Pangolin, Linyanti Concession, BotswanaNikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/400th of a second

Pangolin and Leopard, Linyanti Concession, BotswanaNikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 80mm) ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/60th of a second

Leopard Paws Pangolin, Linyanti Concession, BotswanaNikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 190mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second

Leopard Guards Pangolin, Linyanti Concession, BotswanaNikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 180mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/320th of a second

A pangolin is one of the most prized sightings on an African safari. It was at the top of my list as I headed back to Botswana (the caracal and the aardvark remain at large). Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are very rare and might only be spotted every few years by a tracker and guide who are in the bush every day (incidentally, it is not an anteater at all, but does kind of look like one covered in armour). Rarer still than a pangolin, is a pangolin being stalked by a leopard. Our guide told us that it had been twenty years since he had witnessed such a thing. In this case, the stalker was a one year old cub (the leopard I posted yesterday was her mother). The cub didn’t quite know what to do with the strange animal. She was probably seeing one for the first time herself. As for pangolins, they defend themselves by rolling up into a tight ball. Predators can’t really do anything thanks to the hard exterior scales. We watched for several hours as the leopard would stalk the pangolin, paw at it cautiously as it rolled into a ball, then sit down beside it and rest. As soon as the pangolin thought the leopard was asleep, it would unroll itself and try to get away. That’s when the leopard would start stalking again. It was as if the pangolin was a toy that the leopard wasn’t about to give up. We stayed until it was quite dark before leaving the two animals to do their thing.