Hosana, meaning "Little Chief," was undoubtedly one of the most famous male leopards in the Sabi Sands. So much so that at times he even trended on Twitter. Born in 2016 along with his sister Xongile to Karula, one of the most successful leopardesses in the area. Hosana lived a difficult life after his mother disappeared and he and his sister were left to fend for themselves. Not long after Karula disappeared Xongile also was no where to be found, leaving Hosana all alone to survive.
Hosana was a self-taught leopard. Quite remarkably he learned how to survive by hunting terrapins, scrub hares and other small creatures until he was able to successfully hunt larger prey. Once he reached adulthood, he moved away from where he grew up and had marked his own territory. It has been said that he also fathered at least one cub.
I remember Hosana as being a very entertaining leopard, always getting himself into goofy and sticky situations and somehow managing to survive. One such anecdote is captured in the video above where he used our safari vehicle as a cover during a hunt. He was so well habituated around vehicles and humans that he never got distracted from targeting his prey.
He was such a beautiful leopard that I used his photo on my website's homepage. Sadly this photo was taken the last time that I would ever see Hosana. I found out that he was killed in May of 2022; a victim of human conflict. For such a survivor to be taken in such a way is heartbreaking. He is very much missed by all those whose lives he had touched.
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