Living with Leopards

In the heart of South Africa's Londolozi Game Reserve, a remarkable bond defied the very nature of the wild. Living with Leopards follows the extraordinary relationship between legendary wildlife filmmaker John Varty (JV) and Manana, a wild leopard he filmed for 16 years. Fierce, elusive, and built for survival, Manana could kill with ease- yet beside her, unarmed and unharmed, sat JV. Through his lens, JV captured the intimate and often brutal realities of a leopard's existence: the relentless struggle to keep her kills, the ever-present threat of rival predators, and the heartbreaking battles to protect her cubs. His years of dedication revealed astonishing moments rarely seen in the wild-Manana launching aerial attacks from treetops, and in an act of profound grief, consuming her own lost cub. But beyond the predator, JV uncovered something more: trust. As the years passed, Manana not only tolerated his presence but actively sought him out, an unheard-of connection for a species as solitary as the leopard. In the final weeks of her life, she offered her greatest sign of trust- allowing JV to walk beside her on an impala hunt, perhaps her last. Living with Leopards is more than a film; it is a deeply personal journey into the secret world of one of Africa's most enigmatic big cats, told through the eyes of the man who lived it.