Watch now:
A Tree Full of Joyful Mischief
Leopard sightings are always a treat, but few are more delightful than a mother with her playful cubs. In this footage filmed by Andrew Aveley in Greater Kruger, two energetic cubs climb and wrestle in a dead tree while their mother looks on with casual amusement.
In a hilarious moment, one of the cubs wrestled the other off of a branch and it hung on only with its two front paws! Andrew offered hilarious commentary in his video while the cub dangled and fell shortly after.
These moments offer a glimpse into leopard’s softer sides, where their usual stealth and solitude are replaced by lighthearted playfulness. In the wild, however, playtime is often interrupted when survival is at stake, and that is exactly what happened on this day.
Unwelcome Guests Crash the Party
Just as the family seemed fully absorbed in their afternoon fun, an unexpected disruption arrived: an entire herd of elephants! At first, only one individual approached the leopards.
It seemed to watch them carefully but ultimately decided that leopards were not welcome in its territory. Two of the leopards decided to respect the elephant’s wishes but as soon as they started climbing down the tree, the elephant began to flap its ears and charge!
Seconds later, the rest of the herd closed in, either asserting their dominance or startled by the leopards’ presence. Nonetheless, they briefly succeeded in clearing the area, and causing the leopards to retreat further.
Play Resumes, Order Restored
Luckily for the leopard trio, the elephants didn’t linger long. Once the herd moved off, the mother deemed it safe enough to return and the cubs were soon back at it, scrambling up branches and ambushing each other with renewed energy.
The fact that the leopards were undeterred by the interruption is a testament to how resilient and adaptable these young predators can be, even in a landscape full of much larger neighbours. They spent the rest of the day adorably chasing each other through the branches and swinging around as if nothing had happened!
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Play is a vital part of every young animal’s development. For leopards, climbing, stalking, and wrestling can all teach crucial hunting and survival skills!
With their mother nearby to supervise, these moments double as both bonding time and lessons in agility and stealth. It’s all part of preparing the cubs for a future alone in the wild.
The Elephant in the Treehouse
Elephants and leopards don’t directly compete, but interactions like this highlight the complex social landscape of the savanna. Elephants, especially in herds, tend to dominate shared spaces and aren’t shy about moving others out of the way.
While they may not pose a direct threat to leopards, their sheer size and presence are enough to break up the fun, at least temporarily. This fleeting encounter between the leopards and elephants is a perfect example of the delicate balance of nature.
Each species moves through the landscape with its own needs, instincts, and boundaries, and sometimes those paths cross in unexpected ways. It’s a beautiful reminder that in the wild, every creature plays a role in the constantly shifting rhythm of life.