A leopard used stealth and precision to pin down its prey from the branches of a tree, in full view of family business owner, Mikhail Messaris, and his wife, Candice.
Leopard eyes potential prey beneath tree
Mikhail and Candice had been making their way out of the Kruger National Park through the Phalaborwa gate when they decided to have one last look for a male leopard known to reside there.
As it were, this was a good decision, as the big cat was preparing for action when they reached the Ngobeni loop shortly before lunchtime.
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The male leopard stood in a tree, perfectly at ease in its branches. Leopards are quite comfortable in the treetops, and will often retreat here to escape danger, or to hoist their kill up into the branches to keep it away from scavengers and other predators.
This leopard, however, saw the tree as a launchpad for an attack it was planning. Antelope were grazing beneath the tree, and this silent predator was seizing up his potential meals grazing below.
Leopard positions himself for ambush
The leopard watched the activity beneath the tree, silently waiting for an opportune moment.
Said Mikhail: “Over the next couple of minutes, he positioned himself in a way that would allow him to surprise a steenbok with an aerial attack.”
The predator understood that everything hinged on timing. He was in no rush and waited patiently. His moves were cool and calculated.
He waited with saintly patience until the steenbok moved to be in just the right spot. All the while, he kept his spectators at the edge of their seats.
Leopard leaps like a missile onto steenbok below
Then, like lightening, he leapt out the tree. The poor steenbok didn’t see it coming! All movements, all muscles were geared towards one thing: making a kill; and this made him a formidable missile descending upon the poor buck.
It would seem his patience had paid off, as he landed directly on top of the small buck. Suddenly aware of his presence, the nearby herd of impala were sent into a flurry of panic.
It was a victorious moment for the leopard, and one which commanded respect from all who were watching. He demonstrated by his blitz attack that he had patience, strategy and accuracy in his favour.
Leopard parades his kill
It was only fitting that the hunting champion then walk out of the dense vegetation carrying his trophy in full view of the spectators.
The attack had been quick, but now it was time to enjoy the spoils of his hard and patient work.
Leopard hoists kill into the branches of a tree
To ensure that nothing disturbed his meal, he climbed up another tree, taking his kill with him. Mikhail spoke about the ease with which he did so.
“My wife and I have spent a fair amount of time traversing the central region of Kruger Park over the years, but we have had very few and far between sightings of big cats, let alone a hunt!” he said.
He spoke with nostalgia about the thrilling moment of being a key witness to the unfolding of such memorable drama, and how this sighting will be hard to trump in the future. “I don’t know how I managed to keep the camera so still?” he said.