Watch the Sighting:
Steven Hayley was on safari, driving down the H7 near Satara one late September afternoon, when he came across an incredible sighting, a leopard feeding on an impala kill it had brought up into a tree. Understanding leopard behaviour, Steven returned the following morning bright and early in hopes of discovering the leopard revisiting its kill.
Instead what he found was something even more exciting…
A Risky Climb for a Desperate Meal
Two hyenas were stationed at the tree’s base, eyeing the impala carcass perfectly balanced above them. Their eyes were hungry and Steven could tell they were calculating the most efficient way to get up the tree to feast on the kill.
A few cars came and went, realizing the leopard wasn’t at the scene, but Steven continued to wait patiently for some action to unfold. Finally, after twenty minutes, Steven’s patience was rewarded when the hyenas began to climb the tree.
Hyenas are not climbing animals, and this was entirely evident as they slowly made their way up the tree very uncertainly. One cautious step after the other, the first hyena made it to the carcass and began to feast.
Balancing Act or Total Disaster?
The balancing act became even more challenging when the second hyena finally made its way up the tree and now the first hyena was faced with trying to eat its meal while simultaneously trying to fend off its rival!
Eventually, the first hyena put up such a good fight that the second hyena gave up and backed down the tree. Steven couldn’t believe what was unfolding before him: “I was shocked at this sighting and I don’t believe almost anyone has ever seen this before, and that includes guides and rangers that I spoke to after this event!”
The Fall That Had Everyone Gasping!
Steven and the other observers at the sight watched in awe as the hyena tried and tried again to dislodge the carcass from the tree, clearly frustrated about having to try to balance while eating its meal. In a comical turn of events, the hyena took a misstep and fell right off the tree and landed right beside the second hyena!
Luckily, the ground wasn’t very far off, and it sprang back up on its feet completely unfazed. The second hyena, however, was not happy about this rude intrusion into its space and growled ferociously in anger.
The first hyena wasted no time and was unbelievably back up the tree once again in a matter of minutes!
A Fight for Scraps and a Lesson Learned
The hyena eventually climbed back down the tree to get a better vantage point on how it could dislodge the carcass. In the end, it seemed that the hyena had given up trying to eat the carcass from the tree and the two hyenas fought it out on the ground to get at the last few scraps that had fallen from the tree.
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This sighting showcases how resourceful and sometimes comically stubborn hyenas can be. In the wild, every meal is worth a risk, but this hyena learned that sometimes it’s better to stick to the terrain you are used to.
Is the Climb Worth the Effort?
Leopards are excellent climbers and are known to often cache their kills in trees for several reasons. Firstly, it is their arboreal nature to stay up high for safety and a good vantage point of their surroundings.
Secondly, trees provide cover for them to eat their meals undisturbed, and often keep the meals hidden so they can return to finish them later. Lastly, the kills often stay out of reach of other nearby predators that are worse climbers such as lions and hyenas.
Unfortunately for this leopard, it should have picked a better tree to cache its meal, because one determined hyena stole its kill the next day.