The rare privilege of seeing a leopard in broad daylight is an absolute treat. In this article, we not only share the excitement of a daytime sighting but also see both the right and wrong ways to store a kill out of the reach of scavengers.
Act 1: The wrong way.
We join professional photographer, Deon Kelbrick and his guests, at MalaMala in the Sabi-Sand Game Reserve.
In the first clip, we see a female sub-adult leopard attempting to hoist its kill up a mopane tree so that scavengers can’t steal it. Without success.
In the next image, you’ll notice that the Impala is disembowelled, reducing the weight to be hoisted.
To give you an idea of the relative size of the predator and its prey, female leopards range between 28 and 60 kilograms. Female impalas weigh between 40 and 53 kilograms.
So there’s a good chance the carcass outweighs the little leopard by some margin.
Why did this happen?
Perhaps, in this instance, the young leopard lacks the strength and experience to achieve its goal. Three successive attempts to hoist the carcass all fail.
We can only hope lessons were learned.
Act 2: The true queen arrives
In the second clip, a different leopard is shown. Although one can’t make a direct size comparison in the video, this leopard (also a female) appears to be an adult.
In the video, we first see her dragging her kill, also a female impala, to a destination as yet unknown.
Spot the differences
Notice that the Impala’s belly is intact, meaning the leopard has not yet removed the impala’s organs.
This leopard is considerably larger than the first, especially compared to the dead impalas clamped in their respective jaws.
Impressive in every way
Leopards are famous for their high power-to-mass ratio; a fact made even more impressive by the action taking place in the heat of the day.
Adding to our awe is the considerable distance she has to drag her kill before finding a suitable tree.
Summing up the situation
As the leopard reaches the base of the tree, in this case, a fig tree, she drops the carcass for a moment.
We can only guess what is going through her mind… Perhaps she is just catching her breath for a moment.
Act 3: The set-up
However, the way she seems to be assessing the trunk she could well be planning her route and deciding if it is worth the inevitable effort to follow.
After a few moments, she is ready for the main event…
Go time!!!
Clamping her prey in her powerful jaws, the leopard is now ready to show us how this monumental task can appear easy.
She briefly sets herself at the base of the trunk before launching upwards to secure her inch-long claws into the bark.
A strategy in itself
See how she has straddled the impala, allowing her legs space to move and grip. She carries the weight in her jaws, using her hind legs to propel herself upwards.
This is not her first rodeo! Notice how she combines momentum and strength to cover the distance upwards as efficiently as possible.
She also effectively distributes the combined weight across all four contact points (her paws).
Every bit helps
She makes use of every available foothold on the way up. You can easily see how her right front paw is folded into the crevice in the bark.
By using intelligent leverage, good body position, experience, and brute strength, she makes short work of the task.
Nearly there!
All this effort must serve a purpose. Leopards are the only big cat that takes measures to protect their hard-earned meal from scavengers. By selecting a suitably high fork in the tree, she all but ensures she’ll dine alone.
Mission accomplished!
Finally, after expending considerable time and energy, the leopard secures her prize in a well-shaded fork in the tree. So, with the hard work done, she can dine at leisure; replenishing her energy for the next chapter in her incredible life.
The audience applauds
Ultimately, the awe of those who viewed this spectacle is obvious. One of the onlookers expressed their disbelief thus, “What the ho..? Holy &£$*!!!” We’re sure you’ll agree, that pretty much sums it up perfectly!
Take a bow, Queen Leopard.