I never knew how much of a life changing experience being the wild would have for me. I had seen videos and on #NatGeo, The #DiscoveryChannel and Sir #DavidAttenborough's amazing #BBCEarth documentaries, but nothing prepared me for the real wild!
The first leopard I ever saw was #Inkanyeni and her two cubs. I was in such awe with her cool and charismatic strides and her piercing eyes keeping track of her immediate environment as her two cubs playfully crisscrossed her path. I will never forget her image. I did manage to take a low-res head on shot of her published here. #Inkanyeni continues to be a hall-of-famer, a legendry leopardess who has an amazingly successful track record of raising many cubs in the Northern Sabi Sands region of the Kruger Park.
There is something magical when you unassumingly find yourself in the presence of beauty and power. Its kind of renders one completely submitted to that moment... that moment of sheer awe when it's the first time that you experience a leopard literally 3-4 feet away from your open safari vehicle on your first ever drive. It's one thing to see one leopard but three was surreal on your first safari.
#Inkanyeni and I forged a friendship. We met a few times on my subsequent visits. Always tipping my cap to pay my respects to the Queen. Leopard's have a special place in my heart. I have since then, learned to identify them and their unique characteristics. Some of them feel like family to me and with the live streaming from #wildearth, I am able to stay up to date on their activities and whereabouts while sipping my morning coffee at home in NYC. At the time of writing this, #Inkanyeni is still alive and continues to pursue her life's purpose!
I will return soon to pay my respects to you again, #Inkanyeni.
MRammal
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