After more expert tracking, we did glimpse the elusive leopard ever so briefly and also heard a rumour via bush telegraph (rangers radio), that the Sticks Pride were making their way west and towards us. The sighting never materialized and as the sun rose, our morning hopes swayed in the balance? We rounded a corner on a narrow ‘two-track’ and there in front of us stood a giant ancient Leadwood with two Tree Squirrels sunning themselves in the early morning rays.

Photography is often more about light than it is about subject content and as far as I was concerned, we had found two delightful subjects superbly complimented by the rough texture of the ancient Leadwood stump and juxtaposed against the clean blue winter sky. As a professional wildlife photographer, I have learnt most of my lessons the hard way and the expensive way too! One lesson I have learnt is to always take a record shot before proceeding closer to your subject. We did just that this morning; parking a good thirty meters away and shooting the squirrels who remained agonizingly small in our viewfinders. Once the squirrels settled down and resumed their reciprocal grooming, we inched forward a few more metres. They carried on ignoring us and we inched forward again, and again, until we were in the position of envy of every wildlife photographer. We had a wonderful subject, in excellent light and with a good clean background! Our ranger muttered, “Hear come the typewriters