A couple of days ago on our afternoon safari we where watching a Brown Snake Eagle proudly perched at the top of a tree, when suddenly the distress calls of Impala could be heard in the distance. We went to investigate and found a bachelor herd of Impala snorting and staring intently at something lying in the long grass in front of them.

Then we saw it… a Leopard with a strangle hold on a big impala ram, still kicking and struggling to get away. A Leopard however, pound for pound, is arguably one of the strongest cats and we knew the Impala was doomed. The female leopard held her grip until the Impala stopped struggling, then stood proudly over her kill wile scanning the surroundings for other predators who may have, like us, got alerted by the alarm calls made by the herd of impala and will surely come to investigate.

Predators do steal each others kills and often the hard work and effort made by one predator is capitalised on by another bigger or stronger one. The Leopard then dragged the Impala kill to a nearby Marula tree and started to feed for  a short while before moving off.

We went back the next morning and could’t figure out for sure if she had been back to feed again. We did however found a male Leopard’s tracks and lion tracks in the vicinity and by the end of the morning the vultures had reduced this kill to skin and bone.

Westley Lombard

Ranger – Kapama Lodge