Award-winning Israeli wildlife photographer Amos Nachoum has documented a rare black leopard and her two spotted cubs in Kenya’s savanna, a sight he described as not only unique but also vital to conservation efforts.
Nachoum, 74, has spent five decades capturing breathtaking moments of nature. Born in 1950 in Jaffa’s Givat Aliyah neighborhood, he first picked up a camera at age 12. After combat service in the IDF’s Shaked reconnaissance unit and a brief career as a photojournalist, he turned to fashion photography before moving to the United States.
To support himself, he taught diving and began documenting wildlife on expeditions around the world, eventually specializing in large marine animals. His work has been published in National Geographic, TIME, LIFE, The New York Times, and Condé Nast Traveler, among others. He has twice won first place in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
In 1992, he founded Big Animals Photography Expeditions to promote awareness of conservation through photography. His iconic images include a polar bear swimming underwater, documented in the 2019 film Picture of His Life.
During his latest expedition, Nachoum spent more than two weeks in Kenya’s Laikipia savanna, where he photographed a black leopard—named Giza in Swahili—alongside her nine-month-old cubs, one later named Amos in his honor and the other Dhaha, meaning “golden.” Black leopards, caused by a genetic condition called melanism, are extremely rare in Africa, though more commonly found in dense Asian forests.
“In modern history, this is the first known black leopard mother to successfully raise two spotted cubs,” Nachoum said. “Giza is a wise and devoted mother who nurses, hunts, and fiercely protects her cubs from hyenas, lions, and rival males.”
He emphasized that the sighting required precise timing, as cubs typically leave their mother within months. “I believe these few photographs will inspire curiosity and concern for the future of leopards and all wildlife,” he said.
Nachoum credited the local Maasai guides who helped him track Giza and described only three close encounters with the family, including one where the leopard nursed her cubs just meters away.
Beyond the thrill of the rare sighting, Nachoum stresses a sobering truth: “There are now more images of wild animals than wild animals themselves. This illusion of abundance hides the harsh reality of habitat loss, climate change, and human expansion. My mission is to ensure the next generations have more than just pictures.”
His next projects include photographing the elusive clouded leopard in Malaysia and tracking the endangered Ethiopian wolf in Africa’s highlands.