20220901_MasaiMara_HM_1765_Web_031226
After mating Shujaa, the male leopard (Panthera pardus) had climbed up into an acacia tree. His mate followed him onto the branch shortly afterwards and with no room for her she then jumped into the branch above him. Southern tip of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September 2022
Leopards typically mate about every 15 minutes over a 5 day period, itâs not exact and towards the end of the mating ritual the time lengthens into longer rest periods. We had been following this leopard pair over almost the whole 5 day mating period in the Maasai Mara. It had been fairly easy to find them since this pair had been mating in a field less than a mile from our camp, because of this we were able to witness the mating a few times and to follow them through to the end of their mating ritual. Shortly after this image was taken, the female left the area.
Shujaa, standing on the lower branch and fully lit, was all power and muscle. He would sit out in the open, no fear, acting as if he were a King. The female, walking along the upper branch and in shadow, was skittish and shy. During the mating she had stayed fairly close to the male, but would hide when they were finished and come back to the male when she was ready again.