In Touch with Nature – The Animal Performance (Cabaret)

Posted: May 27, 2026 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, In Touch With Nature, Leopards, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Writing to be Read | 79 Comments

This month’s In Touch With Nature post is a little different. It is a re-write of Willkommen to Cabaret and is also an entry into Dan Antion’s Thursday Doors Writing Challenge 2026. To this end, some of the photographs set out below are from Dan’s challenge. I’ve attributed those photographs in the picture captions.

You can join in Dan’s challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/thursday-doors-writing-challenge-2026/

The song incorporates a few phrases in Afrikaans and Zulu. The order in these instances, is Afrikaans, Zulu and then English.

Welcome to the Kit Kat Klub!

Picture caption: Animal Performance at the KitKat Club. Photograph contributed to Dan’s TDWC26 by Robbie Cheadle.

Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome

Oppasser, Umlondolozi wezilwane, animal carer

Bly om jou te sien, ngijabule ukukubona, happy to see you

Bly hier, hlala lapha, stay

***

Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome

Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance

***

Dames en here, manene namanenekazi, ladies and gentlemen

Goeie aand, sawubona, good evening

Voel jy goed? uzwa kahle? do you feel good?

I’m sure you’re excited

Ek is jou gasheer, mina ngingowakho, I am your host

Picture caption: **I AM YOUR HOST!** Photograph of a squirrel peeping through a doorway. Contributed to Dan’s TDWC26 by Maureen.

Just saying

Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome

Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance

***

Leave your preconceptions outside

You’re in for the time of your life

Everything is interesting here

Here nature is at its best

The animals are beautiful

Even the predators are beautiful

Picture caption: Lion eating an impala. Photograph by Robbie Cheadle.

You see? I told you the predators were beautiful

***

And now presenting the Performing Herbivores

Speedy (Speedy’s name is due to her speed coming down a tree)

Picture caption: Speedy the tree squirrel. Picture by Robbie Cheadle at the Pilanesberg National Game Reserve in April 2025.

Paws (Paws is always ready to shake you by the hand. He’s such a friendly tree squirrel)

Picture caption: Paws the tree squirrel. Picture by Robbie Cheadle at the Pilanesberg National Game Reserve in April 2025.

Shadow! (Shadow likes to hide behind trees

It makes her really difficult to spot in the bush)

Picture caption: Shadow the Cape buffalo. Picture by Robbie Cheadle at the Pilanesberg National Game Reserve in April 2025

Patches! (Patches is a young male tsessebe.

One of the fastest antelope in Africa, he can run at speeds up to 90 km/h)

Picture caption: Patches the young male Tsessebe. Picture by Robbie Cheadle at the Pilanesberg National Game Reserve in April 2025.

Alice! (Alice is the most beautiful girl in the show

She has the longest eye lashes you’ve ever seen

She’s great to look at but she isn’t much of a conversationalist)

Picture caption: Alice the giraffe. Picture by Robbie Cheadle at the Pilanesberg National Game Reserve in April 2025.

And Jemimah! (Jemimah is the baby of the show. She is very shy and doesn’t like being photographed.

She runs away and I only get her backside

It’s a pity as she’s really such an adorable little thing)

***

Speedy, Paws, Shadow, Patches, Alice and Jemimah

Each and every one important to the eco system. You don’t believe me? Hmmm?

Well don’t take my word for it. Do your own research!

***

Outside its autumn and the trees are decked in auburn finery

The veld is a rich orange interspersed with yellow

Inside its lovely too. We are showing off some amazing creatures

Today you are gaining more appreciation

***

Just saying

Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome

Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance

***

We are here to educate you!

And now presenting the Performing Carnivores!

Here they are!

Koning, Mufasa, and Leo

They are a trio

Male pride

Koning or King is the dominant male of the pride

He is the alpha male

Biff (Don’t be fooled by his innocent look!

Biff is the most efficient killer in the Bush with a 90% kill rate)

Picture caption: Biff the African Painted Wild Dog photographed by Robbie Cheadle.

Peter (Peter is extremely dangerous with bone crushing jaws

His bite force exceeds 1,000 PSI

Picture caption: Peter the spotted hyena photographed by Robbie Cheadle.

And, finally, the toast of the Bush, Esmerelda the Cheetah

Fastest animal in the world!

Picture caption: Esmerelda the female cheetah photographed by Robbie Cheadle.

Bly hier, hlala lapha, stay

Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome

That’s Koning

Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance

Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome

Oppasser, Umlondolozi wezilwane, animal carer

Hello Animal Carer!

It’s a great pleasure to see you here

Enchanted Madame

Happy to see …

You!

Bly hier, hlala lapha, stay!

We say

Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome

Oppasser, Umlondolozi wezilwane, animal carer

Bly om jou te sien, ngijabule ukukubona, happy to see you

Bly hier, hlala lapha, stay!

We say

Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome

Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance

***

Thank you!

Koning, Mufasa, Leo, Biff, Peter, Speedy, Paws,

Shadow, Patches, Alice and Jemimah, Esmerelda, and Me!

Welcome to the Kit Kat Klub!

If you would like to watch the original song from the movie featuring Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli.

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author photograph 2025

Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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Like this post? Are you a fan of this blog series? Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3

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In Touch with Nature – The magnificent male leopard

Posted: April 22, 2026 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, In Touch With Nature, Leopards, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Writing to be Read | 43 Comments

Characteristics of male leopards

Leopards are powerful big cats and are closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars.

The easiest way to tell the difference between a male and a female leopard is its size. Adult males typically weigh between sixty and seventy-five kilograms and are significantly larger and broader than females.

Male leopards establish large territories covering between thirty and one hundred kilometres and have a distinctive dewlap (loose skin under the neck). The heads of male leopards are broader and larger than the heads of females. The footprints of the males are also typically larger with a more rounded outer edge to the rear pad.

Males are solitary, coming together with females for only six or seven days to mate. The territory of a single males may overlap with those of several females.

Young male leopards leave their mothers to become independent at around eighteen to twenty four months of age. Males stay with their mothers longer than females in order to fully master hunting and territorial skills before leaving to live on their own. Male leopards become dominant at between four to six years of age and usually have to fight other males for control of territory.

In South Africa, leopards generally inhabit the same areas as lions and hyenas and compete with them for food.

Male leopards live for between ten and fifteen years, provided they survive their early, vulnerable years.

Slide the bar below to see the male (first picture) and the female (second picture) leopards.

Gallery

The gallery below sets out some of the photographs I took of a male leopard.

Picture captions: The pictures in the gallery above are of a female leopard. Her kill had fallen from the tree and she was picking at the remains. She then went up the tree and was resting on a branch and cleaning herself just like a house cat. The last picture is a dead baby zebra in a tree. It was dragged up there by a leopard which then left it to go and get a drink of water. It was a very tiny zebra so a little sad but leopards have to eat.

Into the Light: Leopard – artwork

Picture caption: Into the Light: Leopard in watercolours. An original artwork by Robbie Cheadle.

Exotic Pets (Double Ennead)

The poem below is extracted from my book ‘Lion Scream‘.

Bought as exotic pets
We are rescue cubs
Our owner didn’t know we could never be tamed
Our play is boisterous
We chew everything
***
Just over three months old
We have all our spots
And our denim-blue eyes have turned bright yellow
Play fighting each other
Teaches hunting skills
***
Everything is brand new
Exciting to us
A spider in its web, an experience
For our sister, who snaps,
And tries to eat it

Picture caption: Cover of Lion Scream available from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Lion-Scream-Syllabic-Southern-Wildlife-ebook/dp/B0BXP5N766

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

In Touch with Nature – Leopards

Posted: March 25, 2026 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, In Touch With Nature, Leopards, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Writing to be Read | 78 Comments

Introduction and fun facts

Leopards are my husband’s favourite animal. They are very difficult to see in the wild because they are nocturnal, they are rare, and they are solitary. The best game reserve in South Africa to see leopards is Sabi Sands and this is where we went for our wedding anniversary last year to finally get good sightings of leopards.

We were at the reserve for 48 hours and went on 4 game drives during that time. We had two wonderful sightings of leopards. The first was of a mother and her juvenile youngster. The second was of the father.

Here are a few initial facts about leopards:

Most leopards are light coloured and have dark spots called rosettes on their fur. There are also black leopards which also have spots, but the spots are hard to see against their dark fur. Black leopards are called melanistic leopards;
Leopards are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, Northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China;
Unlike lions, leopards are extremely solitary animals and they mark their territory with scratches, urine, and feces to warn other leopards to stay away;
The only time you’ll see two adult leopards together in a single territory is if they are a male and female looking to mate;
Leopards can achieve a running speed to nearly 60 kilometers per hour and can leap up to 6 meters forward;
Leopards make a wide variety of sounds from coughing to growling. Leopards also purr when they are happy;
Leopards carry their prey into trees to eat. Leopards eat a wide variety of animals from monkeys to rodents to birds to antelopes. Leopards also eat cheetah cubs;
Leopards have very long tails to help them balance when climbing, running or changing direction;
Leopards have specially adapted retinas that enable them to hunt in the pitch black of the jungle; and
The English name ‘leopard’ emans ‘spotted lion’ in Latin.

Gallery and You tube videos

The gallery below sets out some of the photographs I took of a female leopard.

This is my You tube video of the leopard nibbling on its kill:

This is my You tube video of the female leopard grooming herself in the tree:

Leopard in a Tree – artwork

Picture caption: Leopard in a Tree – original charcoal artwork by Robbie Cheadle.

The Watcher (freestyle)

Dear Ranger

I am sorry

I didn’t oblige you

And make an appearance

For your paying guests.

You can’t blame me

For being wary

Of people.

After all

The guest farm

Right next door

Allows canned hunting

By wealthy tourists.

The lions are bred

And raised by hand

In captivity

Then,

Their caregivers

Release them

Into a caged enclosure

To be hunted down

As trophies.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Leopards are not spared

This barbaric treatment

Although fewer of us

Are murdered this way

Our dead heads removed

To grace the walls

Mouths gaping open

In a humiliated grimace

Called a fierce pose

By the false hunters.

Run off our traditional land

By grasping humans

Who have the right

To life and liberty,

Freedom from slavery

And torture,

Freedom of opinion

And expression,

The right to work

And to education.

What about me?

Here in the reserve

I’m relatively safe

Provided I don’t follow

My natural instincts

To travel and

Stay within the fences

Built by you

I know you’re a good one

But frankly,

It still grates me.

Then you bring

Truckloads of visitors

Who chatter

Point

And gawk

While rattling chip packets

And taking photographs.

SNAP! RATTLE! SNAP!

Nothing is sacrosanct,

You invade

Every part

Of my life

… Eating

… Sleeping

… Mating

My babies

Fodder

For prattling spectators

Hooing and cooing

Making fools of themselves.

And so, I hide

Deep within

The long grass

Or up high

In a tree,

Dreaming away

The long, quiet days.

Sometimes

I shake a whisker

Or twitch an ear

Sending the viewers

Into a frenzy

Hopefully anticipating

A leopard sighting

I lie

And grin

Thinking

And now

Who’s watching

Who?

From

The Leopard in the tree

The artwork and poem above are extracted from my poetry collection, Square Peg in a Round Hole available from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Square-Peg-Round-Hole-Creativity-ebook/dp/B0CW1H3SQV