These big cars had to stop to let this big cat pass with its gaze locked onto its next meal. The leopard burst across the road moving at speed, with an impala on the other side that was living through its last few moments.
Jacques Schutte spotted this hunting cat while driving along the H4-1 road running between Skukuza and Lower Sabie, and sent the footage in to Latest Sightings. The leopard had no time to waste if it was going to get its next meal.
Why Did The Leopard Cross The Road
At the beginning of Jacques’ footage, two cars had pulled over as the leopard dashed across the road. Knowing that the cars weren’t moving meant that the leopard didn’t have to worry about safety, and could focus wholly on the hunt at hand.
Whether or not the drivers had seen the impala dash across the road shortly before is unknown, this might have been a sudden ambush on waiting prey, or a high speed pursuit that carried the animals into the path of the vehicles.
Either way, the leopard had clearly timed this dash to perfection, as the car pulled forward only moments later to show that the leopard had already dispatched its prey, and stood in the bushes at the side of the road holding it in its jaws.
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Off To Enjoy The Meal
Once the leopard had secured the impala, it needed to find somewhere to stash it. Due to their solitary lifestyles, leopard’s aren’t as capable of protecting their food as other animals might be.
It would only take one wild dog, hyena, or lion to come and distract the leopard while another member of the herd or pack came to snatch the meal, and then the poor leopard would be going hungry.
By finding somewhere safe in the thick bushes at the side of the road or, better yet, in the high branches of one of the trees, the leopard would be able to enjoy its meal without the risk of it being stolen quite so easily.
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Lost In The Foliage
Leopards are able to live their isolated lifestyles largely because of their natural stealthiness. This also makes them one of the hardest big cats to see, as they’re often lurking out of sight in hard to spot places.
Even this one, which was clearly on camera only moments before, slunk away into the bushes where it disappeared almost completely from view, merging with its surroundings until it was practically invisible to the camera and the naked eye.
It was an impressive display of stealth, without which leopard’s would not be able to compete with the other competition out there, like larger and stronger lions which have their pride to support them. Remaining unseen by prey and rivals is an essential survival mechanism.
As one of Africa’s big five animals, spotting a leopard is always a treat, their stealth makes them a more coveted sighting than others might be, and seeing one during its hunt made for an incredible moment.