A safari-goer in South Africa had a thrillingly close encounter yesterday (December 8) with this beautiful female leopard.

Edrich Schafer was driving through Kruger National Park when he spotted the big cat right in the middle of the road.

"These normally shy and elusive big cats like to remain hidden in the thickets but this female leopard couldn’t care less being right in the main road, not too far from my vehicle," he said.

"The leopardess casually proceeded to come closer to the vehicle before stopping again to mark her territory," he added.

"I was totally amazed to see the female leopard then suddenly stopping at the back of my vehicle, marking her territory against the back bumper, Schafer said.

"Once done, the leopardess casually carried on along the road as if I was never there. It was indeed an amazing and exhilarating quick close encounter I had with this beautiful leopardess," he concluded.

Seeing a leopard in the wild is always a rare and special occasion. On this day I couldn’t believe my luck when I came across a female leopard, right in the middle of a main road in the Kruger National Park. These normally shy and elusive big cats like to remain hidden in the thickets but this female leopard couldn’t care less being right in the main road, not too far from my vehicle. The leopardess kept coming closer and stopped, staring down the side of the low water bridge I was parked on. Not once did the leopardess even look at the vehicle. The leopardess casually proceeded to come closer to the vehicle before stopping again to mark her territory. I was parked very close to the edge of the bridge and couldn’t believe it when the big cat continued walking right past my vehicle to the back. I was not going to open the window and hang out to get the shot, so I filmed the last part of the video through the side mirror of the vehicle. I was totally amazed to see the female leopard then suddenly stopping at the back of my vehicle, marking her territory against the back bumper. Once done, the leopardess casually carried on along the road as if I was never there. It was indeed an amazing and exhilarating quick close encounter I had with this beautiful leopardess.