THE HUNTING LEOPARD, OR CHITA 67 



I was once in camp on the Sabi, and had just finished 

 lunch on a particularly hot January day, when a chit a 

 came walking quietly out of the bush within thirty yards 

 on his way down to drink at the river. Of course he 

 saw us as soon as we noticed him, and had disappeared 

 long before the rifle could be snatched up. Another 

 time I had sent the wagon on ahead before sunrise, and, 

 after a light breakfast, was cantering on to overtake it ; 

 I could already see the unwieldy vehicle crawling along 

 some 400 yards ahead, to the usual accompaniment of 

 strident yells and whip cracking, and naturally an en- 

 counter with a beast of prey was the last thing in my 

 mind. Suddenly something in the bush near the path 

 caught my eye, and I became aware of a large chita 

 slowly making his way along in the opposite direction 

 to myself, quite unconscious of my presence, and less than 

 fifty yards distant. I think on both these occasions a 

 recent heavy meal had caused the animal to be less alert 

 for the time, and possibly the same factor may have been 

 accountable for the almost ridiculous ease with which 

 chitas have sometimes been galloped down on horseback. 



For a short distance this cat can certainly outstrip 

 any living antelope, but its bolt is probably quickly shot, 

 and I think if the game succeeds in getting sufficient 

 start to keep ahead for the first few hundred yards, the 

 chita seldom perseveres. 



Chitas generally hunt in pairs, but family parties, 

 consisting of the male, female, and one or two well- 

 grown cubs, are not infrequently noticed. They are far 

 more sociable creatures than leopards, but less so than 

 lions. The prey is stalked by moonlight, or in the early 

 morning and late evening though in cloudy weather 

 any time of the day serves. In this preliminary work 

 the chita displays all the stealth and cunning of his cousin 



