Beautifully blended with its surrounds and draped comfortably over a shaded rock, this confident cat performed like an experienced model. No doubt the subject of many photos, the leopard was nonchalant and unfazed by our appearance. A shutter clicks and watchful yellow eyes turn slowly towards the sound. Eventually tiring of the attentive audience that was recording its every languid move, our model yawned widely—a reminder of it weaponry—and rose slowly to turn its back on us. Duly dismissed, our vehicle retreated to search for more of Ruaha’s charismatic creatures.