Amber is a beautiful Leopardess who has called the Selinda Reserve home for the past 9 years. She has successfully raised many cubs who she has transplanted into her territories over the years, each time pushing herself into a new area.

A few mornings ago we spotted her close to our airstrip. She was moving very quickly in the direction of the site of the old Zibadianja Camp which was closed and our sister camp Zarafa was built to replace it. The “Old Zib” site as we call it, is now a series of little islands – densely vegetated and thick enough for a mother Leopard to conceal her cub. Amber was clearly lactating, a sign that she has a cub or even cubs. Our assumption is she was on the prowl for a meal in order that she can feed her young cub nourishing and life giving milk.

Here she is resting on a termite mound during her long trek towards what we think is her den site.

Amber, on a termite mound near the airstrip.

Photograph and text by John Hilton.