A curious hyena spots a leopard and cub and decides to pay them a visit. The cub jumps into the tree for safety, and its mom hisses at the lurking hyena ?
Abbas Alibhai was able to capture this interaction on camera and shared it
“It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining through a cloud of mist. The grass glistened from the early morning dew. We were driving through the reserve when we spotted the leopard mom in the low branches of a tree. Her cub was playing on the ground below.”
The Masai Mara is one of the most famous wildlife reserves in Africa, located in southwestern Kenya. The reserve is home to a diverse range of animals, including the elusive leopard. People consider spotting a leopard in the wild a rare and exciting experience. Leopards, known for their stealth and solitary nature, are big cats.
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“As we watched, a hyena that was walking in the distance suddenly appeared on the scene. The hyena was curious and seemed to be interested in the cub, who had not yet noticed the predator lurking nearby. The leopard mom, however, was quick to react, and she hissed and snarled at the hyena to keep it at bay.”
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“The little cub saw the hyena in time and was able to jump up and make a quick escape in a nearby tree. The cub made its way into the branches of the tree that was out of reach of the hyena.”
Hyena makes a leopard cub jump up a tree to save its life!
“The hyena circled the base of the tree. However, the leopard mom was not about to let her guard down. She continued to hiss and snarl, warning the hyena to stay away. Eventually, the hyena gave up and wandered off into the distance, leaving the leopard mom and her cub to continue their day in peace.”
Hyenas exhibit opportunistic and scavenging behavior. People commonly view them as a threat to other predators and their offspring because they take advantage of any food opportunity. The curious hyena was probably attracted to the scent of the leopard cub, and it chose to investigate.