Predators famously tend to go for the easiest prey that they can find. When hunting, they’ll single out the animal that they think will take them the least effort to kill, and that will predictably be their target.
Sometimes, though, an opportunity presents itself that animals like this leopard just can’t ignore. A leopard tortoise might have a similar name, but with its diminutive size it has none of the ferocity of an actual leopard.
Watch Now:
This means that, despite its hard shell, it’s a good target for a hungry big cat looking for a snack. Matimba Marimane spotted this leopard in the Greater Kruger National Park, and sent the footage in to Latest Sightings.
The Perfect Spot For A Leopard
At the beginning of the footage the leopard had managed to find the perfect spot to relax. Atop a low lying branch, it had a slightly elevated position to survey the surrounding landscape.
Behind it was a large enough bush that it could retreat into and hide in if there were any threats that approached, meaning that this was a very secure leopard. Due to their stealthy preferences, this made it the perfect location for this leopard to hang out.
Working For A Meal
But this leopard wasn’t merely hanging around, for it had already succeeded with a successful hunt although it had come away with more of a snack than a full meal. Clasped tightly between its paws was the hard shell of a leopard tortoise.
Unlike an antelope or bird, simply killing this prey was not enough to guarantee easy food, as this tortoise’s shell would protect it even after the leopard had ended its life. Trying to work through the shell, or dig out the soft meat inside it, was going to take some work.
Incidentally, the naming logic behind a leopard tortoise is immediately clear when the pattern on its shell blends in almost seamlessly with the pattern of fur on the leopard’s large paws.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
A Frustrating Snack
It’s unclear whether or not this leopard had already succeeded in killing the tortoise, or whether the small reptile had simply retreated to deep inside its shell where it couldn’t be reached by the long sharp teeth of the big cat.
There was some evidence that the tortoise’s shell was chipped and cracked around the edges due to the leopard’s insistence on getting to the meat inside it, which meant that even if the leopard had managed to kill the tortoise, there was some left in the shell that it wanted as well.
The leopard grew so frustrated with these efforts that it eventually leaned to the side and dropped off the log with the shell still clutched in its paws. Unsuccessful at breaking open the shell entirely, it seemed content to leave it there on the ground as it leapt back up onto the log.
If the tortoise had managed to stay safe in its shell then this would be the best opportunity for it to escape, but for the leopard to suddenly lose interest in it might have been evidence that it had already eaten everything it could.