Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Leopard male Kij Kij

Early one morning we arrived at a waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and a young male leopard was drinking water at the waterhole. We parked some distance away from the waterhole and waited for him to start walking away from the waterhole. Luckily for us, after a while he started to walk towards our car. There was a tree between him and our car as he approached us. I waiting for him to just look around the tree with one eye visible in the golden morning light.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2024
Date Uploaded: 11.2024
Photo Location: South Africa
Camera: ILCE-1
Copyright: © Willem Kruger