在Londolozi禁猎区，我遇到一只16岁的豹子，我称之为“Manana”，母亲。
她可能是世界上最著名的豹子之一，也是我和Elmon在八十年代接触过的老母豹最后剩下的孙女。

Londolozi的护林员以3：4的比例称呼Manana，因为她在胡须线上方有斑点图案。通过这种方法，Londolozi的所有豹都被识别出来了。
这个特殊的早晨，我们看到她未能成功捕杀黑斑羚。
它变得越来越躁动，车也开始回归到客人住宿的豪华小屋。
我知道“Manana的”最后一餐是蜥蜴，那是2天前。即使有高温，她也可以继续打猎。
我坐在离Manana 15英尺的阴凉处。类似的事情我做过很多次。我在这只令人难以置信的豹子面前汲取能量和灵感。
与我合作的摄制组将车辆移动到50米的距离。钢铁，噪音和废气排出空气，现在只是剩下我和豹子。
上周我在一个母老虎的巢穴里。今天我和一只野豹坐在阴凉处。现在生活似乎非常好。
经过短暂的休息，Manana起身继续打猎，我和她一起步行。

我使用与跟踪母虎朱莉狩猎相同的技术，跟踪她。
我提醒自己Manana16岁了，相当于人类112岁。她柔软的身体，低到地面，很容易穿过厚厚的灌木丛。
我高大平脚，重心高。我纠结，我跌跌撞撞，我抓住了。她的运动能力让我觉得很惊奇。
有一次，她盯着我，仿佛在说“你必须做得更好”。
如果可以的话，我会做一个心理记录，为狩猎作出贡献。遇上任何陆龟或蜥蜴，我都会抓住并将它们交给她，以换取与她一起打猎的罕见特权。
我没有携带枪支，只有我的相机和猎刀。
作为一个孩子，我有一个罕见的特权，被一些伟大的猎人训练。我的父亲Boyd Varty，Harry Kirkman，据说猎杀了超过1000只狮子，主要追踪者是Winnis Mathebula，Elmon Mhlongo，George Adamson和Ndorobo Maasai弓箭猎人Karino Sukuli，仅举几例。
为什么我会得到与Manana一起打猎的机会，我的存在是伟大的。这只豹子拥有成千上万的成功狩猎记录。她是一个活生生的传奇，我很快就会发现原因。

我们一起走了一公里。她总是靠近树木或灌木丛，斑驳的光线与她的外套融为一体，她变得隐形。我尽力做到这不出声。
我们远离了摄制组和车辆。噪音，相机，废气。我的追求是知识，她的追求是生存。
一公里后，她停在一个小灌木丛的阴凉处休息。我坐在炎热的丛林中。 Manana起身为我腾出空间进入阴凉处。我被她的举动感动了。这是她有意识的姿态。在近距离内，人类和豹子坐在丛林中一起等待和思考。
她还记得几年前我挽救了他们母子三个的生命吗？当我把她和她的幼崽带回去治疗疥癣的时候，她有意识地回报我吗？她的推理有多复杂？她记得多久以前？我们能和豹子说话吗？当我坐在她身边时，这些是我脑子里的想法。
突然，她站起来，径直朝我走来，对我叫，狩猎正在进行。
Manana使用了所有技巧，她在白蚁丘和倒下的树上爬起。她停下来听，她的眼睛扫视着灌木丛，她的耳朵旋转，她的所有感官都处于最大的力量。她的预备准备是刻意和彻底的。
我意识到她正在通过尾巴与我沟通。如果她蜷缩起来，我必须停下来。如果她轻弹它，前面有游戏，她会在游戏结束时快速轻弹。如果她转过头来凝视，那么我做错了什么，必须纠正。 Manana正在和我交谈一系列复杂的信号。我尽力解释。毫无疑问，她是老师，我是学生。

突然，黑斑羚出现在我们面前，沿着路径向我们走去。玛娜娜的尾巴快速连续鞭打，我呆住并蹲伏在灌木丛中，她转过头，眼睛钻进我，“降低”，这是她的命令，“低调”她命令，我平躺在她身后。她的眼睛盯着接近的黑斑羚，她的注意力十分集中。
黑斑羚在蹲伏的豹子前面5英尺处停留，有第六感在警告它。相距不超过20英尺，黑斑羚，豹和人类在一瞬间被冻结。
然后我听到喷气式飞机接近Londolozi的声音。这架喷气式飞机正在下降到陆地，它正在我们的头顶下降。我诅咒喷气机因为它会扰乱狩猎。 Manana认为这是一个优势，她会利用声音和混乱。
当喷射声达到最大值时，黑斑羚会分散注意力，Manana直接穿过灌木丛进入喉咙。

我跳起来，左右鞭打相机，希望能抓住动作。她抓住了吗，她扼杀了吗？我向北，向西和向后跑。然后它突然出现在我身上，我正在模拟一个混乱的黑斑羚。我可以成为猎物。
什么都没有，没有豹子，没有黑斑羚，没有！
我坐在半震惊的状态下。我经历了一系列事件。我在狩猎中的出现是否让惊扰了Manana杀戮？我应该做些什么？
在她年轻的时候，她会抓住黑斑羚。我已经用树木摄像机拍摄了她的猎物，我知道她是一个多么令人难以置信的运动员。
一只壮丽的野生动物，一只16岁的豹子带我度过了我生命中的3个小时，这是我永远不会忘记的经历。

她已经进入了狩猎的状态。把她带走，她没有任何好处。
Manana用身体，尾巴和眼睛与我交流。我尽可能地遵守她的命令。
她教过我很多关于豹子在很短的时间内打猎的事情。
后来她在周围盘旋，捕捉到一只年轻的黑斑羚，因为牛群在水坑里喝酒。她的所有经历都集中在狩猎中。
Manana的狩猎体验，加强了我们在吉普车上跟随它们时对猎豹的影响。我们如何通过狩猎豹来减轻几吨钢的影响，激动的客人，相机，收音机和聚光灯？我没有答案。
我所知道的是，在信任和沟通方面，无论是豹子，老虎，大象，鲸鱼，海豚等，我们都处于起步阶段。
Manana跟我说话用的是眼睛，耳朵，身体和尾巴的语言。至少可以说这是一种非常复杂的语言。
毫无疑问，随着我们的发展，我们将来可以从这种语言中学习并与豹子交流。

与此同时，Manana给了我生命中最激动人心和最令人振奋的三个时刻。
轻轻地踩在地上。

At Londolozi Game Reserve, I am sitting with an 16 year old leopard who I call "Manana", the mother.
She is probably the most famous and photographed leopard in the world and is the last remaining granddaughter of the original mother leopard which Elmon and I habituated way back in the early eighties.
The rangers at Londolozi call Manana 3:4 because of her spot pattern above the whisker line. It is by this method that all the leopards at Londolozi are identified.
This particular morning, several game drive vehicles have watched her unsuccessfully hunt impala.
It is getting hot and the game drives return to the comport of the luxury lodges where the guests are accommodated.
I know that "Manana's" last meal was a monitor lizard and that was 2 days ago. Even with the heat, she may continue hunting.
I sit down in the shade15 feet from Manana. I have done this many times. I draw energy and inspiration by being in the presence of this incredible leopard.

The film crew who are working with me, move the vehicle away to a distance of 50 metres. Steel, noise and exhaust fumes clear the air, now it is just me and the leopard.
Last week I was in a tigress's den. Today I am sitting with a wild leopard in the shade. Life seems very good right now.
After a short rest, Manana gets up
She hesitates, staring at me, I have never hunted with her on foot before. She moves purposefully. This is not a stroll to mark territory, this is a hunt for food.
I move 15 to 20 feet behind her right shoulder, using the same technique that I use for hunting with Tigress Julie.
I remind myself that Manama is 16 human years old or 112 years in leopard terms. Her lithe body, low to the ground, slips easily through the thick bush.

I am tall and flat footed, with a high centre of gravity. I tangle, I stumble, I snag. Her athleticism makes me feel pedestrian to say the least.
At one point, she stares at me, as if to say "you will have to do a lot better than that".
I make a mental note to contribute to the hunt if I can. Any tortoises or monitor lizards, I will catch and give them to her in exchange for the rare privilege of hunting with her.
I carry no firearm, just my camera and a hunting knife.
As a kid, I had the rare privilege of being trained by some great hunters. My father, Boyd Varty, Harry Kirkman, reputed to have hunted over 1000 lions, Winnis Mathebula the master tracker, Elmon Mhlongo, George Adamson, and the Ndorobo Maasai bow and arrow hunter, Karino Sukuli, to name a few.

Why do I get the impression that hunting with Manana, I am in the presence of greatness. This leopard has literally thousands and thousands of successful hunts under her belt. She is a living legend and I will soon discover why.
For a kilometer we hunt. She always stops close to a tree or a bush where the dappled light merges with her coat and she becomes invisible. I try my best to do the same.
We abandon the film crew and vehicle. The noise, the cameras, the exhaust fumes intrude upon what is becoming a very private thing. Mine is the hunt for knowledge, hers is the hunt for survival.
After a kilometer, she stops to rest in the shade of a small thicket. I sit in the heat outside the thicket. Manana gets up and makes space for me to move into the shade. I am moved by her concern. It is a conscious gesture on her part. Within touching distance human and leopard sit in a thicket waiting and thinking.

Does she remember when I saved her life and those of her two cubs some years ago? Is she subconsciously repaying me for that day when I treated her and her cubs for sycoptic mange? How complex is her reasoning? How long ago does she remember? Will we ever be able to talk to leopards? These are the thoughts that cross my mind as I sit close to her.
Suddenly she gets up, walks straight towards me, brushes against me, the hunt is on.
Manana uses all the tricks, she elevates on termite mounds and fallen trees. She stops and listens, her eyes scan the thickets, her ears swivel, all her senses are at maximum power. Her pre-preparation is deliberate and thorough.
I realize that she is communicating with me via her tail. If she curls it up, I must stop. If she flicks it, there is game ahead and is she flicks it fast the game is close. If she turns her head and stares, then I am doing something wrong and must rectify.

Manana is talking to me with a complex array of signals. I try my best to interpret. There is no question she is the teacher and I am the pupil.
Suddenly the impala are there in front of us, moving towards us down a game path. Manana's tail whips in rapid succession, I freeze and crouch in the bush, she turns her head, her eyes drill into me, "get lower", they command, "lower still" she orders, I lie flat behind her. Her eyes are riveted on the approaching impala, her concentration is absolute.