Cats and animals inside camps???

Nimrod · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:17 pm

Has anyone ever seen a lion or leopard ect. inside a camp?? or anything else? besides bosbok and impala ofcourse

onewithnature · **Joined:** Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am **Posts:** 17098

I've heard stories of leopard on occasion, but never seen one in a camp. I don't know how I'd react if I did. :hmz:

Imberbe · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:50 pm

Hi Nimrod.

There is a few cases of especially leopard entering camps, most often via the tree route. These are some of the most dangerous situations you can have, since the situation can easily turn in to a tragedy.

But I must stress that this is an absolute exception, to the point where it always causes great uproar when it happens. This is also dealt with immediately in the most appropriate way for the specific situation. It is not left to sort itself out or accepted as being part of the nature experience.

Last year a leopard had to be shot in Tamboti camp, precisely in such a situation.

I have seen, and un-knowingly donated some meat to, a badger in Maroela camp. :roll:

onewithnature · **Joined:** Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am **Posts:** 17098

That honey badger is very resident there.

Imberbe, what is the best thing to do in the rare circumstance that one is faced with a leopard in camp at night? Stand still and back off slowly, or stay put and wait for him to leave, or ...?

Imberbe · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:27 pm

With a leopard you do the following, and in this specific sequence:

1. Pray
2. Avoid eye contact at all cost. This is seen as aggression.
3. If there is a chance that he thinks that you haven't seen him, just continue moving as if you haven't seen him, and move away from him.
4. If there is a direct confrontation, avoid eye contact and slowly back of, while still facing him.
5. If worst come to worst, fall to the ground rolling in to a ball and cover your head and neck with your arms, and your stomach with your legs. Lie still.
6. Pray

Eich ... :doh:

onewithnature · **Joined:** Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am **Posts:** 17098

Thanks IB - very useful information! I love the "pray" part, but am mindful that if I take too long to pray, I may become prey. :slap:

Imberbe · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:51 pm

It might be a religious leopard ... you never know. :twisted:

Foxy · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:01 am

Imberbe - and a vegetarian.

onewithnature · **Joined:** Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am **Posts:** 17098

Imberbe wrote:

It might be a religious leopard ... you never know. :twisted:

Oh, you mean it belongs to the subspecies "Pantera Padre"?

BunnyHugger · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:12 am

Imberbe wrote:

With a leopard you do the following, and in this specific sequence:

1. Pray
2. Avoid eye contact at all cost. This is seen as aggression.
3. If there is a chance that he thinks that you haven't seen him, just continue moving as if you haven't seen him, and move away from him.
4. If there is a direct confrontation, avoid eye contact and slowly back of, while still facing him.
5. If worst come to worst, fall to the ground rolling in to a ball and cover your head and neck with your arms, and your stomach with your legs. Lie still.
6. Pray

Eich ... :doh:

often, what we should do and what we do actually do, are two different things. Instinct kicks in and one is tempted to run (like h3ll)

I would probably pass out from sheer terror and hope that the smell of a serious need for a shower and a diaper change would put the leopard off any ideas of turning me into dinner.

On a more serious note, I find it exceptionaly sad that these beautiful and unbelievable cats are often detroyed if found in camp. But then I guess that's just one more example of man and his misguided notion that he is at the apex of everything. IMNAAHO, this is artificial intelligence. We think we are so smart. If we look at the world we have shaped around us, I have serious reservations about our so called intelligence.

Grantmissy · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:59 am

Bunny Hugger I am amused at your last sentence “I have serious reservations about our so called intelligence.” That’s why it is said that we will never be visited by “aliens” from outer space as they (the "aliens")are actually looking for intelligent life …:twisted:

onewithnature · **Joined:** Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:22 am **Posts:** 17098

You're right when you say you don't know how you'd react: I've seen quiet, introverted people act like heroes at an accident scene on the road, while some loud-mouthed, dominant types recoil and fall apart emotionally!

I don't know how I'd react, but, after I've prayed to Pantera padre :lol:

, I'd probably keep as still as possible and inch away, knowing that was probably my best chance.

wacktazz · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:38 am

onewithnature wrote:

Imberbe, what is the best thing to do in the rare circumstance that one is faced with a leopard in camp at night? Stand still and back off slowly, or stay put and wait for him to leave, or ...?

Walk one metre to the back, and half to the right. One to the back, half to the right. Another one to the back.
All of this so you do not step into your own you know what.
On a serious note, I have seen, with my own eyes, a Leopard in Skukuza in 2001, and on two occasions in PK.
The rule is that they are more scared of us than we of them. And thats a fact. Otherwise I would not be sitting here typing this. The one in Skz was about 30 metres or less from me, and we looked each other in the eyes....

angiek · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:42 am

Luckily never seen cats in camp, but few years ago while going out for the early morning drive we came across a hyena in Satara

terryc · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:26 am

I dont think any of these hints would mean a thing to me in the actual situation. I would either keel over with a heart attack, in which case the leopard is immaterial or run like the wind.

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