An 11-month-old leopard cub waiting in the bushes got a valuable life lesson recently when an alpha hyena caught a whiff of her and chased her up a tree.
Kruger National Park, South Africa (02 November 2021) – Kruger visitors got to witness a very stressful sighting recently that ended in cheers. The sighting was shared by Latest Sightings and even had us holding our breath.
30-year-old accountant and part-time photographic guide Moosa Varachia was on a drive with friends along the S1 when they saw the leopard cub. They spent some time watching the leopard cub, which was hiding in a thick bush close to the road.
The leopard, a fresh 11-months-old, was waiting for mom to return. Leopards will spend around two years with their mother before having enough life experience to fend for themselves. It is most likely that the mother was off hunting to feed her cub.
“We had just had an incredible sighting of a male leopard at the Nwaswitshaka waterhole and it was time for the dreaded drive to the gate. We stopped on the S1 and there was a young leopard sitting in the dense bush. We took some photos and videos and were just about to leave when I looked up and saw a clan of hyenas approaching!”
“I knew that this situation may not end well for the leopard cub.” – Moosa Varachia
At just 11-months-old, an encounter with even one hyena is a terrifying and almost deadly one. Thankfully, the hyena was not able to take the cub by surprise. She was aware of them and had enough sense to run for her life.
In the sighting filmed by Moosa, you can see the hyenas sniffing about. You can also feel the tension building as the alpha catches a whiff of the leopard and the absolute static as it takes off in pursuit.
The leopard cub would not be as quick or as strong to get away safely at that young age. Thankfully there were a few tall trees around, and the cub was filled with enough adrenaline to get safely up one.
The moment she did, the entire group watching rejoiced and cheered.
“It was an emotional roller coaster and I was extremely delighted to see the cub survive!”
Take a look at the hair-raising moment and the sheer joy of everyone at the sighting.
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