Watch: Leopard family’s meal almost becomes hyena feast
A cackle of hyenas waited to take advantage of a young leopard’s clumsiness, and almost made off with the ultimate reward.
Visitors to the MalaMala Game Reserve, which shares an unfenced boundary with the Kruger National Park, had a visual feast when the meal of a family of leopards was interrupted by uninvited dinner guests.
Ranger Pieter van Wyk took footage of three leopards in a tree with their catch, an impala. The fascinating sighting became ever more spectacular when opportunistic hyenas waited in the wings, almost making off with the prey.
Van Wyk told Latest Sightings: “The hyenas waited and waited without reward, so they eventually moved off into the nearby bushes, where they did some more waiting. With the hyenas out of direct sight, one of the inexperienced leopard cubs felt comfortable enough to start eating again.
“A good chunk of the impala had already been eaten, making the carcass lighter. With less weight and an uneven proportion, it became even harder to keep the carcass lodged in the tree. All it took was one misplaced bite from the cub, and the impala slipped off.”