Fraud Blocker Seeing Leopards on Safari in Africa

Leopard

Leopard

Leopards thrive in ecosystems with ambush landscapes, safety from lions, and good water sources. They are very elusive, often shy, and prefer nocturnal activity, all of which make them a challenge to observe on safari. Luckily, in some safari areas, individual leopards become habituated and are comfortable around safari vehicles. This provides the opportunity to witness a variety of behaviors such as courtship, mothers with cubs, and even hunting. Though quite rare, it is possible to see these magnificent cats in their recessive melanistic (black) coloring, also called black panthers.
The opportunity to drive off-road, night drive, and see leopards outside of dense vegetation also results in higher encounter rates. It is best to communicate with your travel planner during the safari planning process if leopard sightings are a priority for you.

Leopard Itineraries

African Explorer Safari

Adventure to Botswana's iconic Okavango Delta for an incredible wildlife safari. Experience a classic adventure tented camp, guided by Diesel, your legendary local guide, in an area famed for wild dogs (along with large populations of big cats, antelope, and much more). Enjoy visiting the majestic Victoria Falls on the Zambia side en-route to Kenya. Continue on to Kenya and to the Masai Mara, which is quite likely the most productive wildlife viewing area in all of Africa. Enaidura Camp is in a superb location for serious game viewing and photography. The area is unrivaled for sightings of big cats and the Great Migration, and has a great variety and quantity of species.

Botswana: Ready For Action

This remarkable itinerary features locations that represent the best opportunities of Botswana's dry season excitement. The dry season of Botswana is as good as it gets to see large quantities of animals in exclusive wilderness areas. Of special note the rare African wild dog typically is denning with puppies visible from mid-July to the end of August, then September through November remains outstanding as packs with puppies are traveling small distances with a drive to hunt to feed the quickly growing pups.

Into the Botswana Wild with Victoria Falls

Experience the best of Northern Botswana in the Okavango Delta, Kwando Concession and Chobe River, plus the majestic "smoke that thunders" in Victoria Falls.

Essential Diversity: River and Desert

This safari is designed for the safari connoisseur seeking rarity, exclusivity and luxury along with the full diversity of wildlife. The itinerary includes private guiding and vehicle at both safari camps, offering the ultimate in flexibility and maximizing the opportunities to see wildlife you want to see, while maintaining supreme comfort and luxury.

South African Splendor: Cape Town and Sabi Sands Safari

Southern Africa is an incredibly diverse region with varying weather, landscapes, cultures, and wildlife.

Classic Zimbabwe: Hwange and Mana Pools with Victoria Falls

This adventure-level safari features classic bush camps, thrilling walking safaris, and an excellent value.

Zambia Walking and Waterways Safari

Zambian safaris are distinguished by the vintage expedition-style adventure delivered under the care of exceptional guides in remote wilderness areas teeming with wildlife.

Tanzania Frontier

This safari is the ultimate trip for those who truly want to get away from it all, exploring some of Tanzania's less-visited gems.

Quintessential Tanzania: River Crossing Season

With the Great Migration of nearly 2 million animals in the area, the Northern Serengeti is the stage for one of nature's most famed events - the dramatic migration crossings of the Mara River.

Botswana Desert and Delta Safari: Outstanding Value, Top Wildlife and Diverse Landscapes

This safari is customized to take advantage of the best opportunities for the green season in Botswana to observe diverse wildlife.

Kenya Luxury Safari

This safari includes some of our favorite unique Kenyan accommodations and a huge variety of activities during one of the best kept secret seasons.

Ultimate East Africa: Exceptional Guiding in Northern Tanzania and the Masai Mara

This incredible itinerary features East Africa's top guides on a private safari through Tanzania and Kenya.

Kenya Family “Lion King” Safari

Kenya is the original safari country and still delivers the classic game viewing experience. This family safari is inspired by Disney's 2019 remake of its classic animated film, "The Lion King."

Botswana Exquisite Expedition: Luxury for Less

Explore the great variety of habitats and species Botswana offers. You will likely see between 30 and 35 different mammal species along with a spectacular array of birds and other wildlife.

Leopard Videos

Best Places to See Leopard on Safari

Leopard with cub in the Okavango Delta
Leopard with Cub in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Sabi Sand
The best leopard viewing is within the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. It boasts the highest density of leopards yet recorded in Africa based on a recent study by Panthera in partnership with Singita. In addition to the high density, the leopards are highly habituated, which provides opportunities for close-up viewing. It is common to see a leopard daily in this reserve, and depending on where you stay, you may see a number of different individuals in one day.
Serengeti-Mara
There are local areas within the Serengeti and Masai Mara that are known for frequent leopard sightings during daytime visits. Selecting a camp well located within these areas optimizes for the chance of leopard sightings while avoiding vehicle crowding.
Luangwa & the Lower Zambezi
Zambia’s South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi National Parks are other leopard hot spots. They are especially prevalent on night drives, but also frequently seen during the day. On Darcie’s visit to the Lower Zambezi in 2019, she had 16 leopard sightings in three days!
Northern Botswana
Botswana’s Okavango Delta is a prime ecosystem for leopard with a high density in the Khwai Community Concession adjacent to Moremi Game Reserve. For less vehicles per sighting, the private concession areas of the Okavango Delta offer good chances to encounter leopard along with the flexibility of night drives to explore during the more active hours. Because these elusive creatures are skilled at evading even skilled masters of the bush, having a team consisting of a guide paired with a tracker who can “read the road” increases your chances of encountering these animals. From the Okavango Delta, visitors can accompany masters at work as Bushmen trackers follow the leopard spoor. The tracking effort is exciting and rewarding in it’s own right and often results in finding one of these gorgeous cats. The Savute Channel just north of the Okavango Delta was made famous by the BBC documentary, Africa’s Fishing Leopards. While this area is still strong for leopards, the channel is in a cycle of drying out and game reserve regulations prevent night drives or off-road driving.

Something Extra

Namibia‘s Africat Foundation based in the Okonjima Nature Reserve is a premier location to witness carnivores and other endangered species such as aardvark, brown hyena, cheetah, and leopard. The rescued animals live in large enclosures, many unable to return to the wild, and offer the chance to provide education and research opportunities that contribute to greater conservation efforts.

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