As one of the big five of the Kruger National Park, leopards always make for intense and exciting sightings. Their stealthy nature means that catching one at all can be rare, let alone one during a hunt.
Rosa Swart caught this one on camera at Shingwedzi, and her footage shows the big cat enjoying the success of its ambush tactics, and making off with its prey to enjoy a meal in peace.
Leopards aren’t the only predators that use these tactics in the wild. They’re not even the only big cats to ambush their prey, but they are one of the stealthiest which goes a long way towards securing their continued success.
Ambush Predators
Unlike predators which are able to run fast enough to catch their prey, or for long enough that their prey is too exhausted to escape, leopards rely on ambush attacks and lightning fast strikes to secure a meal.
Lions, despite their immense strength, will also attempt to ambush their prey to avoid expending too much effort, but the leopard’s natural stealthiness means they have the edge when it comes to sneaking up on unaware prey.
Leopards also have higher stakes, as an unsuccessful ambush means they’ve wasted time hunting with nothing to show for it. Their solitary lifestyle means they have no pack or pride members to fall back on for support when things go wrong.
The Perfect Hunt
Leopards also lack the strength and size of lions, meaning they don’t have the ability to engage in an extended battle. Any wound could prove fatal if it prevents the leopard hunting in the future.
The ideal scenario for a leopard is a good hiding spot close to the animal they’re hunting. This lets them choose their moment, so that they can be sure that when they leap out of their cover, they can quickly kill their prey before it even has a chance to react.
Over In Seconds
Although it’s unclear exactly where this one was hiding, the rocky ground and bushy patches offered plenty of protection for such a canny animal, and remaining unseen would have been easy for the big cat.
By the time the smoke cleared in Rosa’s footage, the leopard already had its jaws tightly clamped around the nyala’s neck. Targeting the neck is a common tactic, allowing a rapid murder strike.
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Finding The High Ground
Once the leopard had secured itself a tasty meal, it needed to make sure it could keep hold of it in an environment where any rival predator would jump at the chance to steal it right from the leopard’s jaws.
Alongside their stealthy prowess, leopards are excellent climbers which helps them keep their kills safe in the high branches of trees. This one immediately began to hurry off with its nyala, heading up the side of the hill and keeping an eye out for a likely spot to stash it.
Kept safely in a tree, the nyala would be out of the reach of any lions, hyenas or other predators nosing around, and ready for the leopard to eat at its leisure.
