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The leopard cub was just eight days old when we first spotted her in an area along the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Her eyes were milky gray. She wobbled slightly when she walked. When she went outside her den, though, she looked curious and bold.

The cub looked braver than she should have. Five previous cubs had already died. Hyenas, baboons, and other predators had attacked them. What would happen to this one?

Leopards are hard to find. They live and hunt alone. They live secret lives, surviving on stealth and intelligence.

That’s why we decided to spend three and a half years following the cub. We watched her grow up and learn to live on her own.

We named her Legadema. That’s Setswana for “light from the sky.” Right away, she faced danger. A troop of baboons tried to drag both mother and cub from their den. Hungry hyenas longed to feast on her. Lions were a big threat too. This didn’t stop Legadema from exploring.

The cub learned a lot when her mother went looking for food. Screeching vervet monkeys often spotted her far from the den. Scurrying squirrels set off alarm calls. Dangerous predators could have heard these noises. The sounds could have brought them running.

The cub didn’t want to bump into a predator. So each time this happened, she learned to hide better. This would help her find prey and keep from becoming a meal.

When she wasn’t hunting, Legadema’s mother taught the cub how to kill prey. After all, leopards are carnivores. They survive by hunting and eating other animals.

Leopards are not picky eaters, though. They will eat anything from small rodents to large antelope. They feast on baby wildebeests and zebras. They even eat carrion, or dead animals.

Legadema’s mother showed her how to pin down prey. She taught her how to clamp her strong jaws on its throat. These are the kinds of skills a leopard needs to survive in the wild. Only after learning these lessons would the cub grow into a fierce leopard hunter.

When Legadema was five months old, her mother brought her a live baby impala. At first, the cub wasn’t sure what to do with the animal. She began playing with it like a toy.

Then she started to attack it, but she didn’t really know how to kill it. Her mother patiently guided her. She taught her cub how to turn a living animal into a meal.

Learning the lesson well, the cub turned her attention toward the squirrels. She played dizzying games of hide-and-seek with them. The games she had played weren’t just for fun. They taught her to hunt and kill prey.

Over the years, she killed hundreds of squirrels. She also took down larger prey, such as baby warthogs.

One day, Legadema and her mother were playing in a tree. They were about 18 meters (60 feet) above the ground. Leopards often find safety from predators in trees.

This time was different. Suddenly, the cub lost her balance and slipped. She clung to the tree branch. A fall might kill the brave cub.

Her mother sprang into action. She pulled the cub back onto the branch. This is no small feat when you have only claws and sharp teeth. For now, mother and cub were safe.

When Legadema was 13 months old, she got into a spat with her mother. This happened when the cub refused to share a meal. Her mother drove her out. The cub would have to survive on her own.

At first, she lived close to her mother’s den. She hunted in her mother’s territory. Slowly, she moved away and found her own territory. She hunted prey and hid from predators.

Leopards are usually afraid of baboons. One day, though, Legadema really surprised us. She killed an adult female baboon. Then she discovered a baby clinging to his dead mother.

The tiny baboon stretched his arms out to Legadema. For the next few hours, the leopard cub cared for the newborn baboon.

She groomed him. She carried him high into a tree to keep him safe. The two cuddled up and went to sleep. Despite Legadema’s care, the baby didn’t make it through the night.

Today, Legadema is four. She has a mate and may soon have cubs. She will teach them the same lessons her mother taught her.

Article by Dereck Joubert. Top-of-page photo by Beverly Joubert. "Leopard Lessons” appears on pages 10-15 of our April 2007 issue.