Panthera pardus

The ultimate African hunting experience

There are few moments in African hunting that compare with sitting quietly in a blind as darkness approaches, watching a bait and waiting for the leopard you have been tracking and hunting for days.

The leopard is the ultimate combination of stealth, power and intelligence. Solitary and incredibly wary, it moves through its territory almost unseen, often appearing only in the final minutes of daylight. A mature male is a magnificent animal—thick-necked, heavily muscled and carrying the scars and character of a life spent hunting and defending his territory.

Hunting the Leopard

Leopard hunting is not a hunt that can be rushed. It requires careful planning, experienced trackers, fresh spoor, strategically placed baits and, above all, patience.

We begin by looking for fresh leopard tracks and sign, learning the movements of the individual cats in the area and selecting promising bait sites. Trail cameras play an important role, allowing us to monitor the bait and identify which leopard is visiting, when he is coming and, importantly, whether he is a mature male.

Once the right leopard is identified, the waiting begins.

Even after a leopard starts feeding regularly, nothing is guaranteed. He may arrive before dark, after dark, or not at all. A single unnatural movement or sound can make him disappear into the darkness.

A remarkable success rate

At Schalk Pienaar Safaris Namibia, we have achieved a success rate very close to 100% on our leopard hunts over the past 20 years.

We attribute this exceptional record to the high leopard population in our hunting areas, together with decades of careful and successful wildlife-management and conservation practices. Namibia's leopard populations are closely associated with the country's private and communal lands, where landowners who tolerate and conserve leopards play an important role in maintaining their habitat and prey base.

Our hunting areas have the combination that makes a successful leopard hunt possible: healthy leopard numbers, abundant natural prey, suitable habitat and experienced trackers and professional hunters who know the individual animals and their movements.

But there is never a guaranteed leopard. That is part of what makes the hunt so special.

When a mature male finally steps into the bait site in the fading light, the weeks of preparation, the tracks followed, the hours spent watching trail-camera footage and the countless hours sitting silently in the blind all come down to one moment.
Leopard hunting is patience, preparation and perseverance—and when it all comes together, there are few experiences in African hunting that can match it.

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