Fighting to protect a fresh catch is a common occurrence in the animal kingdom, where many predators keep an eye out for opportunities to ruin their competition’s day by stealing their food.
Some animals use brute force to protect what’s theirs, while others use their cunning to stash their kills where others can’t reach them. Mirror-match encounters pose a threat to this second tactic.
This footage from the MalaMala game reserve, sent in by Thabisani Buthelezi, shows just such an encounter as one leopard found itself facing the only other cat which could match its climbing ability: another leopard.
Stored In A Safe Place
The first leopard had already climbed high into the tree branches before Thabisani began capturing footage of the event. It was looking down at the camera, clearly aware of its presence and making sure it wasn’t going to be a threat.
Its prey wasn’t quite dead yet, and struggled against the grip of the leopard’s jaws, but it would only be a matter of time, and then the leopard would be able to enjoy the meal safely in its tree.
As the big cat most capable at climbing, keeping food safe in high areas was this leopard’s best chance at making sure no competing predators came looking to commit some theft.
The Perfect Spot
This tree looked immense, which made it a brilliant option for keeping catches safe from curious eyes. It also doubled as the perfect lookout for the big cat to keep watch for those potential thieves.
The sound of a hunt often draws the attention of other predators that would rather benefit from the hard work of others than put in their own effort to get a good meal.
Hyenas, wild dogs, lions and even other leopards are common culprits for nosing around the scene of a fight to see if they can get a share of the spoils, so having a good vantage point was important to this cat.
Aerial Surprise Attack
This leopard had obviously learned from experience that caution was the best option in a situation like this, and caution served it well. This leopard might have been able to out-climb many other predators, but not another leopard.
In a clear show of acrobatic strength, the intruder leapt across the gap between two large boughs, when the first leopard turned its back for only one short moment.
This opportunity was too good for the intruder to pass up, but the original leopard managed to turn quickly enough to stop its kill from being stolen right out from under its back legs.
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Fastest Thief In The Savannah
Despite being quick enough to foil the intruder’s first attempt, the original leopard wasn’t prepared for the acrobatic prowess of its attacker. Moving from bough to bough quicker than the defending leopard could react, the thief was unstoppable as it darted close enough to take the kill.
The risk of either leopard falling and injuring themselves was great, but the reward was a meal that would nourish them for a considerable period of time.
The daring raid culminated in the intruder leaping from the lower branches of the tree, with the valuable kill secured safely in its mouth, and escaping with the bounty, while the poor defender watched in dismay.