Watch the Sighting:
Founder of Latestsightings.com, Nadav Ossendryver, was on a safari with his friends in Kruger National Park on a mission to spot some wild dogs. They entered the park early in the morning near Phabeni Gate, and immediately spotted a leopard in a tree — so far, the day was looking up.
A Twist of Fate
As the hours passed and the heat of the day slowly increased, they could not find any other game. Since animals tend to sleep around midday to avoid peak heat, Nadav wondered if their luck had finally run out.
In a split second, however, everything changed when a pack of wild dogs ran out alongside the road! Even though this completed the group’s mission for the day, the action was only just getting started.
Nadav got a game-changing call from one of his longtime friends, Jean Graham of Discover Kruger Safaris, reporting an injured wildebeest calf and leopard on the prowl. This immediately piqued the interest of Nadav’s group, so they rushed over to the sight unsure of what drama they were about to witness unfold.
Guarding the Helpless
When the group eventually arrived on the scene, the first thing they noticed were several vultures circling overhead — a telltale sign of a sick or injured animal. Next, they found the mother who stood defensively over her young one staring down a leopard who cautiously approached.
The leopard tried to sneak in and claim the calf, but the mother charged ferociously, chasing it back towards Nadav’s vehicle. While the mother thought she could finally take a rest from her defensive display, a new threat was approaching.
Unexpected Rivals
A family of warthogs apprehensively made their way over to the young wildebeest hoping to feed some hungry mouths. While the mother wasn’t paying attention to what she considered a minimal threat, one of the warthogs wounded the calf with its tusk, giving the piglets some meat to eat.
Warthogs are primarily known for grazing on grass or foraging roots, bulbs and berries, but they are also opportunists and will scavenge dead animals if the moment presents itself. The injured wildebeest provided a perfect meal opportunity for this hungry family.
When the mother turned around and discovered what had been done to her calf, she immediately charged, but the warthog family didn’t scatter too far away. Nadav and his group couldn’t believe their eyes as this heartbreaking scene unfolded.
Against all odds, the mother wildebeest stood her ground, staring down not one but three ruthless enemies, even though deep down, she knew she had already lost the fight.
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A Tragic Finale
Hours passed and the situation only became more depressing. The leopard lay in wait, the warthog family kept sneaking small bites of meat, and the vultures landed on the other side of the road.
In the end, after five hours of watching this tragedy unfold, Nadav and his group witnessed the leopard sneak in and grab the calf while the mother diverted her attention for a brief moment. Although harsh, this was an inescapable fate for the poor calf, and one animal slept with a full belly that evening.
This encounter reminds us that a mother’s instinct to protect her young is one of the strongest forces in nature. Additionally, it highlights the opportunistic nature of both predators and scavengers — in the wild, nothing is ever wasted and no resource goes unnoticed.