Under the Heat
Breathing in Shade, Watching the Bush Pause.
The heat was already intense.
The African sun, once gentle in the early hours of the morning, had climbed high and now poured down across the savannah with relentless brilliance. The air shimmered. Even the wind, when it came, felt warm and thick, brushing the grass in slow, sighing sweeps. Out here in the bush, life began to still. A lull descended, as though every creature understood that to endure the midday furnace, one must wait.
I had driven along a rough, winding track through this wild expanse, the tyres crunching softly over dry soil and stone. It was mid-morning, and the signs of life were slipping into the shadows. A distant kudu stood under a mopane tree, motionless. A flash of wings somewhere in the acacias. And then, just ahead, the path narrowed—stopped, in fact—by a presence so striking I found myself holding my breath.
There, sprawled along the pale track itself, was a leopard.
Not hidden. Not stalking. Just being.
His body stretched into the cool earth, tail curled at the tip, the curve of his spine rising and falling with steady, shallow breaths. He panted lightly, jaws slightly open, his pink tongue visible with each slow exhale. The golden dapple of his coat shimmered under the swaying grass nearby, each spot blending with the mottled light like brushstrokes painted by nature’s most masterful hand.
He wasn’t looking at me—his gaze was cast to the side, distant, contemplative, perhaps even indifferent to my presence. In this moment, he was not the hunter, nor the haunted. He was simply there, under the heat.
I lowered my camera quietly and let it capture the stillness.
This was not a staged moment. Nothing dramatic unfolded. But there was power in the pause. In the hush of the mid-morning wilderness, where predator and prey alike surrendered to the sun, this leopard had chosen his place: not under a tree, but right on the open track, partially shaded by knee-high grass and low bush. A choice of comfort perhaps, but also of confidence.
It’s easy to overlook the significance of stillness in the wild. Many come seeking the thrill—the chase, the roar, the flash of teeth. But there is poetry too in the quiet acts of survival: in the way a leopard chooses a patch of shade, the way his breath whispers through the heat, the way his body rests not in fear or haste, but in calculated reprieve.
Earlier that morning, tracker told me the leopard had been seen dragging a young impala kill into the fork of a marula tree, some 300 metres from where he now lay. His work was done for the moment. No need for secrecy or flight. His meal was safe—hoisted beyond reach of prowling hyenas or wandering lions. The heat, unbearable to most, was a signal for retreat. For rest.
Leopards are creatures of the twilight and the night, their activity pulsing under moonlight rather than midday glare. By nature, they are solitary, cautious, yet fiercely adaptable. It is this very ability to retreat, to become invisible, to wait—it’s what makes them such efficient survivors in a land where danger moves silently on four legs.
Lying in the shade serves many purposes for these elusive cats. Beyond the obvious relief from the heat, it allows them to blend into the broken light of the bush—dappled spots matching the shifting shadows of grass and branch. It’s camouflage not just for the hunt, but for safety. During daylight, lions patrol, wild dogs roam, and scavengers skulk. For a leopard, remaining unseen is as vital as any chase.
Yet even in plain view, this leopard retained that elusive aura. A presence felt rather than announced. Every breath he took beneath the curtain of heat seemed intentional—calm, collected. He was not hiding. He simply didn’t need to move.
I stayed with him for nearly an hour. Watched the breeze comb the grasses around him. Listened to the rustle of distant insects, the hush of a place suspended in the heat of the emerging day. It felt sacred. A rare stillness in a wild world.
Eventually, he rose—slowly, languidly. Muscles rolling beneath his skin like ripples on water. With a final glance toward the wind, he stepped off the path and disappeared into the yellow grass. Gone, just like that.
But the story remained. A story of rest, of instinct, of being in tune with the rhythms of a wild land.
About the Subject
This image, titled Under the Heat, captures a male leopard photographed in the mid-morning hours in the Klaserie Drift area of the Kruger National Park. Known to local guides in the region, he is an experienced and dominant male with a wide-ranging territory. This particular leopard had successfully hunted earlier that morning, securing his kill in a tree—a classic behaviour that showcases the leopard’s ability to avoid scavengers by keeping its meal out of reach. His choice to rest in the open, along a shaded path, reflects both confidence and a calculated response to the intense mid-morning heat typical of the African summer. Leopards, as apex ambush predators, rely on stealth, patience, and an acute awareness of their surroundings to thrive—and sometimes, surviving means simply resting well.
Raw Africa Collection
Welcome to Africa - the wise, the restless, 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.
This image was captured in late September 2022 in the Klaserie Drift region of Kruger National Park.
Sony A1, FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II, FL: 137mm, S: 1/1000s, A: F5.6, ISO: 1,000
