Malewan Khona
SONY A1, FE 70-200mm GM OSS II, FL: 200mm, S: 1/1000 sec, A: F5.6, ISO: 1250
The face of the battle-scared leopard stares back at me as he turns the corner.
"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. Khona means “corner” in Tsonga.
As the hues of the winter sun spilled over the landscape, our eyes noticed a sudden movement ahead. Emerging from the verge shadows on the track, Malewan made his entrance, a picture of both grace and power. His stride was measured, his face etched by a recent skirmish and worn proudly on his face. Male leopards, like Malewan, are solitary and territorial creatures known for their fierce defence of their realm.
Our mission that morning was to locate Malewan, a task made challenging by the absence of recent sightings. With no updates from our radio, we relied solely on our guide's and tracker's expertise.
The leopard had been absent for some weeks now, and no one had come across any sign of his whereabouts for quite a while. This was worrying, as this was his territory, which he fiercely protected. We were not expecting much success in finding him as we moved around that morning, so it was with some excitement when we heard he had been spotted. The cackle of short radio updates to our guide told us he was moving in our direction, so it was not long before we reached a place by the track where he was heading and waited quietly for his arrival. Minutes later, he appeared. As we watched him approach, his intense gaze fixed on us, it was a thrilling moment to be in the presence of such a magnificent animal. Clearly, he had been in a battle, his face marked with bites, yet, there was no hint of hostility in his demeanour. Passing us by with a casual glance, he continued on his way, a silent guardian that had returned to his realm.
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.
