Leopards make the mistake of jumping off a tree.
The encounter between lions and leopards in the Mala Mala nature reserve, South Africa, caught the camera of guide Michael Botes, as reported by Latest Sightings on November 3. During an afternoon tour, Botes encountered 12 immature members of the Kambula lion herd and the male leopard Mlowathi perched on top of a marula tree.
The leopard climbed to the top of the tree to escape the pursuit of the lions.
Its sad eyes are probably a sign of the end of the world.
“At first, I was worried about the leopard, but both sides saw each other and didn’t seem to mind. The lions came to a lake while the leopard groomed itself. Most of the lions began to sleep, except for one female who always watches the leopard. In the end, the leopard climbed down from the tree. If it weren’t for the lioness, she might have escaped safely from the herd of 12 lions,” Botes said.
Waiting too long, the leopard decided to jump down and engage in a fight for survival.
The leopard quickly realized the mistake and instinctively ran to a second marula tree and climbed up to avoid the lions. While the lions gathered around the tree trunk, the leopard roared at them from above. A young lioness climbed up, causing the leopard to jump in panic. Although it landed without injury, it was surrounded by lions. After 30 minutes of fighting, in the end, the leopard was still the one who died.
The number of lions is too much
Leopards are completely defeated by 12 lions
In my 16 years in the reserve, I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve also talked to many longtime guides, but no one has ever witnessed this. As guides, we’ve come across many times encountering a leopard carcass killed by lions and other predators, but it takes the right time to see it with your own eyes,” Botes said.
“If the leopard had stayed on the first tree, it would have survived. I’m sure in the 14 years or so of its life, it has outlived many lions, but going up against 12 lions is a fatal mistake,” he said.
Its forelegs raised and straightened as if signaling the end of a love affair.
Leopards (Panthera pardus) are large cats distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, northeastern Africa, Central Asia, India, and China. Their prey includes antelope, deer, wild boar, rabbits, fish, birds, and a number of other creatures. Leopards are good at climbing and can jump up to 3 meters high.
WATCH VIDEO: