Driving the Majale riverbed and the open spaces of this southern Botswana reserve’s scenic plains, past scrubby thickets of low mopani and yellow-blossomed rhigozum, scouring the muscular and tentacled branches of the giant Mashatu trees, our visit to Mashatu last month was most definitely all about leopards.

We had fabulous leopard sightings on nearly all our drives; that’s real photographic opportunities, not frustratingly brief glimpses. Our plentiful leopard encounters were long-lasting and thrilling; allowing us to get to know the routines and behaviour of several different individuals whose lives we were privileged to share in part over the nine days of our stay. There was the luxury of time to shadow and photograph them on their patrols, to stalk them as they patrolled in and out of the treeline cover and the deep and lengthening shadows along the riverbeds.

There was the chance to capture a handsome male coming down the fat, gnarled trunk of a nyalaberry tree where we’d just photographed him feeding on an impala kill; the chance to track the movements of a relaxed female along a gulley one afternoon and savour the moment she settled down to lie in wait at sunset, her raised head turned golden by the last rays of light.

There was the morning we came across another female in a tense stand-off with a spotted hyena over her impala kill. For some unknown reason the hyena suddenly spooked and she quickly seized the opportunity to drag her kill into cover right in front of our waiting lenses in beautiful morning light.

Bewitched by their eyes, spellbound by those beautiful spots, we photographed numerous leopard portraits, we captured them scent-marking, sharpening their claws on the trunks of trees, yawning to reveal fearsome canines, drinking from a small pool of rainwater in the riverbed, reclining on branches and fallen logs and framed in the wider landscape (rapidly greening due to unusually early rain). Not forgetting the amazing mating pair right by our two vehicles on our very first afternoon; the perfect welcome to Mashatu. What drama. What a noise…

But it wasn’t just about the spotted cats. We had sightings of African wild cats too and even photographed one actively hunting mole rats. And then there was the wonderul Majale Island lion pride. We crossed paths with them on several mornings. This was largely due to the fact they’d brought down an injured eland bull which kept them busy in one spot for several days. There were numerous hungry mouths to fill including two impressive adult males and five rumbunctious cubs of around six months old.

Our first encounter with the pride, hot on the heels of yet another leopard sighting, afforded the opportunity for some classic, close-ups of one of the attractive males in flattering soft box light, followed by action shots of the five youngsters playfighting, and one or two great group line-ups of the family posing rather formally as if they were guests at a wedding.

Best of all was our first sighting of the two newest members of the family, still blue eyed and mewling – a pair of roly-poly cubs the mother had been keeping safe in a nearby den. This was the first time the little ones had been introduced to the rest of the pride. The adventurous little pair, who often strayed a little too far from mum’s gaze then kept falling over under her feet when she hastily called them back, were a delight. It was quite touching to see how mum delicately picked her way as they tumbled around her when she moved to take a drink from a rain-filled stream. From their reaction it was clearly the first time the little ones had seen wet mud. It was an absolute joy to witness, photograph, and be there in the moment.

The unusually early rainfall put Mashatu’s well-known low-level hide out of play while we were there, but this did not prove a dampener. We had many elephant sightings, particularly breeding herds with very small babies, and our encounters with them playing or drinking in the usually dry riverbeds made for an unexpected bonus and a great alternative to photographing them at the hide.

Even the famous yellow flowers, which normally bloom during Mashatu’s summer season in January and February, began to show before we left. It was beautiful to see this normally arid reserve gradually flushing with green during our stay; to see dewy-eyed young jackal pups playing at their den while hornbills carried mud to their nest hollows in banana-shaped beaks, deafening cicadas screamed from the mopani and woodland kingfishers enthusiastically proclaimed the arrival of summer. And then of course there were yet more leopards…

It was very hard to tear ourselves away.

Before we sign off we’d like to thank the dream team of photographers, expert guides and lodge staff who put the icing on the cake. Rotating on the vehicles has never been so smooth! Thanks one and all and in particular to Eric Maripane, Kaizer Sekanonyana and Albert Phorabatho: it was a real pleasure to ride with you guys. And to the gang –  to resident aloe vera agent and safari buff fashionista MTS and to SGS, a strong, silent shooter who it turns out is not that bad on the other side of the lens if he ever fancied another career modelling safari gear. Thanks to CA for services to porcupines! Thanks also to PA, the jokes can only get better so do keep practising. Finally thanks to Mr and Mrs McD; great sports as ever. We wish you both well with your new kit – our cheque from Canon arrived in the post just this morning (we wish!).