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Large cats inevitably spend most of their time resting. This juvenile male was almost invisible amongst the grass. I stayed with him for some time, hoping that he might get up and start to hunt. But the more time we were there with him, the easier it was to think that he was just a lazy kitty cat enjoying a late afternoon snooze. As one of the top predators in the park, he was unconcerned about our car and rolled around in the grass enjoying his nap.
South Luangwa National Park is known for its leopard population. Sightings of this elusive cat, are more reliable here than anywhere else in Africa. It is known as the "Valley of the leopards". I journeyed here specifically for the leopard, after failing to find any in my other African trips. As temperatures rise in the daytime, the leopards are often sleeping and difficult to find. This image catches the leopard at the tail end of his nap.
