Watch the Sighting:
Koos Kilian and his wife, guides from Kambako Executive Lodge, were leading a group of guests on safari in Pilanesberg Game Reserve. With a goal of spotting some elephants, they decided to pay a visit to Lengau Dam.
This location is usually a popular spot for wildlife sightings, but the midday heat seemed to lull everything into a lazy calm. With the only animals of interest being a herd of resting wildebeest, Koos’ wife decided to leave with her guests.
Just as Koos and the rest of his group prepared to leave, one of his guests made an exciting discovery!
Predator on the Prowl
“There’s a lion!” shouted one of the safari-goers. Koos was puzzled – most predators tended to rest in the heat of the midday sun. Koos followed his guest’s indication and realized it wasn’t a lion, but a leopard!
The leopard was so well camouflaged and silent, that they had not been able to see it stalking the herd of wildebeest the entire time! Koos and his guests anxiously watched as the leopard stared down its prey.
“Of course, we were all on the edge of our seats, but I remained doubtful, thinking – what are the chances of this leopard being successful?”.
The Silent Assassin Strikes
Finally, the leopard was within striking distance of the wildebeest. In a heart-stopping move, the leopard unleashed itself onto its poor victims.
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It charged at a great speed, sending the wildebeest into a panic! Dust flew as hooves barrelled away from danger, but the leopard had already locked in on its target.
One of the slower wildebeest spun three hundred and sixty degrees as the leopard latched onto its hindquarters and clawed its way up to the wildebeest’s throat. By this point, it was only a matter of time before the game was over.
Predators with a Plan
Leopards have perfected the art of the kill. They utilize different strategies based on the size and speed of their prey, including stalking, ambushing, piercing their prey with razor-sharp claws and teeth, and dispatching their victim with a final bite to the throat.
When it comes to a prey item that is more than double its size, a leopard knows that it has to first wear its prey down in order to successfully claim its meal.
This is exactly what happened during Koos’ sighting. The leopard clung to the wildebeest as it thrashed around, trying to shake its captor.
Patience Pays Off
As time passed, the wildebeest grew more and more exhausted. Finally, after a long battle well fought, the wildebeest collapsed and the leopard delivered the final blow.
Koos had called his wife to return with her guests, but by the time they made it back to the site, the leopard had unfortunately moved deeper into the grass to eat its meal. Koos remarked that he was reminded of a valuable lesson that day — always be patient and have your camera ready!