Competition between predators can be fierce, and it often leads to potentially violent or threatening confrontations between them as they attempt to deter each other from infringing on territory or prey.
This particular altercation between a pack of wild dogs and a lone male leopard was spotted by Danielle Sheedy and sent into Latest Sightings along with the story.
Along with her tour group, Danielle had seen the male leopard proudly in the middle of the road, and only moments later noticed a pack of eight wild dogs moving towards it, so they settled in to watch it all unfold.
An Unusual Sighting
As the most elusive big cat, spotting a leopard can be a difficult and rare moment. Unlike many other predators which have a pack or pride to rely on, leopards are dependent entirely on themselves, which means they have to keep themselves as fit and healthy as possible.
In the wild where any turn could be hiding a confrontation or injury, these big cats have learnt to trust in their stealth to keep them safe from potential threats, as well as increase their chances of a successful hunt.
It’s this very stealth which makes them as difficult for safari-goers to spot as it does for potential prey or competing predators. Encountering one out in the open like this would be amazing, and if it was all that Danielle had seen then it would still have been an incredible sighting.
Dogs Incoming
Unfortunately for the leopard, it was not the only predator out and about on that day, and it was not the only one which Danielle was going to see. Danielle’s group encountered the wild dogs shortly after the leopard, and followed them as they encountered the big cat.
Wild dogs and leopards are two predators which hunt the same prey, meaning that the mere existence of one can threaten the survival of the other, making them a valid target for an attack.
Wild dogs might have a higher percentage of successful hunts than leopards do, but that doesn’t mean they can easily take on an adult, and the leopard can do things which they cannot, such as climb.
Safe In The High Ground
The dogs, famous for being excellent long distance runners, gave chase to the leopard which played to its own strengths by quickly climbing the closest available tree.
If it had been facing a lone wild dog, the leopard would have had the advantage of size and strength and it might have stood its ground and fought. Against a pack, the possibility of injury or defeat was far too great for the big cat to take the risk.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
The Siege Of The Leopard Tree
Although the wild dogs weren’t able to harm the leopard in its tree, they had it trapped and surrounded. Danielle reported that the leopard climbed into the upper branches, and settled in to wait out the canines.
The dogs knew they couldn’t reach it, but they could keep it trapped and prevent it from stealing any of their potential prey. Maybe other members of the pack were hunting and this gave them a better chance of succeeding.
Danielle told Latest Sightings that the dogs kept the leopard trapped for around an hour before they finally went into the bush, but even then the leopard didn’t take any chances and stayed safely in the branches until after Danielle and her group had left.