Food is the main currency in the bushveld, especially impala meat. Simon saw just how far predators will go for a free meal in the wild.
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“Seeing a kill is a very rare occurrence as one’s timing has to be absolutely perfect,” said Simon, recounting the viewing experience. However, Simon saw more than just a kill. He calls the interaction he witnessed between the leopard and the lions something dramatic and special.
Leopard Eyes Impala Ram
Simon and his group were just finishing off a morning drive and were on their way back to the Skukuza camp for brunch when the incredible moment happened.
When they came to De Laporte, they saw a leopard on the other side of the waterhole. “She moved deeper into the bushes as a herd of impalas approached to drink,” he said.
Tension Rises In Dramatic Kill
Tension levels were high as the leopard observed the impala. Simon related how the anticipation of a kill was now tangible. The impalas gathered calmly at the water’s edge, unaware of the predator nearby.
The spectators waited for almost an hour before the action happened.
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“When a bachelor group of impala males started chasing each other around, I knew that the distraction the leopard had been waiting for had arrived,” said Simon.
The leopard immediately bolted from her hiding place towards an impala still drinking at the waterhole. The surprised animal got such a fright that he slipped into the water. “By then, I knew the leopard had her prize, because it’s not easy for an impala to get out of the water.”
Like lightning, the leopard seized her trophy.
The leopard seemed unconcerned about the water, and having caught the impala, did not wait to begin feasting on her prize.
Simon said, “I was surprised that the leopard did not fear the water at all and only had her meal in sight. This tactic is something she had perfected and used on a regular basis. I’ve seen her before with a kill in a tree, but this time I was fortunate enough to be there to witness the actual kill.”
Lionesses Sneak Up On Leopard
So focused on her meal, the leopard didn’t see the lions approaching. They started to emerge from the riverbed, hearing the commotion of a possible kill.
Simon said he realised this was a dangerous situation for the leopard.
Lions Seize Impala Carcass
The lions crept right up to the leopard without her noticing. “I thought she was in serious trouble, and this could easily have led to her death,” said Simon.
Fortunately for the leopard, she managed to get away in time. The lions intimidated her sufficiently to scare her away before there was any confrontation. The smart leopard wasn’t taking any chances.
Left alone with the impala, the lions quickly pulled it up onto dry land, away from the water.
Lionesses Feast On Their Free Meal
Now it was the pride’s turn to feast. The leopard had lost her trophy, but she left with her own life intact.
She was a good hunter, as Simon had witnessed by the stealth and strategy she used to catch the impala. But the African bush is filled with opportunists who would rather steal than hunt.
If she faced the lions and tried to protect the carcass, this possibly could have been her fate.