"Duma" vs. "Chui"

Our amazing luck in the Mara continued when we spotted not one, but 3 different leopards. Leopards are very elusive cats and extremely rare to spot (no pun intended). If you do a simple “Google Images” search of a leopard, you will see that nearly all photo results are of leopards taken in captivity. Those that are taken in the wild tend to be fuzzy or obstructed by trees or vegetation. Leopards lead a solitary lifestyle and spend much of their time resting high and camouflaged in trees. They often drag their prey into a well-foliaged tree to protect it from hyenas or other scavengers.

It is no exaggeration to say we were extremely blessed to spot not one, but THREE leopards. Furthermore given the numerous cheetahs we saw as well, we were able to conduct an observational comparative study of cheetah vs. leopard. Of course, Mwalimu Wilson insisted we use the Swahili terms: duma vs. chui.

Cheetah (Duma)

· slender body & small head

· solid rounded spots

· tear marks on face

· white tuft on end of tail

· flexible spine

· non-retractable claws

· rarely climb trees

· hunt only during the day

· only eats fresh prey

Leopard (Chui)

· massive build

· rosette spots

· broad head

· black tuft on end of tail

· retractable claws

· strongest climber of all big cats

· hunt mostly at night

· will eat prey killed by another animal