Given the unpredictability of wild animals and their locations, many tourists that go on safari are lucky to be witnesses of any creatures, let alone moments where they are up close and personal with these amazing animals.
For the people that had stopped to rest at the Nkuhlu picnic spot, this leopard was about to surpass their previous animals encounters with its willingness to get more up close and personal than others.
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Dewald Venter, along with a few others, had stopped for brunch at the picnic spot, not expecting this big cat to suddenly surge onto the scene. Dewald managed to capture video of the event and send it to Latest Sightings.
There’s Something In The Trees
According to Dewald, the first indication that they were about to see something remarkable was when they heard “what sounded like two male impalas grunting behind us”.
No doubt interested to spot any animals they could on their safari adventure, Dewald and the rest of the group realized they were in for a fear inducing surprise when a leopard burst onto the scene, chasing two bushbuck.
Although the bushbuck aren’t visible in the footage, the leopard could clearly see its prey as its head barely moved as it surged over the low fencing around the terrace walkway, and ran past the crowd.
A Very Sudden Leopard
There isn’t a large number of appropriate actions one should take when suddenly presented with a dangerous predator in close proximity, but many of the people present decided to turn and run which, counter-intuitively, isn’t always the best decision.
Luckily, none of the people present were the target of the big cat, but if they had been then running might have caused the leopard to give chase, and a leopard can outrun a human without great difficulty.
Moving out of the way of the beast was certainly not a bad idea at least, as it was thoroughly locked onto its prey, although Dewald reports that it “was not [successful] in the hunt [and] paused for a few moments on the terrace”, realizing that it was surrounded by a large group of people.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Perhaps the leopard had been so focused on the two buck that it had pursued them without realizing the picnic camp was even there, but very suddenly it was aware, and then it seemed like both the cat and the people were scared of each other.
With people screaming and running, the sound might have shocked the leopard slightly, as these big cats typically lead solitary lifestyles, presumably without much drama outside of a hunt.
According to Dewald, the leopard ran “up the stairs past the shop and across the parking, back into the bush”, where it could safely console itself over the embarrassing ordeal of losing its prey in front of so many witnesses.
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Safety First
While this close encounter made for a legendary experience, it’s also an important reminder that going to these locations means being up close and personal with animals that can be unpredictable and dangerous.
It’s very important that anyone going on one of these experiences takes necessary steps to ensure their own safety, and if possible maintain a safe distance between themselves and the animals.
