Yeoor again

So its close to nine o clock, and I get a call from Aonz asking me if I am willing to join him for a ride up Yeoor. I agree, and he comes over with his friend Wazym, and we all head over to the top. After a fifteen minute drive, we arrive.



Let me tell you this... Moonshine is BRIGHT. But there was no other source of light, and there were long shadows. We went until the gate of the National Park, and stood there, beneath a bright almost full moon, a bottle of thumbs up and some smokes. We are sitting and talking mostly about escape strategies in the eventuality of a leopard showing up. Then we go silent just to hear the various sounds in the jungle. Remember, we are doing this in the middle of (I) the night (ii) nowhere and (iii) land that is totally pwwnnd by another species.



Some leaves rustled. Some bird made a weird sound. An airplane went past. Then dead silence save for the crick-crick of them night insects.



And then we all hear it. It was like a long drawn out moan, but there was no escaping recognition of what it was. We didn't get up and run, because it was far away. Then we heard it again. And again. And we sat there, shit scared... And hoping it was sufficiently far away. Then we heard it loud and clear and near.



We didn't exactly run to the car, but no one tried to hide their fear. That was the first time I ever heard a leopard scream... That is what it was. An amazing sound that is like embedded in my head now. Am expecting leopard nightmares.



Of course, in the safety of my home (actually a Leopard was captured fifteen meters from where I am currently sitting), reasoning the whole thing out, we were in absolutely no danger. No predator on the prowl is likely to scream enough to scare the prey away. The far/near scream must be a mating call or some kind of communication between two leopards. Maybe something like "I am awake, are you?"



Leaving out the last paragraph, have a great party story now. I have actually heard the growl of a wile leopard.