Watch as a leopard tries to climb a tree with a hyena catch, but finds it too heavy. See how it solves the problem in this fascinating wildlife interaction.
When a ranger stopped to follow drag marks, they led him to a leopard with a hyena catch! The leopard wanted to take its prize up into a tree, but it was so heavy! See if it manages:
Dawid, a well-known guide in Kruger for the famous Jock Safari Lodge, filmed this wildlife interaction and shared it with Latest Sightings.
“I wasn’t on a game drive, but I was heading to town, so I was on the road early. Not far from the lodge, I saw a hyena that seemed a bit sick.”
Predators like hyenas become vulnerable when they aren’t faring well, even if it isn’t anything too serious. If other predators come across their path, they will target them!
“On the way back from town in the afternoon, I noticed some drag marks on the road. It was close to where I’d originally spotted the hyena, and they definitely weren’t there before.”
After making a catch, predators will look for the safest place to eat. If their meal is too heavy to lift and move, they will drag it, leaving distinct marks on the ground called drag marks.
“I followed the tracks, and it took me to a tree nearby. And there it was! The same hyena but caught by a leopard!
They were at the trunk of a tree, and the leopard, being a leopard, really wanted to get the hyena into the tree. Not something you see every day!
The hyena was frail, but even so, it was still a decent size, and this was the problem the leopard had. It was just too heavy to get up the tree.
It tried again and again to lift it, but it just wasn’t happening, leaving the leopard with little choice. So, it decided to lessen the load, and eat part of the hyena!
“In the end, it ate all of the hyena’s stomach contents overnight and dragged it to a different tree, where it was finally able to get it up into the branches.”
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“This was a very interesting sighting!”