Daniel Hitchings, a 22 year-old game ranger at Sabi Sabi private game reserve, describes an incredible sighting of a leopard losing its hard-won meal of the day.
During an early morning safari drive he and his guests were watching a leopard looking for prey on top of a termite mound.
Suddenly they caught sight of a huge warthog emerging from its burrow and making a dash for it. In a split second, the leopard jumped on top of the warthog, catching it midair.
The leopard had to wrestle to keep hold of the warthog as they were almost the same size. It managed to manoeuvre the warthog belly up, getting a proper grip.
But the screams from the warthog attracts an unwelcomed hyena which appeared from the thickets and ran towards the sound of the squeals.
The leopard was distracted by the hyena, took his eyes off the warthog and loosened its grip to snarl at the hyena.
The warthog made good use of the opportunity. It got to its feet quickly, launched a tusked thrust at the leopard, and ran for its life.
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