The dominant male leopard on our traverse is called Maxabeni. He is quite solid in his size and stature; and is often spotted protecting his territory. Leopards are nocturnal creatures who spend their daytime hours resting to conserve their much needed energy for kills; which is why Maxabeni sightings happen mainly in the dead of night. During the day you will find leopards draped over large branches in trees and on rocky outcrops. If you’re out on safari during the day – LOOK UP ! You may just see Maxabeni !
Night time is when Maxabeni can be seen defending his territory and stalking prey. The rangers at Umkumbe Safari Lodge realise the rarity and importance of spotting the elusive leopard, so when Maxabeni was spotted guests were lucky enough to spend over 2 hours observing his every move.
Rangers heard the leopard call and made a decision to cut the sundowner short. Maxabeni made it quite easy for rangers and guests to spot him. Time was spent following him as he patrolled his turf. At times, rangers predicted his path and took short cuts to get ahead of him so that guests could see his face. At one stage Maxabeni decided to stalk a herd of impala but was spotted and decided to give up.
This sleek and incredible creature ended up at the pan right next to our lodge ! Head to Umkumbe Safari Lodge to meet Maxabeni, the legendary leopard.
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