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Article: Last-chance leopard: when leopard hunting becomes an addiction.
- Article from:
- Sports Afield
- Article date:
- August 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Hearst Communications, reprinted with permission of Hearst. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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I had spent one hundred days feeding leopard. Over the course of four safaris, I had fed Zambian, Zimbabwean, and Tanzanian leopards with various baits, but had never been successful at taking one. For three years running, it seemed I had replaced Cleveland Amory as the "Chui" Man of the Year." After all, Amory just paid cats lip service, I offered them room service.
My leopard hunting was no longer an obsession. It had become an addiction. And, as with most addictions, I wasn't getting the promised thrill, but I was paying the price.
On each morning of each safari I would awaken early--5:00 A.M. was late; 3:30 or 4:00 A.M. was more common; and a few ...