This is the moment a leopardess stalked an impala before killing it – with a ‘death hug’.
Wildlife photographer Chaitanya Vattem spotted the full-grown impala first and then the three-year-old big cat lunged from the bushes.
These are the amazing scenes where a leopard managed to bring down a fully-grown impala in the Masai Mara, Kenya
Photographer Chaitanya Vattem said the predator locked its paws around the impala and started biting it
The impala was unable to use its speed to escape from the leopard’s grip and began to show weakness during the battle
Vattem said the impala was kicking the leopardess away – so the leopard ‘focused all her might on choking the Impala to death with her own weight’.
He added: ‘The Leopardess used her tail to balance and coil the legs of the Impala to block all movement.
‘The Impala collapsed within minutes thus giving out the nicer grip on the neck to the predator.
Even after the leopard this thrown to the ground, the impala is unable to escape from its grip and break for freedom
Inevitably the smug-looking leopard stands above her prey before enjoying her feast of fresh impala