Fig the Leopard (Part 4)

The irresistible pull of the wild touches a part of us that is often outside of our consciousness. Christine Biggs, one of my readers, wrote this week: “I am loving Fig the Leopard! What a beautiful, confident creature. I see a sense of freedom in the animals, which in an odd way is settling and comforting to me as we humans continue to isolate.”

I returned to the Maasai Mara in April 2019 and spent 3 days with head guide Dominic Maitai from Sentinel Camp and my good friend Joseph Mutemi, who was completing his education to become a Bronze Level Guide. It was a weekend of extraordinary lion encounters. What I didn’t mention about the game drives that weekend was that we also spent significant time looking for a leopard. Dominic found a tree with remains of a carcass in it, a sure sign a leopard was nearby. A couple of times the radio crackled with news of a sighting. We drove up and down the river corridor, my eyes aching with the effort of trying to separate leaves from leopard spots. Nothing. Not a whisker, not a blink, not a white tail tip. We laughed, imagining the leopard enjoying our antics from the security of his or her secret spot. I’m not complaining; the lions rewarded our lack of leopard sightings 10 times over. My point is, I am convinced leopards decide if and when they will gift you with their presence.

January 11th 2020, the plane touched down on the Mara. We were welcomed by the familiar faces of Maasai guides from Porini Lion Camp. Fourteen eager photographers piled into the trucks full of anticipation for 8 days on the Morotorogi Conservancy and the Maasai Mara Reserve. This was Fig’s territory. It had been two years, I wondered, was she still on the Mara? Had she survived? And what about Figlet? After a 40-minute drive, stopping briefly to witness a newborn eland calf—still slick and wet— wobble to its feet, we arrived at camp. There was time to dump our bags, grab some water and cameras, and head back out for our first afternoon game drive. Nelson Keiwua asked us what we’d like to see. Imagine being able to simply order up visits to the animal kingdom like that—it still feels too good to be true! “Any leopards around Nelson?” I asked. “Let’s see,” he said and shifted into gear. Within minutes the radio vibrated with news of a leopard sighting.

A large male leopard was spotted in the bushes along a creek, a favourite hiding spot for leopards. “It’s Tito’s son Osedai,” whispered Nelson. A handsome leopard emerged and strolled into the tall grass.

Nelson followed Osedai, who sauntered into the sunlight and casually looked around. Wow! No question, the cool elegance of a leopard still took my breath away.

Kenya had experienced unusual ongoing rains since my April visit. Consequently, the grass was tall everywhere and disappearing acts were easy for big cats. Without as much as a backward glance, Osedai turned and magically vanished before our eyes into the waving sea of golden grass. Opening act for a week in the Mara—was this a sign?

Twenty-four hours later the drivers were pointing the hoods of their trucks under a leafy tree trying to see whose tail was hanging down above our heads. I looked up—sitting with her bum perched in the crook of the tree was a beautiful leopard. Could it be FIG? YES!!

We locked eyes briefly, then she slipped along the trunk like water flowing down a pipe.

Frantically I searched the bushes for her through my telephoto lens. I need not have worried, this was Fig—Queen of the Mara. She ambled along the bank and climbed up a dead tree with a perfect V to support her body and maximize her pose against the evening sky. Playing to the crowd, she radiated her penetrating gaze to all potential prey out there simultaneously rearranging her pose for us as if responding to a director’s cues.

Hunting Glare

Over the shoulder chill

The longer I studied Fig through my lens the more I noticed her bulging belly. Nelson confirmed this was not evidence of last night’s meal. Fig was pregnant! We headed back to camp steeped in excitement and Fig’s allure.

Two days on safari and two leopard sightings. We were off to an amazing start and a wonderful reunion.

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