Size is important in the animal kingdom, where larger predators typically have the greater strength necessary to dominate the smaller ones. But in this case, attitude turned into being far more important than size.
Jessica Endenberg caught this intense face off on camera at the Satara camp in the Kruger National Park, as a curious, and likely hungry, jackal decided to test the defenses of two wildcats, one of which was still only a kitten.
The adult wildcat seemed largely unbothered by the intrusion the entire time, although it would surely have reacted quickly and decisively if it needed to. The kitten, however, found the presence of the jackal absolutely unacceptable, and it made its views known.
Tiny But Brave
From the jackal’s perspective, either of these two wildcats were both on the small side, and would have made a tasty little snack for it to enjoy. Regardless of their size, cats can be ferocious when they need to be, but the jackal probably thought it could get in and out quickly.
The little kitten seemed to have devoted its entire existence at that moment to convincing the jackal that this was not, in fact the case. It was determined that the intruder should understand that if it came close enough it would be attacked by needle-like claws and teeth.
It had its back up, and all of its fur sticking out so much that it looked like something had electrocuted it. With the flood of adrenaline it must have been experiencing, the effect can’t have been too different, a stark contrast to the relatively relaxed adult cat.
Posturing For Survival
While such a tiny cat standing up so resolutely to a much larger predator might look cute, or amusing, this confrontation is actually of incredible importance. Posturing is vital to survival when facing any predator at all, let alone a much larger one.
The kitten’s best chance of survival in this scenario relies on convincing the jackal that it’s just not worth the effort to attack. Even minor injuries can be lethal for predators in the wild, where infections can be common, or losing speed and strength can result in failed hunts.
If a real fight broke out, then it’s likely the adult cat would come to the kitten’s defense, but it might not be able to do so quickly enough to prevent the jackal from killing it.
This means that if the kitten does not posture correctly in this moment, there is an unfortunately high likelihood that it will die. The bigger it can appear the better, and more trouble it can pretend to be to eat, the more likely it will survive the day.
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Despite its youth, the kitten was doing a good enough job that the jackal was clearly reluctant to come too close. It was sniffing around the area, and keeping an eye out for a good opportunity to attack, but it only got too close once.
It didn’t have the option to get too close again, but the kitten was so outraged that the jackal had come closer that it charged forward a little as if to attack it for real. The sudden burst of speed which the kitten summoned finally intimidated the jackal enough to scare it away.
Size matters in the wild, but not as much as sheer temerity in the face of mortal danger. This kitten had a lot of growing to do, but it had already learned a vital lesson about survival.
