Tag Archives: cat

Exposition Park Cats

As I walked into Exposition Park, I saw a cat wandering along the sidewalk near the road.  I stopped to watch it for a while, and it became a bit nervous when it realized I was watching it.  It soon retreated and I thought little more of it.  I assumed it was a wild cat rather than someone’s pet.  It was only a few minutes later that I came across another pair of cats.  They were playing together and initially seemed interested in my presence and then retreated too.  I assume that the park must have a few cats in residence.

Leopards Are Harder to Find

Our time in Kenya and Tanzania included plenty of lions but, when it came to the next big cat on the food chain, things were a lot less common.  The leopards were there to be seen but they were not anywhere near as numerous.  It doesn’t help that, unlike the lions that live in large prides, the leopards have a solitary existence.  If you are in a territory, it is one leopard that you are looking for.

We did have some encounters, though.  The first leopard we came across was at the beginning of the day as we headed out from the hotel.  We hadn’t got very far when our guide spotted a leopard sitting on a termite mound.  We stopped and got some shots of it and then tried to get closer but leopards are a lot more skittish than other cats and it didn’t take much to spook this one.  It ran off up the hills.

Our next encounter was with one that had been busy feeding.  On a couple of occasions, we had seen carcasses of animals up in trees where the leopard had pulled them.  In this case, the leopard had then taken to another tree to rest after its meal.  We were quite close beneath it, but it didn’t seem bothered about us and I don’t think it was likely to pounce down on us.  Instead, it was sleeping and barely recognizing our presence.

The other encounters we had were probably with the same leopard but this time down in some bushes alongside a river.  The first time the leopard was pretty well in the bushes and was lying down.  It didn’t seem intent on doing much and we left it after a short while.  Back in the same area on another day, it was on the move.  We were able to be ahead of it and it walked towards us before cutting back into the bushes and being lost from sight again.

The leopards are such powerful creatures, and they look far more menacing than, say, the cheetahs.  Their ability to haul a heavy animal up into a tree is impressive and, pound for pound, they are stronger than the lions.  However, the lions will still take them out if given the chance.  With overlapping territories, this is not something to be ruled out.  I’m glad we got the time with them that we did.

Cheetahs – Both Large and Small

At the end of our first day in Amboseli, we came upon a bunch of vehicles that were sitting near some trees.  There was nothing apparent to me about what was going on, but the word passed around that a cheetah had been seen near the trees.  We sat and waited for a while.  The sun was rapidly going down and that meant that any vehicles that weren’t staying in the park, had to be out by the deadline.  They had to leave so the remaining vehicles were only those staying inside the park.  There were still quite a few trucks but not too many.

Before too long, the cheetah came in to view.  It was walking away from the trees but quite far away.  Still, it was great to see it.  Then a second appeared and the two of them started walking.  At first, they seemed to be paralleling the road but soon it was clear that they were converging with it.  We would drive a little way down and wait for them to come towards us and they were getting closer and closer.  Occasionally they would stop and sit, almost in formation.  Then they would start again.  We would let them walk past us then drive a little further and wait again.  Vehicles were leapfrogging each other as we all did the same thing.

The light was fading fast, and the ISO was really cranking up, but it is incredible what a modern mirrorless camera can do.  Meanwhile, the two cheetahs were getting closer and closer to the road until they eventually decided to cross over the other side.  Being so close to them was an incredible end to our first full day.

Our next cheetah encounter was a surprise.  We drove out towards a tree in some open space (admittedly an area known for cheetahs).  There was a truck near the tree but only as we got there did we realize that there was a mother cheetah and her cub sitting in the shade.  They were quite relaxed with us there and the cub was sitting next to mum albeit with some long grass making a clear view a touch tricky.

We left them to it but, an hour or so later, as we came along a road, they were walking towards us along the road.  Mum was in front with the cub trotting along behind.  They went off the road into the grass to pass us but then resumed using the road once they had passed us.  It was so cool to see them moving by as if we weren’t there.

Our last cheetah encounter was entirely down to Nancy.  We were bouncing along a road at speed as the third of the three trucks.  The side of the vehicle was covered in mud as a result of the heavy rains we had been experiencing.  Somehow, through a tiny gap of clear window, Nancy spotted a cheetah and called out loudly.  We ground to a halt and did a U turn.  Sure enough, a cheetah was alongside the road eating what remained of a Thompson’s gazelle.  The others turned around to join us as this animal finished its meal.  The stomach was looking very full.

The cheetahs are just glorious looking animals.  They are small and sleek compared to the larger leopards and the even larger lions.  Speed is their thing, and they look so fast even as they are walking.  The markings on their face are really interesting too and the cubs look almost sad with the facial lines.  There were many high points on this trip, but they were definitely up there.

Deer That Don’t Care

Fort Casey had a bunch of deer that were chomping their way around the grounds while I was there.  These deer seemed pretty fearless.  I guess there are tons of people coming through the Fort, most of whom will not be any trouble to the deer so they must get pretty used to people in close proximity and know that they are not in any threat.  Consequently, I found that my efforts at getting a photo were pretty straightforward.  If I tried to get too close, I figured that they would move off but I could be close enough without affecting them.

The one creature that did seem to spook one of the deer was a cat.  Sitting up against a wall was a ginger cat that was sunning itself.  It didn’t seem to be interested in doing anything at all but the deer was aware of it and seemed to be quite nervous.  A number of times it would jump, presumably because the cat had twitched in some way.  It seemed pretty clear that it was not moving for anyone though.  I guess the deer is going to have to get used to it.

Cougar Mountain Zoo

Cougar Mountain Zoo is a small zoo located on the east side of Lake Washington in an area named, wait for it, Cougar Mountain.  While it is not a big facility, it does have an interesting variety of creatures in nice habitats and we ended up spending a lot more time there than we thought would be the case.  I shall have a variety of creatures to share in some upcoming posts but, given the name of the location and the zoo, it would be churlish to start with any other than the cougars.

They have an enclosure that is one of the first things you come across when you enter.  However, they are not always terribly keen on showing off.  When we first got there, one of them was lying deep within a small cave and didn’t seem interested in coming out.  However, over time they did stretch their legs and come to check things out.  Two things really got their attention.  One was they knew some feeding was coming soon so they were alert for where the food would ultimately be coming from.  The other was some small children that ran around.  The cats were eying the kids intently.  I assume, if the fencing hadn’t been there, some tasty snacks would have been had by these guys.

Big cats do looks very cool I think.  When they are taking it easy, they still look like they are in control and when they get active, you do feel that they could take care of anything that comes their way.  The cougar has an intense looking face too.  More to come from this place in some upcoming posts.

Lion

wpid6481-AU0E5946.jpgGetting lion pictures at the zoo is not too tricky.  Getting them doing anything requires a bit more patience.  The middle of the day is not when they are terribly active.  Sure enough, when we first passed by, they were both asleep at the back of the enclosure.  When we came back, the lioness was on a different spot and the male was awake in the middle of the enclosure.  If you have ever watched lions, you will know that they roar in a way that makes them look like they are blowing smoke rings.  Lots of teeth in the shot are usually the result of a yawn.

wpid6479-AU0E5926.jpgThat was what I was waiting for.  A sleepy lion is bound to yawn before too long.  Unfortunately, lions are not like people and they do not yawn sympathetically if you do.  Trust me, I have tried this.  Either lions are not supposed to do this or they are sociopaths like people who don’t yawn when prompted.  Imagining a lion as a sociopath is probably not that much of a stretch really.  Anyway, patience was rewarded and we got a yawn.  Lots so teeth!  Thank you…