Watch the Sighting:
Johan Cronje was on safari with his family in Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park when they witnessed this incredible sighting! Around three o’clock in the afternoon, the family embarked on their game drive, hoping to spot a hunting leopard in the later hours of the day.
As they made their way between the Rooibrak and Kamqua Water holes, some movement caught their eyes on the road ahead. The vehicle quietly approached so the family could get a better look, and to their delight, they discovered that their hopes had been realized — it was a leopardess!
The Art of the Ambush
The female leopard was crouched low to the ground and had her eyes laser-focused on something in the distance. As Johan followed her gaze, he immediately spotted an innocent springbok she had selected as the unlucky target of her hunt.
The family watched in awe as the leopardess carefully crept along the sandbank beside the road. Even as she approached, the springbok remained oblivious to her presence and continued to forage mindlessly.
Too Late to Escape
Eventually, the leopardess was within only a few meters of the buck, who had begun to sense the danger. It lifted its head, ears twitching, sensing something was off, but was unable to spot the female leopard who was still stealthily hidden behind the sandbank, locked in and ready to explode into action.
Every muscle in her body tensed as she slithered behind a nearby tree, her golden coat blending seamlessly with the dry earth. She became a statue, eyes focused on her target, waiting for that perfect fraction of a second to strike.
In a final fatal error, the buck lowered its head to graze once again, and the leopardess seized her opportunity. She charged with ferocious speed, leaping and latching onto the buck’s hind quarters with her razor-sharp claws.
The leopardess took down the springbok within seconds, as it had barely started to try and run away! The chase was over before it began, with the poor springbok never having stood a chance.
A Once in a Lifetime Sight
After eating a large portion of the buck, the leopardess dragged its carcass under the shade of a nearby tree and went to fetch her two cubs so they too could enjoy the spoils of her successful hunt.
Johan reflected on how lucky they were to have had this spectacular sighting all to themselves — “I have seen many leopard sightings in my years but this one was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience! To have the sighting all to ourselves was a bonus”.
This encounter is a powerful reminder of the skill and patience that predators rely on to survive in the wild. Every movement for the leopardess was careful and calculated, and on the flip side, a single misstep for the springbok meant the end.