THE LEOPARD

The most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores, the leopard is also the shrewdest. The elegant, powerfully built leopard has a long body, relatively short legs and a broad head. Its tawny coat is covered with dark, irregular circles called "rosettes. Pound for pound, it is the strongest climber of the large cats and capable of killing prey larger than itself and dragging it up a tree to safeguard it from other predators.

When a leopard stalks prey, it keeps a low profile and slinks through the grass or bush until it is close enough to launch an attack. When not hunting, it can move through herds of antelopes without unduly disturbing them by flipping its tail over its back to reveal the white underside, a sign that it is not seeking prey.

THE GOLIATH HERON

The largest heron in the world (1.4m), the Goliath Heron are predators of frogs, fishes, insects and crustaceans, with baby crocodiles occasionally on the menu.

Large trees over water or dense reed beds are favored sites for nesting sites, with dozens or even hundreds of pairs building nests within inches of one another. The nest itself is vigorously defended against neighbors and , with a good deal of nest material theft going on, heronries can be noisy places. Between three and six eggs are laid and both sexes share in the incubation and feeding.