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

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The Hunter

This young male leopard was out hunting in the mid afternoon in the Okavango Delta, something that is very unusual to see considering that most leopards prefer to hunt at night. He was clearly inexperienced as he kept missing opportunities to make a kill, and so we followed him as he made his way from prey to prey hoping for success. At one point he spotted a few warthogs, and I captured him briefly as the sun peered through the thick bush he was using as cover.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Botswana
Camera: ILCE-7RM4A
Copyright: © Phillip Scrimshaw