While the leopard mother was in the vicinity, she failed to stop the spotted hyena, which while acting alone, was successful in its efforts to prey on the vulnerable cub.
It all happened in a matter of moments, however, Ahmed managed to capture it all on film!
Magnificent leopard heads towards tree hideout
A mother leopard made her way across the grassy terrain. She was well camouflaged. The rosette spots on her coat ensuring she wasn’t easily seen.
The white tip of her tail gave her presence away as its snow-white fleck stood in strong contrast to the surrounding vegetation. The mother moved with purpose and determination, and it was no wonder, she had a cub in her care.
While leopards are for the most part solitary animals, they will make an exception for their cubs. The mother will teach her cub everything it needs to know about life, from stalking, to climbing trees, to essential survival skills.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
This mother leopard was headed for a resting place she had secured among some trees. There, her cub waited for her.
Leopards are very much at home in trees. They can easily climb branches, and are built for scaling trees. For this purpose, they have muscular limbs, retractable claws and flexible spines. These also allow them to navigate branches with ease.
Leopard cubs start climbing trees at a young age. This is an essential skill as trees provide safety and a place to stash food.
Hyena raids leopard hideout
The mother leopard had not noticed a spotted hyena in the immediate vicinity, which was as camouflaged as she was.
Sensing the leopard cub’s presence, the hyena had entered with stealth, keen on finding a free and easy meal.
Leopard cubs are born blind and helpless, typically hidden in a den such as a thicket, cave, or tree hollow by their mother. These cubs will then stay hidden for around six to eight weeks.
During this time, they will rely entirely on their mother’s protection. Until they are old enough to climb trees or defend themselves, they are extremely vulnerable to predators.
While hyenas are often thought of as scavengers, they are skilled hunters. The spotted hyena hunts up to 95% of its own food, often in coordinated packs. This one, however, was alone.
Hyenas are a major threat to leopard cubs. If a hyena discovers a hidden den or finds a mother leopard’s kill, they may attack the cubs or steal the food.
Hyena runs off with cub in its jaws
Finding the leopard cub, the hyena snatched the young animal up with its powerful jaws. Fortunately the cub did not suffer, however, the moment was heartbreaking.
Having raided the leopard’s hideout, the hyena bolted off with its catch, and a silence and stillness returned to the setting.
In the wild, only about half of leopard cubs will survive their first year. They are vulnerable to predation from lions, hyenas, and other leopards and often lose their lives as this one did as a result of their attacks.