Leopard

It was late afternoon, and I needed to exit the Kruger National Park through the gate at Crocodile Bridge near Komatipoort. As I turned left onto the main road leading to the gate, I noticed a dark spot in the road heading north. Intrigued, I felt compelled to investigate. It turned out to be a fortunate diversion. There, right next to the road, a leopard was stealthily stalking a group of young impalas hidden in the grass. The leopard remained focused and undeterred by the presence of my vehicle, leisurely trailing behind it. I managed to capture some excellent photos of the stalking predator and witnessed an extraordinary opportunistic kill. The herd of young impalas remained blissfully unaware of the leopard crouched low on the open road. In a sudden burst of speed, the leopard darted through the grass and clamped its jaws around the throat of one of the impalas. The young impala’s wide eyes dimly gazed at the blue sky as the leopard choked it, cutting off the flow of air and blood to the vital organs of its helpless prey. The dense, thick grass obscured my view, preventing me from seeing much more. Nevertheless, the encounter was enough to flood my veins with adrenaline and erase the memory of the uneventful and tiring two-hour drive through the dry bushveld. It was an exhilarating sighting to conclude the day with, as I slowly made my way toward the exit gate at Crocodile Bridge.

Unaware of the noisy car, a yard or ten from its tail.

The hunger surpasses the fear of all, no question or thought to fail.

Only the vision of victorious result, occupies its mind.
Stealthily it crawls and slowly it moves, behind the natural blind.

 Behind the grass near the road through the park, the herd keep grazing away.
The purpose of nature is somewhat masked, to whom will belong this day.

Like an arrow it shoots, a spear through the grass, the hunter surely succeeds,
For now it is truly the end and alas, the buck will nevermore eat.