Malewan

The face of the battle-scared leopard stares back at me as he continues to pad along the sandy track to his home territory.

"Malewan" seems to be derived from a nearby location given that name. Originally a small town in Burma, the name has a ring to it of the Asian jungle, perhaps fitting for this king of the leopards in his area in Africa.

The warming pinkish sun of the wintry dawn broke across the tracks, revealing the moment we had been searching for. From around the corner, Malewan emerged, moving gracefully with a powerful yet athletic gait. His face bore the marks of the recent struggle he had faced to protect his kingdom - a kingdom he had now proudly ruled over for the past few years. With an intense focus, he advanced steadily towards us, never breaking his stride. His piercing eyes locked onto mine, as if he were assessing my presence in his realm. It was an exhilarating moment to be in such close proximity to this magnificent creature. Yet he showed no signs of aggression, merely glancing past me before redirecting his course towards his destination.

Our mission that morning was to find this leopard, but we had been radioed earlier that no sightings had been made. We were on our own, our guide and tracker searching hard and considering the movements he may have made since the epic battle over territory between him and the new male leopard that had entered recently. No one was sure if he was alive, or perhaps badly injured, so finding him had become a key priority for our team. After some time we came across fresh tracks, which our guide confirmed was definitely a leopard. But we were unsure if it was the old king himself or the newly arrived competitor that had succeeded in taking over his land. So it was a joyful moment for our guide when he turned to confirm, in a relieved whisper, what we saw in the next few seconds: Malewan. His battle-scared wounds showed, but his powerful presence gave confidence in the safety of his land and that the next generation of cubs would be protected for now.

Raw Africa Collection

Welcome to Africa - the wise, the restless, and the life giving.

This soulful land of dreamers gives rise to the underbelly of a beautiful, gentle beat that is only heard by those who listen for it. This photographic journey explores, profiles, and captures what I hope is the heart and soul of Africa's true wilderness kingdom. From its deep bush to its dry savannah and desert, Africa remains a place where life is represented by timeless vistas that are distilled into moments to treasure.