Regular contributor Mark Fox sent this video to Latest Sightings. He filmed it near Biyamithi Camp in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
Leopard in the riverbed
We join the action shortly after Mark and his companion spotted a mature male leopard crossing a riverbed. It is heading towards the rocky outcrop on the far riverbank.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the temperature rose, leading the predator to seek shelter.
Blends into the environment
As Mark filmed, he marvelled at how well the spotted cat merged with its surroundings. This, thanks to its stunning spotted coat, which breaks up the animal’s outline, rendering a very effective camouflage.
While we can’t say for certain that this is a regular haunt of the leopard, it remained vigilant, both for prey and the presence of danger.
After a while, the leopard found what he was looking for. The most obvious escape from the heat lay among the rocks.
To their disappointment, the leopard subsequently disappeared from view inside the small cave.
New angle
Not ready to give up on the special sighting, Mark manoeuvred his vehicle. Eventually, he found a new position from which he could see the predator clearly.
As he lifted his camera to resume filming, the sight of a gruesome injury on the animal caught him completely off guard.
As can be seen in the above image, the leopard’s entire right ear is missing. We have no way of telling how it lost its ear, but it was more than likely in a fight with another predator, possibly another leopard.
As the leopard turned its head, Mark got to see the full extent of the injury. The entire ear flap is missing, leaving a raw, open gash on the side of its head.
The wound looks fairly fresh and, as the video rolls on, we see that it is attracting numerous flies. This was to the annoyance of the unhappy cat, who repeatedly shook its head.
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Time to move
While we cannot say how long the leopard stayed in the cave, eventually it decided that it was time to move on.
This allows us to get a good view of the leopard’s general body condition. He is slightly lean, but no bones are protruding. Importantly, he is not limping.
This tells us that he is in fairly good condition and, thus far, unaffected by the injury to his ear. Whether or not its hearing is affected is also unknown.
Disappearing act
As the cat moves further up the embankment, we are again struck by how effortlessly it ‘disappears’ into the surrounding vegetation.
A leopard’s camouflaged coat is an important part of its hunting arsenal. Without it, they wouldn’t be nearly the successful ambush predators they are.
In the Kruger Park, where prey is abundant, leopards are successful in about 38% of their attempted hunts. However, in sparse landscapes like the Kalahari desert, that figure drops to around 14%.
Parting shot
As the video nears its conclusion, Mark zooms in on the leopard’s face.
That piercing stare is clear. Injured or not, this is not an animal you want to mess with.