When a troop of baboons discovered a mother leopard and her two cubs, she managed to escape with one of them. The troop subsequently mobbed the remaining youngster.
Johan Theunissen, Kerry Balam, and Moosa Varachia submitted this footage to Latest Sightings. They witnessed the tense interaction on the H4-2 in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
Young leopard abandoned
As we join the sighting, we see a lone sub-adult leopard perched high in a tree. After an angry troop of baboons discovered it, its mother and sibling had fled to safety.
However, this youngster sought refuge in a tree. Consequently, it is alone and looking rather concerned.
Cornered up a tree
As the young leopard looks around, it realises that the baboons have cornered it.
If it were to leave the tree, the baboons would probably attack it on the ground. Accordingly, it has no choice but to sit tight.
Realising that they had the leopard at their mercy, the baboons climbed into the tree, forcing the leopard to retreat into a thick tangle of twigs.
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Defiant defence
As the troop’s sentries got ever closer, the leopard snarled a warning. Although the spotted cat was heavily outnumbered, it knew it had to be prepared to defend itself if necessary.
As solitary, stealth predators, leopards prefer to stay hidden in the shadows to avoid situations such as this.
Mob tactics
For the baboons, this was a chance to get their own back on a feared predator.
With the leopard plainly visible, some of the baboons moved ever closer. So long as they had it in sight, the chances of one of them being caught were minimal.
Consequently, while some watched from a distance, others stayed closer to preven the predator from slipping away.
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Losing interest
To begin with, four of the larger males stayed close to the leopard. Like the leopard, they were armed with fearsome canines.
Additionally, they had the advantage of superior numbers. Wisely, the leopard chose to stay where it was, all the while snarling and hissing to keep its tormentors at bay.
However, as time dragged on without incident, some of the sentries moved off to join the troop as it moved further away. Eventually, only one baboon was left to contain the cat.
Back to their families
Eventually, the last remaining baboon started moving down the tree. Still, the leopard refused to move.
It’s safe to assume that other sentries were keeping an eye on him as he did. The baboon sentry system ensures that all members can move with relative safety, knowing someone is watching their back.
As it got to the base of the tree, the baboon turned to ensure the leopard was still in sight. Satisfied, it jumped to the ground to join its family.
Subsequently, the leopard waited until the baboons were out of sight before descending the tree. No doubt there was a very relieved reunion when it relocated its mom and sibling.
