5 !!! Leopards (or so we keep telling ourselves)

I have always heard that leopard is a shy animal and only the very lucky ones see it on their safaris. Therefore I wasn't even hoping to see one on our week long trip to Kruger. Instead we saw 5 (or so we keep telling ourselves).
Twice we were very, very close to one. It had walked graciously out in front of the cars before us, then lied down in the thick African grass in the midst of the bushes. Unfortunately, while the other people looking at them had the advantage of big 4x4s and safari vehicles, we did not. So we kept on staring at the place that they pointed at and we are (almost) certain that we did manage to spot the spots of a leopard through the grass and behind a bush only 2-3 metres away from us. Even if it was only our over-exited imagination, there is no doubt that those two leopards were there and were probably looking at us.
Another sighting might have been our imagination although my husband is certain he saw the leopard lift it's head up over the brown winter's grass just across a small watering hole from us. We spent half an hour intently staring at that spot but no ore movement was noticeable. However, we still counted that as the sighting nr.3.
The other two were much clearer and more exciting. Every day we left our camp as soon as the gates opened at 6:00 to increase our chances of seeing animals, especially predators like leopards and lions that hunt at night, making the dawn, dusk and nigh time that best time to see them. During the day they tend to hide from the sun making them completely invisible even if you happen to be right next to them. This ability to completely blend in and become invisible was noted on our sighting nr. 4 where whilst driving for half an hour without any animal sightings, I suddenly through the morning mist saw a leopard crossing the road only about 20m away from us. As soon as he appeared, he also disappeared. When we got to the spot we just saw him, we could only see a tail disappear into the bush. It all happened so fast, even if it was exhilarating, that I didn't manage to get any photos or videos unlike during our last, and most spectacular, sighting - nr.5.
Another early start saw us driving on a main tarred road since we had a fair amount of mileage to cover to get to our next camp. But even so, we could not drive past when we noticed a few cars stopped at the side of the road, all pointing towards the trees. This usually means there is something good. And so there was. It was a dead impala in a tree, obviously pulled up there by a leopard the night before as leopards are the only animals capable of doing that. It's got something to do with their unique adaptions that allows them to not only climb up trees but also to climb back down (as we all know cats are good at climbing up them, but not so good at climbing back down).

While we were marvelling at the impala and at the idea that the leopard has hid it there away from other predators and scavengers, a leopard appears out of nowhere and starts climbing up the tree, stands there, showing his magnificent self to the adoring crowds, then just as quickly climbs back down to disappear out of sight into the bushes. All the people, including us, for several minutes set there quietly in the cars with completely stunned expressions on their faces. We all looked like we had just one the lottery, and in a way, I suppose, we had. An experience like that is a rare thing, indeed.