She was asleep on a rock when we found her, with a dozen jeeps already lined up on the track. Most stayed twenty minutes. By the time the light softened, we were the only vehicle left.
Leopards are patient animals, and they reward patience. When she finally stood, stretched and walked down onto the sand track, there was no crowd, no engines, only the sound of the jungle settling into evening.
She stopped, looked back over her shoulder, and held our gaze for a moment before disappearing into the scrub.
That look lasted perhaps two seconds. It took three hours to earn.
