Pound for pound, leopards are said to be one of Africa’s most powerful predators. In this footage, a leopard battles to subdue a wildebeest calf before it attracts unwelcome attention.
Johan de la Rey sent his footage of this dramatic event to Latest Sightings. He filmed it while on a game drive in South Africa’s Sabi Sands Game Reserve.
Enter mid-battle
As we join Johan at the sighting, we are thrown right into the action. In a streambed below him, a leopard and a wildebeest calf are engaged in a life-and-death battle.
Although the spotted predator has pinned the calf to the ground, the determined youngster is not ready to give up. The chattering alarm calls of vervet monkeys accompany its desperate bellows.
Becoming a problem
When the leopard lifts its weight off the calf, the wildebeest senses an opportunity to escape. Accordingly, it thrashes wildly, hoping to wrestle free.
However, the cat’s fangs remain deeply embedded in the nape of its neck. For the leopard, this is becoming a problem.
With its airway open, the calf can both breathe and sound the alarm. For a secretive, solitary hunter, the latter could spell disaster if it attracts the attention of other predators.
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Last-ditch attempt
Still bellowing, the calf finally gets its legs beneath it and starts to rise. As it does, the leopard momentarily releases its grip.
To see such determination in such a young animal, we cannot help but hope the calf succeeds. Even so, we can’t ignore the fact that it is competing with one of Nature’s most efficient killers.
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Tipping point
Despite the odds, the calf manages to get to its feet. As it does, the leopard makes a move that will change the course of the battle once and for all.
With its claws still digging into the wildebeest’s neck, the cat clamps its jaws over its prey’s throat. As it does, it throws the calf off balance and pins it to the ground once again.
Having successfully blocked the calf’s airway, the bellows cease. Now only the monkeys’ chattering hints that anything is amiss.
Slowly but surely
Now, deprived of oxygen, the calf’s fate is all but sealed. Death by asphyxiation can take several minutes, depending on the amount of exertion beforehand.
In this case, mercifully, the calf soon fades. However, during these crucial minutes, larger predators like lions or hyenas may be on their way to investigate.
Consequently, the leopard knows it can’t afford to rest despite the epic struggle it has just endured. And so begins the equally strenuous task of dragging its kill to a safe place.
With the calf weighing more than it does, this is no small feat. As such, the cat stops to rest from time to time.
As Johan’s video ends, we can only hope the leopard got to enjoy the fruits of its labour.
