Fig the Leopard (Part 1)

In the time of Coronavirus, we need to fuel our imaginations with stories that remind us that wildlife still needs our support even when we’re not there to observe it. Today, I’d like to introduce you to Part 1 of a 5-part story about Fig, an extraordinary leopard who lives on the Olare Motorogi Conservancy that borders the Maasai Mara in Kenya.

January 2018, late in the afternoon on our first game drive of the week on Kenya’s Maasai Mara was the first time I met Fig. News came over the radio that a leopard had been seen near a creek close to our camp. We rushed to the scene. Getting a glimpse of a leopard is always a thrill; they are such secretive and exotic cats. When we pulled up along the creek there was a commotion in the bushes—sex in the shrubbery! A few minutes later a gorgeous female leopard strolled out—hello Fig.

Without even a sideways glance, she sauntered past one of the land cruisers as if it wasn’t there. These are moments photographers and game watchers dream of. Leopards are solitary cats unless they are raising cubs. Their distinct rosette-shaped spots distinguish them from other spotted cats and inspire interior and haute couturière design.

As our driver wheeled through the bushes doing his best to keep track of her, Fig leapt across the creek effortlessly and flopped down in the open opposite our vehicle. I couldn’t believe our luck.

It was getting dark and hard to focus with so little light. Still, I was able to grab several shots of Fig as she rolled and preened on the grass like a regular domestic cat. Little did I know I had met the Prima Donna of Cats and my relationship with Fig was just beginning.

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