Ingwe is not stupid. Leopards know us of old and while happy to stay out of the way, living up in the rocks and picking off antelope or village dogs, he is not afraid of us in a pinch. Wounded or just hassled they will charge quickly and silently.
The Matabele regarded killing a leopard as a test of manhood. It was done using a club and a thorny branch as a primitive shield. The first rule of loving history is that you don’t get to change it to suit modern tastes – whatever people may say from the comforts of their living rooms today, that was surely a test of courage.
Put it this way, if I saw it on a job application it would go in the ‘to be interviewed’ pile. Clearly a self starter.
Peter P. Ryan www.faraway.co