“The leopard was always my favourite wild animal. As a kid growing up on a farm in England, the annual visit to Regent’s Park Zoo was the highlight of my year, and the leopard was the creature I most wanted to see.

There’s an air of mystery and intrigue embodied in the leopard’s beautiful spotted coat. The way they move is like liquid as they glide through the grass and acacia bushes in search of prey. They are masters of concealment, and that beautiful coat enables them to blend with their surroundings. They can be right there, just metres from you, but you would never know, unless they move.

It took me six years (1977 to 1983) living in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya to finish my first book on leopards: The Leopards Tale. That is how difficult it was to see a leopard back then, let alone photograph one. In my first year in the Mara going out every day I saw just two leopards: a flash of spots disappearing in to the bush. The reason was all too apparent. It is estimated that up to 50,000 leopards were being killed each year in the 1960s and early 1970s to feed the fashion industry’ love affair with fur.”

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My Big 5

Leopard
Lion
Cheetah
Jaguar
Tiger