Almost all mammals are fiercely protective of their young. This is even more evident in herd animals, where sticking together and protecting each other might be the only things that make a difference between a long life, or being a predator’s meal.
A hunting leopard showcased this in the Okavango Delta, where it came across some likely prey in the form of a wildebeest herd. Adult wildebeest are large and strong, making them difficult prey for a lone leopard.
This large herd had a calf with it, however, which was the perfect prey for a hungry leopard to hunt. Getting to the calf while it was under the watchful eyes of the herd wouldn’t be easy, but leopards are nothing if not stealthy.
Leopard On The Prowl
At the beginning of the footage sent in to Latest Sightings, two vehicles were driving through a large expanse of long grass. It was only once they came to a cleared area that they spotted the leopard crouched on the ground, keeping a keen eye on its surroundings.
It’s likely that they’d spotted the leopard earlier, and the drivers were following it around to see what it might be up to. Due to their stealthy nature, spotting leopards can be difficult, but worthwhile.
Once tour groups have made that contact with any predator, keeping a close eye on it will usually result in an amazing sighting of a hunt, or of powerful animals in repose.
Danger In The Long Grass
The stealthiness of leopards meant that this long grass was an absolutely perfect environment for it. Their preferred hunting method is sneaking close enough to their prey that they can ambush it, killing it in seconds before it has a chance to react.
In this long grass the leopard could remain completely unseen while it observed the wildebeests, trying to spot a viable target for a fast attack that would guarantee it a meal.
The rules of predator and prey have existed for millennia, calves are more vulnerable than adults, and that made this wildebeest calf a prime target for the hungry leopard.
If At First You Don’t Succeed
The leopard appeared to strike when the wildebeest were crossing from one patch of long grass to another. They were moving in a hurry, so it was possible that they’d detected the leopard, forcing it to act.
The long grass made it difficult to see the leopard approaching, but it struck just as the calf was preparing to cross, causing it to stumble and throw up a puff of dust. The adult wildebeest immediately wheeled about, however, making this attack short-lived.
The battle was joined, and the big cat couldn’t focus on defending itself from an adult, and killing a calf at the same time, meaning it was forced into a short retreat.
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The Cat Victorious
Although the wildebeest put up a good fight, the leopard had the advantage in the environment. Ultimately, no matter how hard the adults fought, they couldn’t stop the big cat from taking the calf.
This leopard’s prey was almost the same size as it, but it still managed to drag the new carcass to a safe location, from where it would look for a good tree to stash it in to keep it for later.
