18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
A leopard on alert

We spotted this leopard at Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. When we first saw it, it was snoozing on a branch. We waited, hoping for some movement, when suddenly it got up on all fours. We looked around and noticed an elephant appearing in sight close to the tree. We are not sure exactly what danger the elephant posed or if it was something else it had sensed, but the leopard seemed to be very alert. Once the elephant walked by, it yawned and promptly went back to sleep.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2019
Date Uploaded: 09.2020
Photo Location: Tanzania
Camera: NIKON D850
Copyright: © Gautam Jain