Watch the struggle here:
Recently engaged visitors, Matthew Leigh and Thejal Mathura, sent their record of the event to Latest Sightings.
Celebrations
The couple were heading back to camp after a celebratory game drive. Their hopes of seeing something unique were exceeded when they encountered a male leopard in a tussle with a honey badger.
“We had no idea just how exciting our last 10 minutes in the park were going to get!”
Near escape
As the video begins, the honey badger nearly escapes the leopard’s clutches. Somehow freeing itself, it spins to flee.
However, the leopard’s lightning-quick reflexes see it swat the honey badger…
Before once again, pinning it to the ground and attempting to deliver a fatal bite.
Ensuing melee
The leopard manages to bite the badger somewhere on its body. But the badger’s scornful growls and writhing body tell us that the fight is far from over.
Injured leopard
From this new perspective, it becomes apparent that the leopard has an injured ear. However, a recent post on Latest Sightings suggests this occurred several days prior.
It is thought the leopard may have lost the ear during a recent territorial battle.
Try flipping it
As the battle continues, the badger’s unique skin works in its favour. Possessed of an unusually thick and loose hide, these tough critters can absorb and avoid many injuries.
The leopard’s best hope is to flip it onto its back and go for the throat. With claws embedded, we see it struggle to manoeuvre its equally aggressive quarry.
In the chaos, the leopard manages to bite the badger’s right front paw. Frantically, the badger struggles and its immense strength helps free the paw.
Another chance to escape
With its foot free, the badger does what it can to flee its aggressor.
Again, the leopard’s superior reflexes have the badger in its claws. Accordingly, the back of the badger’s neck is exposed and the leopard bites into the right shoulder.
Tipping point
As a result, the badger can no longer use its teeth and claws to fend off the leopard.
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According to the couple, the badger had also sprayed a foul-smelling anal secretion to no effect. While it is nowhere near ready to surrender, its raspy snarling does nothing to deter the leopard.
Finally, having some semblance of control over its prey, the leopard moved away from the dumbstruck onlookers. They said,
“We could still hear everything and the honey badgers’ cries were getting slower, quieter, and more laboured.”
It would seem, therefore, that the leopard ultimately killed the brave badger.
Diverse menu
For sheer adaptability, none of the big cats are as successful as leopards. Their solitary lifestyle means that they have to be opportunists in every sense of the word.
As a result, their diet is immensely varied. Leopards have been recorded getting their essential protein from diverse sources. These include termites, eggs, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, small and large mammals, and carrion when available.
And, as this battle demonstrates, they are willing to go to incredible lengths to get it.