Thinking like a cat: photographing a leopard in the wild
What goes on in a cat’s mind seems unknown even to God. We all know that a cat is an extremely independent creature — and those who consider themselves its owner are sorely mistaken. In reality, you’re just its servant. That’s true for domestic cats, but with wild ones, things are even more complicated…
Today I’ll share a few secrets of photographing wild cats, particularly leopards. Of course, I’m talking about animals in their natural habitat. If you’re not a photographer but simply a wildlife enthusiast, you’ll find it interesting to learn about some aspects of leopard behaviour.
And of course, this isn’t about camera settings. I believe that anyone who buys a good camera and a large lens and then travels to Africa to photograph big cats should have taken the time to read the countless intelligent books that have been written and published on the subject. I’m sharing what you won’t find in photography books — namely, information about the animal’s behaviour.
When people ask me how to find a leopard (or a cheetah, caracal, serval, or tiger) and how to capture a great moment, my answer is quite simple and banal: you need to think like a cat…
To understand how a cat thinks, you need to know how it’s biologically structured, what it likes, what lifestyle it leads, what it eats and how it eats, how it hunts, sleeps, finds a mate, gives birth, raises its young, and so on. Once you know everything about the cat, you’ll be able to find it and predict its behaviour a few minutes in advance. This will give you time to choose a shooting position and adjust your equipment. Knowing the animal allows you to plan your shooting day effectively.
Now let’s look at a specific example — the African leopard in the Maasai Mara National Park.
The leopard can be considered the epitome of a cat. It’s beautiful, climbs trees better than most other felines, hunts like many members of the cat family, but is stronger than most of them — and it’s also cunning and cautious. All these traits set it apart from other big cats in Africa.
Unlike lions and cheetahs, the leopard rarely hunts or eats its prey in the open savanna, and it won’t lie down to sleep in the middle of a field. The leopard is a “stealth cat”. It always hides — mainly in dense bushes and in trees. This is where it most often hunts, where it hides its prey, and where it gives birth and raises its young.
So where do we look for a leopard? That’s right — in areas with plenty of trees. And where do trees grow in the savanna? Where there’s water.
Find a stream and follow it, carefully scanning every tree and bush. Pay special attention to thick tree branches. If something is hanging down from a branch, it could be the leopard’s paws or its very long tail.
Today I’ll share a few secrets of photographing wild cats, particularly leopards. Of course, I’m talking about animals in their natural habitat. If you’re not a photographer but simply a wildlife enthusiast, you’ll find it interesting to learn about some aspects of leopard behaviour.
And of course, this isn’t about camera settings. I believe that anyone who buys a good camera and a large lens and then travels to Africa to photograph big cats should have taken the time to read the countless intelligent books that have been written and published on the subject. I’m sharing what you won’t find in photography books — namely, information about the animal’s behaviour.
When people ask me how to find a leopard (or a cheetah, caracal, serval, or tiger) and how to capture a great moment, my answer is quite simple and banal: you need to think like a cat…
To understand how a cat thinks, you need to know how it’s biologically structured, what it likes, what lifestyle it leads, what it eats and how it eats, how it hunts, sleeps, finds a mate, gives birth, raises its young, and so on. Once you know everything about the cat, you’ll be able to find it and predict its behaviour a few minutes in advance. This will give you time to choose a shooting position and adjust your equipment. Knowing the animal allows you to plan your shooting day effectively.
Now let’s look at a specific example — the African leopard in the Maasai Mara National Park.
The leopard can be considered the epitome of a cat. It’s beautiful, climbs trees better than most other felines, hunts like many members of the cat family, but is stronger than most of them — and it’s also cunning and cautious. All these traits set it apart from other big cats in Africa.
Unlike lions and cheetahs, the leopard rarely hunts or eats its prey in the open savanna, and it won’t lie down to sleep in the middle of a field. The leopard is a “stealth cat”. It always hides — mainly in dense bushes and in trees. This is where it most often hunts, where it hides its prey, and where it gives birth and raises its young.
So where do we look for a leopard? That’s right — in areas with plenty of trees. And where do trees grow in the savanna? Where there’s water.
Find a stream and follow it, carefully scanning every tree and bush. Pay special attention to thick tree branches. If something is hanging down from a branch, it could be the leopard’s paws or its very long tail.
In addition, you might notice the carcass of an antelope or impala killed by the leopard — it drags its prey up into the trees to prevent lions and hyenas from stealing it.
During the heat of the day, you can often find a leopard on the ground — usually in the shade of dense bushes. The savanna gets quite cool at night, and if a bush is thick enough, its foliage shields the ground from the sun’s rays, so the earth doesn’t have time to warm up. Leopards — and indeed all other big cats — like to lie on cool ground during the heat of the day.
Let’s say you’ve found a leopard. What next? You grab your camera and start shooting — no one can resist, especially after a long search. And so, once your memory card is filled with completely dull and repetitive shots of a sleeping leopard, it’s time to start assessing the situation.
Look carefully around you. Scan all the nearby trees and bushes. You need to determine whether the animal is full or hungry — this is very important! Look for animal remains. Also pay attention to the leopard’s belly: a hungry leopard will have a sunken belly on the sides.
A hungry animal won’t stay in one place for long. In search of food, leopards cover large distances. This means you’ll need to prepare for a lot of movement, following the animal — but don’t get too close. Don’t disturb the animal!
A well‑fed leopard probably won’t travel far for a day or two, unless it’s looking for a safe spot to rest — especially if the leopard has cubs.
Both scenarios are good for photography.
In the first case, you’ll be following the animal. It’s best if you can anticipate its route. When searching for food, a leopard moves around a lot, trying to find vantage points with a good view of the savanna. Leopards have excellent long‑range vision, so you’ll need to assess the terrain.
If you spot a hill, head to its summit and survey the surrounding area within a radius of several kilometres. You’ll need binoculars for this. Look for herds of impalas, antelopes, and gazelles — especially near trees and bushes.
The leopard will likely climb the hill and do the same. This means the animal will essentially come to you — and you’ll be able to photograph the leopard as it approaches, as well as anticipate its next moves.
During the heat of the day, you can often find a leopard on the ground — usually in the shade of dense bushes. The savanna gets quite cool at night, and if a bush is thick enough, its foliage shields the ground from the sun’s rays, so the earth doesn’t have time to warm up. Leopards — and indeed all other big cats — like to lie on cool ground during the heat of the day.
Let’s say you’ve found a leopard. What next? You grab your camera and start shooting — no one can resist, especially after a long search. And so, once your memory card is filled with completely dull and repetitive shots of a sleeping leopard, it’s time to start assessing the situation.
Look carefully around you. Scan all the nearby trees and bushes. You need to determine whether the animal is full or hungry — this is very important! Look for animal remains. Also pay attention to the leopard’s belly: a hungry leopard will have a sunken belly on the sides.
A hungry animal won’t stay in one place for long. In search of food, leopards cover large distances. This means you’ll need to prepare for a lot of movement, following the animal — but don’t get too close. Don’t disturb the animal!
A well‑fed leopard probably won’t travel far for a day or two, unless it’s looking for a safe spot to rest — especially if the leopard has cubs.
Both scenarios are good for photography.
In the first case, you’ll be following the animal. It’s best if you can anticipate its route. When searching for food, a leopard moves around a lot, trying to find vantage points with a good view of the savanna. Leopards have excellent long‑range vision, so you’ll need to assess the terrain.
If you spot a hill, head to its summit and survey the surrounding area within a radius of several kilometres. You’ll need binoculars for this. Look for herds of impalas, antelopes, and gazelles — especially near trees and bushes.
The leopard will likely climb the hill and do the same. This means the animal will essentially come to you — and you’ll be able to photograph the leopard as it approaches, as well as anticipate its next moves.
If the leopard spots a potential prey, it won’t head straight for an attack. It will approach the target stealthily, then climb a tree and wait until the prey is right underneath. Unlike a cheetah, a leopard won’t chase hoofed animals. It attacks from an ambush.
Your task is to figure out where the leopard is heading and move to the expected spot — but do it in a way that doesn’t scare off all the potential prey! Act carefully and slowly, just like the leopard itself.
Along the way, the leopard will make many stops: first, to rest; second, to assess the situation — has the prey moved away? Have any competitors appeared? Is there any danger? When making such stops in the middle of a field, the leopard tends to choose small hills. This means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to capture interesting shots along the leopard’s route to its prey.
If the leopard fails to spot any potential prey, it will look for a place to rest — as mentioned earlier, this usually means bushes or trees. It can be fascinating to watch the leopard leap into a tree, but after that there’s not much to photograph: it will go to sleep. In this case, you’ll either have to wait or return to your hotel — then come back to the same spot very early in the morning, hoping the animal hasn’t left or hasn’t gone far.
In the second case, if the leopard is well‑fed, it will be rather inactive. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to photograph.
Don’t forget: a leopard is a cat! This means it will groom itself, wash its face, lick its fur, yawn sweetly, and roll amusingly from side to side.
From time to time, it will move from one spot to another, leap into trees, scan the surroundings, and mark its territory. In short, there will be plenty of photo opportunities.
If the day ends, return to the same spot early in the morning. You’ll already know the area well, so you’ll be able to roughly estimate where the cat might go next. This way, you’ll get beautiful shots at dawn.
Observe the animal. Don’t rush to take a dull photo. Study its behaviour. Yes, I understand that your safari trip time is very limited. But you can’t do the impossible: snap photos of lots of different animals and not get a single great shot?
If you have little time, just observe. Enjoy your interaction with nature. Find a worthy subject and follow it. This doesn’t mean it will be the only animal around — various animals will constantly surround you, and your chosen subject will become your personal guide to the secret world of the wild…
And don’t forget: you’re in the wild, and the leopard is the most dangerous cat for humans in the savanna. Don’t get too close to it, don’t leave the vehicle, and don’t stick your arms or head out.
Leopards sometimes jump onto the hood or roof of a car — in such moments, you should start the engine and begin moving. Usually, the timid animal runs away at the mere sound of the starter.
Remember to follow the rules of conduct in national parks — that way, neither you nor the animal will be in danger.
Happy photographing in the Maasai Mara!
Your task is to figure out where the leopard is heading and move to the expected spot — but do it in a way that doesn’t scare off all the potential prey! Act carefully and slowly, just like the leopard itself.
Along the way, the leopard will make many stops: first, to rest; second, to assess the situation — has the prey moved away? Have any competitors appeared? Is there any danger? When making such stops in the middle of a field, the leopard tends to choose small hills. This means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to capture interesting shots along the leopard’s route to its prey.
If the leopard fails to spot any potential prey, it will look for a place to rest — as mentioned earlier, this usually means bushes or trees. It can be fascinating to watch the leopard leap into a tree, but after that there’s not much to photograph: it will go to sleep. In this case, you’ll either have to wait or return to your hotel — then come back to the same spot very early in the morning, hoping the animal hasn’t left or hasn’t gone far.
In the second case, if the leopard is well‑fed, it will be rather inactive. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to photograph.
Don’t forget: a leopard is a cat! This means it will groom itself, wash its face, lick its fur, yawn sweetly, and roll amusingly from side to side.
From time to time, it will move from one spot to another, leap into trees, scan the surroundings, and mark its territory. In short, there will be plenty of photo opportunities.
If the day ends, return to the same spot early in the morning. You’ll already know the area well, so you’ll be able to roughly estimate where the cat might go next. This way, you’ll get beautiful shots at dawn.
Observe the animal. Don’t rush to take a dull photo. Study its behaviour. Yes, I understand that your safari trip time is very limited. But you can’t do the impossible: snap photos of lots of different animals and not get a single great shot?
If you have little time, just observe. Enjoy your interaction with nature. Find a worthy subject and follow it. This doesn’t mean it will be the only animal around — various animals will constantly surround you, and your chosen subject will become your personal guide to the secret world of the wild…
And don’t forget: you’re in the wild, and the leopard is the most dangerous cat for humans in the savanna. Don’t get too close to it, don’t leave the vehicle, and don’t stick your arms or head out.
Leopards sometimes jump onto the hood or roof of a car — in such moments, you should start the engine and begin moving. Usually, the timid animal runs away at the mere sound of the starter.
Remember to follow the rules of conduct in national parks — that way, neither you nor the animal will be in danger.
Happy photographing in the Maasai Mara!
