That night the leopard returned and shredded the sofa on the veranda as well as removing the cushions; finished the dog food and ate a dead bird in the garden. We increased our vigilance, but thought that at least our house, which is fenced, ought to be safe during the day.

A week later we all went down to the main camp (about 200 m away). "Bingo" stayed behind in the house which had the front door open and the back door closed. "Douglas", my younger dog, (both were bullterriers) accompanied us to the main camp.

While we were in the main camp a ranger raced into the camp on a bicycle yelling that he had just scared a leopard off a dog in the driveway. We ran up to the road to find "Douglas" with his throat ripped open, "One Eye" stood about 150m down the road watching us. We then followed the drag mark all the way up the driveway, through the gate, up the front steps and into the house where we found "Bingo" behind the couch in a pool of blood. "Bingo" had multiple wounds; on the back of her neck, on her buttocks as well as her throat ripped open. "Douglas" had a single throat wound. I went out onto the road and found "One Eye" still waiting; I fired two .375 rounds to scare him off.

Judging from the blood and the dog claw scratch marks on the cement floor as well as the drag marks the following scenario has been deduced. It seems as if "Bingo" was sleeping on the couch when the leopard surprised her. She must have put up a fight, but was eventually killed behind the couch at the kitchen door. "Douglas" must have heard this commotion from the camp and must have run up to the house. The leopard saw "Douglas" approaching and waited for him in the lounge where he killed "Douglas". "One Eye" then dragged "Douglas" from the house into the driveway where he was surprised by the ranger.

We buried our companions of a decade and were sitting on the couch mourning when "One Eye" reappeared at the gate. When I went out to chase him, he merely walked away. That night Mr. Scott, my manager, and Mr. Brink, my neighbour, joined us at our house. At nine o’clock "One Eye" returned and entered through the gate and walked around the house. He returned again at 10h40 and stared at the windows as if contemplating jumping in. I concluded that the animal was desperate and hence dangerous. I decided to destroy "One Eye" and we, Mr. Brink and myself, followed the leopard down the driveway into the camp where Mr. Brink had a clear target and shot the leopard whereupon I fired a shot as well.

Upon examination of the carcass we discovered that the upper left and lower right canines were missing with large abscesses in the roots. He was thin and his pelvis was protruding. He was an old leopard in a bad way and took a chance on what he thought to be easy prey. It is the end of an era for us since all the lodges in this region have known "One Eye" for many years and he has delighted many a visitor to our lodges. My two dogs I will miss dearly.

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