This spectacular sighting was witnessed by 36-year-old tour guide/musician, Francis Kijazi, while on safari with a client in Kusini, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
Magnificent leopard comes into view
Francis explained he had spotted a leopard in the tree about 500 yards from the road. “We followed it and were taking pictures for about 40 minutes,” he said.
However, as they followed the path of the leopard, a second animal came into clear view.
Wildebeest baby unaware of impending danger
A weak and dehydrated baby wildebeest was seen making its way across the grassy terrain. It had possibly lost its mom during the chaos of migration.
The young wildebeest walked slowly along, eventually stopping in its tracks to conserve energy. Its lack of stamina was evident. The young animal had obviously come quite a distance.
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Leopard comes uncomfortably close to wildebeest
The leopard spotted the baby wildebeest and climbed down the tree. It moved with extreme stealth, edging forwards little by little. It moved as a phantom might, in the shadows behind the wildebeest.
All the while, the bushveld remains a peaceful setting. Chaos had not yet broken out.
The baby wildebeest continued to stand still, while the leopard crept up on it. The leopard showed no signs of urgency. Rather, it recognised that this was easy prey, and moved with slow, deliberate steps.
It crept closer and closer, with the baby showing no signs of distress. However, for the viewer this was a tentative moment. The leopard was making a clear beeline for the baby animal and it was clear there was no way out for it once the predator closed in.
Leopard launches an attack
When it was close enough to the young animal, the leopard leapt into the air, launching a surprise attack. The young wildebeest appeared dazed and confused by the onslaught, and turned its head momentarily, before succumbing to the ambush.
“Inevitably, the leopard brought down the baby wildebeest, choked it and then dragged it to a nearby bush under an acacia tree where her three-month-old cub was resting,” said Francis.
He said that the sighting had made him feel excited, anxious and curious. “It was sad because it wasn’t a fair game but I wanted to see the end of it with the leopard being victorious.”
Called ‘ghosts of the forest’, leopards are renowned for their stealth. This one definitely sneaked up with the illusive nature of a ghost. It is these silent movements which enable leopards to approach prey without being noticed, making them highly effective hunters.
Usually leopards will hunt at night, using their sharp vision and acute hearing to locate prey with remarkable accuracy. This one, however, was able to stalk its unsuspecting prey in broad daylight, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the young animal, away from its herd.
Francis suggested that one had to be silent as this leopard was when viewing a sighting. It is in the silence that the best action unfolds.