Was it wildlife photographer Stefan Cruysberghs who filmed the incident? Or the 10+ crocodiles feeding on a puku carcass? Maybe it’s the leopard–given its jaw-dropping audacity in joining the fray in the first place?
Latest Sightings posted this remarkable turn of events on November 20, 2024. Wildlife photographer, Stefan Cruysberghs filmed it while visiting South Luangwa National Park in Zambia.
This remarkable turn of events was posted on Latest Sightings on November 20, 2024. It was filmed on the banks of the Luangwa River, in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.
This male leopard is blind in the right eye. According to a comment about the video, those who frequent the area know this individual.
Watch:
I’ve heard of a cat amongst the pigeons but this is ridiculous!
Whatever its backstory, you’ve got to admire–or shake your head at– the brave determination of the leopard in its efforts to get a bite or two of the meal being offered..
There is speculation in the video description as to what caused this event. Regardless, seeing a leopard scavenging is not all that unusual. Yes, they are very accomplished hunters.
The key to their success, however, is that they are opportunists and will scavenge when the chance presents itself.
When opportunity knocks
And one can’t argue that trying to sneak a meal amongst nearly a dozen feeding crocodiles is opportunism of the highest order.
The leopard’s partial blindness may mean that it takes risks willingly to secure a meal. That said, the animal appears to be healthy, showing no other signs of injury.
Risky business
In the image above, the camera captures the leopard is seen leaping backwards, probably as a giant croc threatened it. If one of the crocodiles got hold of the leopard, it might kill the leopard outright or cause severe injuries.
Predators often die when injuries making hunting difficult.
A different angle
After the near miss, the leopard decides to back off and find a new position at the table. See how he snarls below; his discomfort is obvious.
Well, that’s not helpful
As the leopard ponders his next move, yet another crocodile emerges from the water. Mercifully, the new arrival settles nearby but it does seem to heighten the urgency for the leopard to get stuck in while it can.
A close call
The leopard takes the gap that the situation presents and feeds for a while. Meanwhile, the croc throws back chunks of meat. Next, although we don’t see what happens, the leopard once again springs away from the carcass.
Undeterred, the leopard once again attempts to feed. By now though, both the leopard and the crocs hiss aggresively, with the latter lunging threateningly.
Time for a new approach
As things get more heated, the leopard decides that discretion is the better part of valour. It circles back to its original position and resumes feeding.
As the it resumes feeding, we confirm he is a male. Cue jokes about various sperical heavy metals…
And nerves of steel too
The leopard proceeds to get stuck in, its head only centimetres from the jaws of the adjacent crocodiles.
Not content just to be eating, the leopard even swats the head of one of the crocs…
A commotion worth investigating
As if this sighting wasn’t bizarre enough, a hippo then emerges from the water to investigate. Hippos have poor eyesight, so perhaps it couldn’t resist the temptation to see for itself.
Incidentally, although they are herbivores, hippos scavenge carcasses occasionally. Whether or not the hippo eventually ate any of the carcass remains uncertain.
A final twist
In the last image, a crocodile rolls onto its back.
we see one of the crocodiles has rolled onto its back. Their teeth grip and rip flesh during the so-called “death roll”. Crocodiles swallow food in whole or in large chunks.
Leopards, by contrast, use serrated molars to cut through and chew tissue.
With so many interesting facets to this sighting, its little wonder the Natural world has us constantly enthralled.
Was it worth it
The leopard wasn’t able to get much of a meal from this particular deal, or so we read in the comments. Eventually, it ambled off and we’ll never know if it realises just how lucky it was to leave unharmed.
We can safely assume though that both the photographer and our viewers won’t easily forget this amazing sighting.