la beauté faite féline :-)))
The first pic was instant favorite. Very intense, amazing! How did you managed to keep cool & composed??? Amazing job, Bravo!
Wow they really do blend in perfect with their environment! Great shots and it looks like they are enjoying a lazy day napping!
excellent and very impresive work
http://krikis.aminus3.com
Absolutely super shots. The leopard looks like a fashion model :-)
a couple of weeks ago, we had a female leopard in long grass standing just 1.5m from us at eye level (we were in a car) and it took us a good while to find her - incredible how well they blend in to their surroundings.
thanks for your comment on my Tiger post
The leopard is confortable and natural and so are the photos. They feel so effortless yet I know there has been a lot of work to get them. The 4th was my fave because the cat was so relaxed.
Your ability to capture wildlife is amazing. We are all very lucky to be apart of your world through your lens.
Cheers
A thrilling read accompanied by spectacular images. What a great treat!
Thanks, Thomas!
Magnificent creature, your patience was rewarded. great photos good story.
At least he wasn't too clever for your eyes. :) Wonderful!
Now I know why it's the master of camouflage. Excellent series of images. Absolutely fascinating leopard photos.
What a magnificent animal! You got great images in the fading light.
Outstanding! Specially the first one. How could you get that near by?
My dear Thomas and Shilpy,
"Chance favours the prepared mind," said Louis Pasteur.
Here you're lucky because you've trained your eyes to see through Nature's camouflage. And so you've spotted the leopard.
I liked your travel description too, since it enables us to see the leopard through your eyes and camera.
Your blog is rare for its detailed mixture of pictures and words. Keep it up.
Peace and love,
- Joe.
Another somptuous series Thomas. The leopard seems so relaxed!
The first shot is very cool. Great shots!
wow! i was waiting to see this. such a content looking leopard. looks just like my cat cindy after a big meal.
gosh!
fantastic shots again, love that leopard peeping through the branches
The first shot is really wonderful,such powerful eyes! Thanks for sharing these beautiful work.
Thomas,
Shots to be proud of. The first one shows the cunning nature of the beast. All are images to be proud of.
Awesome work on these I really like the first image with the eyes peering through the brush! Great work!
Wow - that's awesome!!
This is so professional set of pictures . What else to say but BRAVO !!!
Leopard camouflage is one of the best in the nature.
In this series, although the photographs after the first one are showcasing the beauty of the leopard, I liked the first one more than those. All the photographs are great however :)
Marriage and Swine Flu ;-)
Great shots as usual.
The first one is a fantastic and powerful capture and the others are gorgeous. What a wonderful animal!!!
This is really a wonderful animal. Sitting in the bushes it is hard to spot.
As always Thomas .. you open my heart and mind
A wonderful series of photos of the leopard, Thomas. It seems as if the hunter was watching the humans all along.
Wow, I love that first shot.
Thanks for keeping up with my site! I've been out of the loop for a while, but I see you're still posting great photos!
I love the first shot. It captures the mysteriousness of the leopard with just his eyes showing. Great work in challenging conditions.
WOW, wonderful animal, great shots :))
I want your life if only for a week, would love to experience all that you do. p.s. I want your camera too.
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