Leopard- Brahmagiri

[Roopak Gangadharan]

This one is from the Brahmagiri WLS while on a birding trip in 2011 and it turned out to be a good one for mammals as well. Sighting a big cat in the smaller reserves is a pleasure in itself. It was almost dusk, I was with a student and we were returning back to the pick up spot when this leopard started calling. It called repeatedly and could literally follow its progress down the hillock to this rock and then suddenly like a ghost it appeared on top of it. My friend got very excited and started moving around and it disappeared as suddenly and silently as it came.

500D 55-250, 250mm, ISO 800, AE, f5.6, SS 1/15, -1 EC

Rgds
Roopak

[Mrudul Godbole]

Wow lovely environment composition. Nice that you got the leopard looking towards you. It would have been quite a nice feeling to see the leopard suddenly in the open on the rock. Rocks are their favorite spots. Remember sighting one leopard in Nagarhole on the rock on the main road. Thanks for sharing.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Great that you could sight a leopard. It is always a dream to sight leopards in the wild as they can simply vanish into a small bush and conceal themselves. Wish to capture this fellow in my C300.

Light was very low. The rock appears nice. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Suraj Sreedhar]

Nice to see on in Brahmagiri,Nice image.Was this near thirunelli temple....?
TFS

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

'GAZEBO'...........as I see it.

This habit shown by the leopard might have some similarity with that of the Cheetah; though their hunting techniques are totally different.

It suddenly came to my mind after long long years that I was Editor of the Bengali section of our House magazine with similar name during my final years of study.
Nice pose, nice composition.Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild

[Bhargava Srivari]

Nicely composed. The image looks very nice, with a pleasant mood to it.

[Abhishek Jamalabad]

Beautiful. The composition with the habitat, and of course the leopard's pose and head turn, make this image for me. One can almost see the timidness in its eyes. I like this image a lot. Is the hind leg injured?

TFS

[Kaustuv Chatterjee]

Excellent image and a memorable experience....its one of the most magical moments to see a leopard in the wild and especially like this must have been a special one indeed. Great that you composed the frame including its habitat so well...a very special image...tfs

[Prasad Dingankar]

Nice capture.... Thanks for sharing.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Thanks all for the comments. It was a very exciting moment.

Suraj this was about 2 kms away from the road which leads to Virajpeta in coorg from Irrity in kerala.

Abhishek, even i had noticed the injury in the hind leg, also the way it was calling i felt may be it got into a fight.

Rgds
Roopak

[Sucheth Lingachar]

beautifully captured Roopak..... TFS....