The manager’s house where I live is right down the southern end of the beach about 50 m past the last Banda. Yesterday afternoon around 4 pm I was walking home along the back path or service path that runs behind the Banda’s. As I walking behind Banda 6 I could here the alarm calls of several animals on either side of the path. At first I thought all the fuss was because of me so I stopped and froze with my back to the trunk of a large Palm tree. I stood stock still for at least 30 seconds picking out the different alarm calls and looking for the culprits. Above me a troop of vervet monkeys were going crazy, further into the forest I noticed a flock of guinea foul who were also making a racket, and behind me and above Banda 6 I could hear several baboons barking their distinctive warning call. Just then I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye and slowly turned my head to the right expecting to see a baboon walking behind the tree. My heart stopped beating, she was small, about 40 to 50kg, and stunning with a striking pattern which looked so clean and fresh, she was only 10 feet away. The leopard walked right behind the tree I was leaning against then strolled onto the path just 10 feet in front of me, she didn’t look or even register that I was there. She slowly walked away down the path with her tail in the air curling to the left so that it looked like a question mark ? . The noise around me was incredible but her only reaction was a flick of the tail once then twice before she rounded the corner. I moved slowly after her and managed to see her turn into the grass and disappear.
that puts my 'baby cobra' sighting the other day, in my garden, somewhat in the shade!!! :)
ReplyDelete