A Leopard Diary: My Journey Into the Hidden World of a Mother and Her Cubs

"Leopards are known for being shy and elusive, and leopard mothers are even more so. Imagine, then, having the rare opportunity to follow and photograph a mother leopard and her cubs. When world-renowned nature photographer Suzi Eszterhas was given the chance to do so, she jumped on a plane to Botswana. And through this collection of informative diary entries and stunning photos, readers are able to share this rare privilege. This compelling chronical of Suzi's time following a female leopard spans roughly a year and a half, but between the informative first-person observations and the photos of rarely seen moments in the wild, the time flies by. The story begins with Suzi arriving at the Jao Reserve in Botswana's Okavango Delta and meeting Kambango, the local tracker and guide who would become her close friend and whose knowledge and expertise she relies on throughout. They go immediately to the mother leopard's den where, after waiting patiently for a number of hours, Suzi catches her first glimpse of the newborn cubs and her joy is palpable. From here on, readers are along for wild ride that is sometimes bumpy (such as a dramatic close encounter with the mother who feared for her cubs' safety), sometimes smooth (the entries and photo captions are rich with observations of the cubs' behavior as they grow up, as well as more general information about leopard behaviour) and sometimes even a bit uncomfortable (such as the grim reality of having to watch the cubs learn to hunt by practicing on a wounded kudu calf). Throughout the whole diary, though, the excitement in Suzi's voice is clear, and her entries are full of her sense of wonder and respect for these amazing and secretive animals. Endmatter includes a Q&A with Kambango, who played such an essential role in this adventure, as well as a glossary of terms."--