Leopard Cubs: Keisha at 13 Months

Shot at Mala Mala Game Reserve, South Africa in January 2011 with the Canon 1D Mark IV and 500mm f/4

This was Keisha at 13 months old and I was thrilled that she was alive and well. I couldn't believe how much she'd grown. She was totally gorgeous and just learning how to hunt on her own. She was clumsy and slow to catch anything, but she kept at it. In these images, she was trying to catch a zebra and thought that she was invisible, even though she was standing right out in the open not far away. She couldn't figure out what she was doing wrong and watching her learn from her mistakes was endearing.

On this safari, it was also fun watching the antics between a possessive hippo at a small waterhole and four cheetah brothers who wanted to drink.