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Spotted Hyena / Leopard Account compilation; Including the full story behind the 'Leopard kill' image!
Topic Started: May 11 2012, 12:12 AM (30,778 Views)
Canidae
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I finally chunked and uploaded the P.D.F of the Leopard / Hyena interaction of a large tom Leopard choking out a hyena on his kill, I figured I would compile as many other good ones as I could find so we could have a handy thread full of all the worthwhile interactions. Also included a bit of a non-biased (I hope!) summary / analysis of most of them. Enjoy and hope you may see some interesting new stuff!

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Things to note -
- As you can see and read, the hyena was occupied and unsuspecting for the attack.
- The male Leopard killing 3 hyenas is from Bailey's book and it was only 2. Cub mortality in the Sabi Sands area was also lower than expected with hyaena responsible for 15% of mortalities.
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"One Leopard was killed by another carnivore. The subadult male, M4 died from septicemia arising from severe bite wounds on the neck, shoulders and hindquarters. We found evidence at the site of a prolonged fight between the Leopard and an adult Spotted Hyaena Crocuta crocuta which was consistent with the bite marks. "

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Things to note -
The neck bites were the problem as it couldn’t clean them. The wounds were deep and it also had a deep bite on one foreleg. He had apparently already developed the systematic infection by then and died 2 days later. At time of death he was 60 lbs, and was in better condition several months earlier at around 80 lbs, and the decline may have been following the attack, Bailey (1993) reports a similar decline in leopard weight under disease with no kills. Whilst nothing much more is known about the account I.M.O this decline in health may have driven him to attack the hyena or possibly try to appropriate a kill it had made, I can't see a hyena chasing down even an unhealthy Leopard.

From : Mortality in a protected Leopard population, Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa: A population in decline?

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In the interspecific conflict section of the Spotted Hyena in Pienaar's report. Also mentioned in Bailey's book.

From : Predator-prey relationships amongst the larger mammals of the Kruger National Park

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Things to note -
- Only 2 hyenas were actually killed and neither can be confirmed as an adult, let alone an impressive specimen of one.
- Still worth noting I.M.O that it is a an adult male Leopard.

From : The African Leopard: Ecology and Behavior of a Solitary Felid

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Things to note -
- Likely similar circumstances to how M23 killed his hyenas, albeit without a nearby brother.
- Something of a correlation can be made that Leopards will predate juvenile Spotted Hyenas.

Londolozi Story :
The Revenge of the Maxabeni Brothers

Once the hyena was dragged up the tree, he no longer stood any chance. Instead of being the one to lock his firm jaws around flesh and bones, he now felt the powerful grip of the Maxabeni 3:2 Young Male Leopard around the back of his neck. Suspended 5 meters up and wailing for assistance from any creature that might hear him, the only other animal that arrived was the Maxabeni 3:3 young Male Leopard. After one too many stolen kills and aggressive encounters, the Maxabeni Leopard Brothers were now exacting their revenge….

It is hard to surmise precisely why this encounter happened as leopards do not typically hunt, let alone eat, hyenas. The obvious conclusion suggests the unsuspecting hyena was in the wrong place at the wrong time; suffering the actions of the two brothers who act more confidently than usual when together. The small, lone hyena stood no chance against the two brutes who opportunistically decided to attack him. He was an unsuspecting victim in the ecosystem. But is there a deeper reason as to this aggressive outburst on the side of the Maxabeni brothers?

The hyena population at Londolozi has increased largely over the last 5 years largely owing to the instability of the lion dynamics as well as the growth of the prey species populations. The increase in competition for food has led to greater conflict than normal between the leopards and hyena. You will remember our post, Hyenas chase Maxabeni Brothers off a Kill. Surely these such encounters only add to the leopards’ motive for acting with such aggression towards hyenas?

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Maxabeni Leopards Killing a Hyena

The maturity of these two brothers has also crossed through my mind. Are they at the stage whereby they are now looking to assert themselves dominantly? Is this the beginning of further conflict between these two predators and even between their own species? The brothers are still living underneath their mothers care despite being over 24 months of age. Natural aggressive tendencies and dominant instincts could well be coming forward prominently as they mature each day.

What other reasons do you think contributed to this rare and isolated event between the two brothers and the hyena occurring? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.


Filmed by: John Caden (Londolozi Guest)
Photographed by: Linda Caden (Londolozi Guest)


http://blog.londolozi.com/2010/11/the-revenge-of-the-maxabeni-brothers/
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"It was first light as we left Mombo camp, within five minitues we saw Hyenas running from all directions. Our guide Simon shouted 'Leopard in a tree' but as we approached he jumped down. Who knows why? maybe he thought there was only one Hyena, BIG mistake! before long he was surrounded by 5 blocking his escape to a nearby tree. They attacked him from all sides (note the one on the right has a firm hold)he was rolling on his back slashing with all feet. The sounds were horrific and there were tears from the ladies in our vehicle,clouds of dust everywhere.They dragged him into a bush and before long all went quiet, we feared the worst,reminding me of thugs beating up a helpless guy in a back alley. After a while the Leopard appeared slowly edging away from the bush again followed but the Hyenas, but this time they were submissive and keeping a safe distance. Later we managed to locate them licking their wounds, the old man had inflicted some nasty gashes and bites."
Not the best of images, it happened so quickly and didn't have much of a view, or the opportunity to change my settings.
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Things to note -

- This is a tourist's account. I realise there is also room for personnal bias on my behalf here, but I.M.O this is nowhere near as credible as video evidence or anything academic with such extreme circumstances, likely personnal bias on the behalf of the un-professional tourist.
- The circumstances of the attack are also un-characteristic, with hyenas converging on a Leopard with no kill or meat. In almost all circumstances there is food for the hyenas the fight for!

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Two Londolozi accounts -




Things to note -
- In the second, despite the presence of a large female (likely the matriach / mother) and a sub-adult / male, they still bring the cubs out to feed with a male Leopard in the area.
- Also a comparison of hyena day vs. night behaviour, the in the first, daytime video the hyena more tentativley feeds alongside the Leopard whereas in the second it chases it straight off the kill.

Londolozi Stories :
4 Hyenas, 2 Leopards and a Jackal….

Nature truly is the most outrageous stage upon which her actors have free will to amaze! Every so often this stage is a platform which reveals never to be repeated cameos…

The Maxabeni 3:3 Young Male had just completed an hour-long stalk across the open clearings; nestled behind a tiny thicket he waited for dusk to set in. The Impala made the fatal move and came within striking distance. Natural instincts took over and the young male leopard flattened the large impala ram in seconds. Immediately he did what he had seen his mother do countless times before, he tried to drag the kill to a tree. But the scene of the murder was in a clearing where the nearest tree was about 200 meters away and that would require a major effort. He opted for trying to hide it instead so that he could begin feeding.

Not long after the Maxabeni 3:3 young male leopard had killed an impala, did the first hyena arrive. The rogue scavenger had smelt the carcass and wandered into the arena. Upon calling for backup there were a handful of hyena circling the male leopard within minutes. The restless, marauding masses had arrived. It was not the first time this had happened, the Maxabeni young male would have to give up his prey to the hyenas.


The hyenas fought and pulled the impala into pieces, devouring most of the kill in seconds. One large female ran away with the head, screaming in delight. But the Maxabeni Young Male stayed in the wings, he was not ready to depart this act. In a moment of immense bravery, or perhaps stupidity, he challenged the 4 hyenas and stole back his prized kill. For just a moment there were animals running in all directions, chaos reigned supreme. Add to the scene a little Side-Striped Jackal who had casually arrived to investigate if he could benefit from the confusion.

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That’s when we noticed there was a second Leopard on the stage…the Vomba 3:2 Female had been lurking in the background trying to get in on the action. At one moment we had two leopards, four hyena and one Side-Striped Jackal all trying to feed on the diminishing remains of the Impala. It was intriguing to watch this scene unfold in front of our very eyes; not to mention the auditory experience which was quite spectacular.

At the end of this play the actors all left unscathed; the final act had been a peaceful pass-by as the Vomba Female had merely walked past the Maxabeni Young Male under a moonlight Marula, unperturbed by each others presence…


Written, Filmed and Photographed by: Adam Bannister

http://blog.londolozi.com/2011/04/4-hyenas-2-leopards-and-a-jackal/

Maxabeni Brothers Chased off Kudu Kill

About a year ago I filmed the Maxabeni 3:2 young male leopard catch and haul a small duiker up a Marula tree. At one year of age, this sub-adult male leopard was showing the first signs of a hunter. Now at two years of age, this leopard and his brother, the Maxabeni 3:3 young male, have both grown into magnificent male leopards. They move with attitude and act with confidence, until the hyenas arrive that is….


These precocious brothers owe their personalities to their mother, the Maxabeni female. A small female whose contribution to the leopard populations of Londolozi and the surrounding areas is as enduring as her will to survive. Independent from 10 months of age, she has come full circle and mastered the environment which is now her territory. Her mastery extends from survival to territorial defence to hunting. So efficient is her hunting ability that she was recently able to bring down two Kudu bulls in rapid succession.

Leaving one kudu for her sons to feed on, the young males were quick to consume as much as possible. 2 years of life had taught these leopards to be well aware that bushveld is ripe with scavengers desperate to chase them off such a prized meal. They had been taught well as a single hyena arrived shortly after their first bout of feeding. And so the steady process of stealing the prey from these two leopards began.


Meanwhile, 80 meters north of this drama, the Maxabeni female lay quietly at the base of a thicket. Picking apart her kill she fed completely uninterrupted. Looking up for a brief moment her big round eyes caught mine. They were sharp and focused but had the soft familiarity of a wise sage. She had lost kills herself and she had done battle with hyenas before, but she was now teaching those lessons to her offspring. Not by telling them or taking control but by letting them experience the necessary pitfalls of life in this wild world, so that they may gain the same wisdom as she.

Later that day when the hyenas disappeared and her two sons came down from the tree, she let them sit at the carcass with her. Who knows what she communicated but I’m sure it would be to tell them once again what they need to know when they no longer have her to rely on….
"

http://blog.londolozi.com/2010/09/maxabeni-brothers-chased-off-kudu-kill/
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Things to note -

- Whilst tug-o-war victory in these species can vary, the Hyena still dragged the Leopard along at 00:40!

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Things to note -
- Despite numerous slap the hyena is unaffected by Leopard claws.
- The attacking hyena turns it's head to charge at the Leopard, a behaviour I've noticed in a few other videos. What causes it or significance it holds I'm unsure.

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"Whilst trying to choke out the last bit of life left in him a hyena came in to investigate what the noise was all about. He then saw that the leopard was tied up in trying to kill the warthog and took full advantage as he started eating the now sprawled out entrails of the pig. Once Sandriver was confident that the pig was dead he then turned his aggression on the hyena…the noise was utterly insane as the leopard lunged at the hyena growling and snarling at it and the hyena whooping in dissatisfaction and possibly trying to call in some help."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIF-euB9QGQ&feature=player_embedded

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By old member Chui -
Here I've compiled all the noteworthy interactions between male leopards (young and mature) and spotted hyenas from the Mala Mala sightings archive since your original post. http://www.malamala.com/wildlife_Diary_archives.htm


Kikilezi female, Manyelethi male & Cub of the Kikilezi female leopards – 20 August
After a day without finding the mating leopards, rangers were pleasantly surprised to find the pair on Scott’s Road, just to the south of the eastern ramp. The leopards were again mating frequently, however this time, they were also moving fairly rapidly north. They were unfortunately then left as they entered the reed beds to the front of the main camp, however were again relocated at Bicycle Crossing. Here they continued west until they were lost moving through some very thick reeds in the Elephant Rock vicinity. During the evening, the leopards were relocated close to Stwise and rangers were fortunate enough to see them kill an impala. They fed off the carcass for some time, before a number of hyena arrived on the scene. Initially a hyena fed side by side with the male, before a second hyena arrived on the scene and eventually managed to chase off the male.

Bicycle Crossing male leopard – 31 August
This large, dominant male leopard was found in the morning feeding on the remains of an elephant close to the confluence of the Matshapiri River and the Sand River. The elephant was a young bull that had been euthanased by the Department of Wildlife the afternoon before due to a wounded trunk from a snare and a badly fractured right front leg. During the course of the morning a hyena joined the leopard, and they fed together on the carcass, something almost unheard of in a natural system. There was much aggression between the two however, and another four hyenas soon arrived and together they chased the Bicycle Crossing male off the carcass. He did not move far and lay down under the cover of some thick bush to await his chance to return to the carcass.

Tjellahanga male & female leopard – 18 September
The mating pair continued to mate frequently during the course of the day, with the Tjellahanga male being alerted to the excited yelps of a number of hyenas. The hyena had killed a kudu and the leopard managed to steel the kill and hoist it up a tree, only to be stolen from him by a lioness of the Selati pride. After all had calmed down, the leopard escaped from the area and continued his romance with the female leopard.

Bicycle Crossing male leopard, Ngoboswan Female leopard and cub of the Ngoboswan female Leopard – 23 September
Rangers heard chattering monkey on the eastern bank of the Sand River around Flockfield Boma Crossing. On working around the western bank 2 nervous looking hyenas were discovered looking in the direction of the Sand River. Upon investigating three leopards were discovered in the vicinity of a bushbuck kill. Great interaction occurred between the leopards and the hyenas as they fought over the meat, with the Bicycle crossing male leopard biting off a hyena’s ear! During which a young bull elephant arrived on the scene, and upon noticing the leopards, chased the cub of the Ngoboswan leopard up the tree with partial remains of the bushbuck kill in it. Noticeably irritated, the elephant tried to shake the young male leopard out of the tree, breaking off large branches in the process. Once the elephant moved off, the Bicycle Crossing male ascended the tree and chased the young male out. After all the interaction the leopards were left to themselves.

Kikilezi female & son of Kikilezi female leopards – 31 October 2007
It was a great surprise for rangers and guests alike, to locate none other than the Kikilezi female leopard with the remains of a bushbuck carcass close to Maurice’s Pan. It was later discovered that her son was in the area as well; and was also seen feeding off the bushbuck carcass. These two provided some quality viewing for a number of vehicles, with the carcass eventually being wrestled away from the young male by a pair of hyenas. The hyenas fed ferociously off the carcass, eventually being left very late in the evening.

Kikilezi female leopard & Son – 01 November 2007
The mother and son duo were once again found in the same tree as the previous evening, but the son was just relaxing under a Guarri bush. The female had reclaimed the scant remains of the carcass and was feeding in the upper branches of a large Apple leaf tree. Shortly upon arrival, the rangers saw a lone hyena approaching the scene. After some time the Kikilezi female tried to adjust the position of the carcass, and a large piece of the carcass, including the head, was dislodged and fell to the ground. The hyena was quick to react and ran in to steal the free meal. The son vaguely tried to chase after the hyena but gave up shortly afterwards.

Newington male leopard – 06 November 2007
The Newington male was again found in the area in which he had been seen feeding off the zebra foal. This time he was resting at the base of a Knob Thorn tree in which the remains of the zebra had been stashed. The male was seen to interact with a hyena briefly, although the hyena did not hang around after he realized the Newington male spelled business.

Unidentified male leopard – 27 November 2007
Early on the morning drive a male leopard, presumably the same one that was seen in the area the previous day, was found on main section Golf Course with a freshly killed baby impala. The leopard began dragging the carcass towards some cover, but was caught short by three hyenas. A brief interaction ensued before the leopard dashed to safety. The hyenas made short work of the impala.

Son of the Kapen female leopard and daughter of the Jakkalsdraai female leopard (Lightning Bolt) – 28 November 2007
During the afternoon drive, the alarm calls of impala led rangers to the discovery of the daughter of the Jakkalsdraai female. The female had just finished strangling an adult male impala. She wasted no time in feeding off the carcass and consumed a fair amount before the son of the Kapen female arrived on the scene and claimed the carcass. He also fed for some time before resting close to the carcass. The female remained in the area, and skulked around the peripheries of the lump of vegetation housing the male leopard and the impala carcass. The closing audio of hyenas did not so much as alarm the son of the Kapen female, who for some unapparent reason did not even attempt to tree the carcass. Following up on the area the following morning, rangers were only able to locate evidence that the pair of leopard had in fact lost the carcass to hyena.

Bicycle Crossing male and Ngoboswan female leopards – 1 January 2008
Very early in the morning, while rangers were watching a herd of wildebeest (including many young ones) one of the very young wildebeests ran straight into the mouth of a waiting leopard. The Ngoboswan female did not even have to move an inch, as the unsuspecting youngster made life really easy for her. However, as other rangers were converging on the scene they came across a male leopard fast asleep in the bush nearby. After killing the young wildebeest, the female leopard dragged it toward thicker bush, close to the Princess Alice Pans. She dragged it in the direction of the male leopard that awoke to the sound of her dragging the kill. He soon arrived to investigate and stole the kill from the female. He then dragged it under a bush where he fed for a short while. He then lay down to rest and surprisingly the female lay down close by, perhaps hoping for the chance to steal the kill back. A short while later a hyena arrived on the scene, attracted by the noise. The Bicycle Crossing male moved the kill into slightly denser bush in an attempt to protect it. The hyena however had plans of its own and ran in after the kill. The male leopard, in a very impressive display of strength, picked up the carcass and ran off with it, straight up a small Jacket Plum tree. There he remained with the hyena only a few feet away hissing his defiance. Both the hyena and leopard remained in that area for the rest of the day as the leopard fed off the kill in the tree.

Manyelethi male leopard – 9 January 2008
The Manyelethi male leopard was found in the Matshapiri open area during the afternoon drive. Rangers were following the marks left by a leopard that had dragged a kill across the road. When he was found, the leopard had the remains of an adult impala that he was dragging. He moved it to the edge of the open area and started to feed off it. A large hyena arrived a short while later and a battle royal followed as the leopard and hyena fought for the scraps of the impala. Finally the carcass tore apart and each made off with their own piece. The leopard was left sleeping in a tree with the last of the bit of impala that he had managed to get.

Emsagwen male – 6 April 2008
An adult male warthog was found near Claredon dam with many fatal wounds all over his body but there was no predator in sight, soon after the warthog died the Emsagwen male appeared and started to feed on the carcass. The warthog was so large that when the leopard could barely move it towards a nearby tree. Later on the night a Hyena moved toward the leopard and stole the kill; strangely enough the leopard did not put up a fight for his kill.

Emsagwen Male and Matshapiri female – 17 April 2008
The Emsagwen male and the Matshapiri female were found just to the south of Claredon Dam. The leopards where in the area of a young zebra carcass, it appeared that both had fed from the kill. The leopards were also seen mating a number of times with the mating seen to be very aggressive and the female leopard having a few bite marks on her neck. The leopards were not found again during the afternoon and tracks in the area suggested that a Hyena had moved in and stolen what was left of the leopards kill.

Manyelethi male 02 May 2008
The Manyelethi male was found where he made the impala kill the night before. The leopard was lying near the carcase when a hyena moved into the area; they fought with each other then both animals started to feed on the kill. The Hyena eventually managed to chase the male leopard off but he still hung around in the area, in the background. He then challenged the hyena with another fight, chased it off and took the dead impala back. The leopard then dragged the kill into a tree before the Hyena could get it; after which spending the day feeding on his well earned carcass.

Emsagwen Male Leopard – 13 June 2008
This large territorial male leopard was found sleeping around the Emsagwen Waterhole. He was sporting an impressive gash to his back, and remained inactive for much of the day. After becoming active in the early evening, he crossed the path of a large hyena. He hissed at the hyena, and this was enough warning for the hyena to keep its distance.

Unidentified male leopard – 11 August 2008
This large male leopard has been seen a few times before. He frequents the Windmill area and over the last few months has been making excursions deeper into Mala Mala. This time he led rangers on a merry chase through broken and thorny land, before ending up in the Kapen River where he had stashed a dead duiker up a tree. Later on he was challenged by a couple of hyenas, and the ensuing interaction was wonderful to behold. He was left in the tree and later that day was found to have disappeared.

Emsagwen Male Leopard – 13 August 2008
Drag marks as well as fresh leopard tracks were found in the vicinity of the Loop in New fire Break. After following the tracks, it was not long until the Emsagwen Male leopard was found feeding off the remains of a freshly killed duiker. After the initial feeding the leopard hoisted the carcass up a nearby Marula Tree. In the late afternoon, two hyenas were attracted into the area by the scent of a free meal. The male leopard hissed at the hyenas to show his disgust at being discovered, but was no doubt content in the knowledge that his prize was out of the reach of the thieving hyenas. The leopard ascended the Marula Tree and began feeding, a lapse in concentration resulted in the leopard dropping his kill from the tree, which was promptly claimed by the hyenas waiting at the base. Once again this large male leopards confidence was seen when his ran down the tree and attempted to take back what was rightfully his. It was long before the leopard realized that he was out matched and moved off.

Beaumont’s male and Jakkalsdraai female – 18 August 2008
Rangers following fresh leopard tracks were delighted to find the Beaumont’s Male Leopard as well as the Jakkalsdraai Female leopard in the area of a freshly killed bushbuck. Rangers and guests were being entertained by the feeding interaction between the two leopards when the guests and leopards, simultaneously, became aware of two hyenas approaching the area. The hyenas ran in an attempt to expropriate the kill. The Beaumont’s Male leopard is an old campaigner, and he was not about to have his kill stolen. He charged at the on coming hyenas and growled and hissed before running and making contact with one of the large carnivores. Baring his claws, and biting, the hyena on the top of the neck. The scuffle was brief, and in the end the old male leopard was no match for two hyenas, who quickly made off with their stolen kill.

Emsagwen male and Ostrich koppies female – 29 October 2008.
Where else in Africa would one find three different sightings of two leopards together at the same time? Upon hearing reports from our northern neighbors of a large male leopard having killed and subsequently lost a kudu to hyenas close to the boundary lines, a thorough search found the Ostrich Koppies female just crossing North over the boundary. Anticipating something in the making, the ranger concerned wisely waited and was rewarded with both the Emsagwen male and the Ostrich female crossing into MalaMala. Her usual amorous self, the female wasted no time in flirting with the male and very, very nearly mated. The male mounted the female twice, but both times the female moved out of the “embrace”. This dance has been going on since December last year, and still no successful mating has taken place.

Bicycle Crossing Male leopard and unidentified female - 12 November 2008
The morning brought a lot of great viewing of this “Original Casanova”. He was found mating with an unidentified female (often seen around Western Charleston) on the Shortcut to Tjololo Road on the Charleston Flockfield boundary. He was later found walking on the eastern bank opposite Rattray’s Camp – clearly in need of some “time out”. He was shadowed for some time by two hyenas and, rather bizarrely, one lay down right next to him. Strange that there was little aggression between the two seeing as this leopard is all too eager to confront the scavengers, and is one of few who successfully defends his kills against them. We still see an earless hyena every now and then - courtesy of a nasty encounter with this leopard.

Chellahanga male leopard - 14 November 2008
Fortunate to find a dead buffalo, this leopard uncharacteristically shared his spoils with a hyena and the two fed for most of the morning, leading to interesting interactions and fabulous viewing.

Bicycle Crossing male leopard- 21 April 2009
This ever-popular leopard was located rather early on this afternoon just to the south of the new airstrip, where he was doing a bit of territory management by scent marking on nearby bushes, and scuffing up the dirt with his paws. He then continued like this for some time, and started to drift further eastwards towards the Sand River. Just five minutes later, he caught the scent of a kill that was made by an unidentified female leopard that same morning. The carcass was dragged across the road and into some long grass, where she then fed off it. During the course of the day, two hyenas arrived at the scene and stole the carcass from the leopard – they subsequently chased her away from the area completely. Now clearly the Bicycle Crossing male smelled the blood which immediately sent him into a search of the area for whatever remained of the meat - so he could get a free lunch. He followed the scent trail through the bushes for a good ten minutes until he happened on the two hyenas that were guarding the carcass. He boldly ran in and chased the first hyena off - growling and swatting at the unsuspecting animal. But he didn’t see the second one, which teamed up with the first scavenger, and proceeded to chase the leopard around. He then paused for a few minutes and tried again - only to be denied a second time. Meanwhile, all the noise and commotion attracted two more hyenas into the area. These two fought with the first two for the remains of the carcass. The carcass was torn apart into many pieces, and the hyenas holding them scattered in all directions. The Bicycle Crossing male leopard wisely gave up soon after, and continued on his territorial campaign.

Emsagwen male leopard - 13 July 2009
This active male leopard has been pushing into the Manyelethi male’s territory more and more of late. He was found near lower Mlowathi Crossing and then proceeded to drink before finding a comfortable spot in the shade to rest for the hot part of the day. Later he got up, and even though he was well fed, proceeded down the eastern bank of the river and stalked some impala. However, a hyena then came into the area and not only chased off the impala, but also tried to chase the Emsagwen male. He did not stand for this, and after a quick skirmish he sent the hyaena off with a bruised ego.

Emsagwen male, Ostrich Koppies female and Kikilezi female leopards – 8 December 2009
This mating pair was found still together after almost a week. They were found close to the Matshipiri again. The Emsagwen male was looking very skinny and was not interested in mating. Instead, he was intent on finding a meal. Moving slowly northwards the Emsagwen male hunted while the Ostrich Koppies female tried in vain to mate with him. Lying on some rocks east of Piccadilly Triangle, the male spotted a Nyala bull close by - the bull was oblivious to the leopards and had his back to them. The male slipped off the rocks and jogged towards the nyala. Almost with no effort whatsoever, the leopard sprang onto the back of the unsuspecting antelope. He grabbed the nyala on the back of its neck with his claws while he swiveled around to clamp his jaws on its windpipe. The nyala didn’t stand a chance, and didn’t even have time to send up the alarm before he was down on the ground fighting for his life. With a steel grip on the neck, the Emsagwen male didn’t let go and soon had the nyala breathing its last breath. Once the bull was dead, the leopard released his grip and sat back to admire his handy work. The Ostrich Koppies female ran down to the kill site, but the male was having none of it and chased her off. Once he had fed, he moved off from the carcass and the female began to feed.
In the afternoon the two mating leopards were nowhere to be found, and the nyala carcass sat deserted for most of the afternoon. The Kikilezi female leopard suddenly appeared over the rocky outcrop. She was looking nervous, and skirted the kill site several times before heading towards the carcass. She fed off the rear of the Nyala for a short while before her nerves got the better of her and she moved off. The two mating leopards returned a short while later. With them both having had a feed, they returned to the task of mating. As night set in, the first hyena appeared on the scene. The leopards repelled the first wave, but by morning there was nothing left of the kill and the leopards had moved off. Sometime during the night, they must have lost the kill to hyenas.

Matshipiri female leopard and son – 21 January 2010
These two leopards were found heading south along the Matshipiri River. We thought that the Matshipiri female was leading her son to a kill, as she did not stop to scent mark. The son had also been seen several times in the last two weeks up at Matshipiri dam by himself. Also in the area trailing them was a female hyena. The hyena did make things uncomfortable, as on two occasions the hyaena came too close and the Matshipiri female climbed the closest tree - snarling and hissing - while her son waited patiently at the base for his mother to settle down. He is now a lot bigger then his mother, and did not seem worried about the hyena and how close it was getting.

2008 son of the Kikilezi female and son of the Dudley female- 27 January
It was not clear as to which leopard made the kill but when rangers arrived on the scene there were the two leopards having a stand off with the carcass of an impala close by. A fight between two leopards can sometimes be a long process with the two parties just growling at one another and sizing each opponent up. The noise of the two leopards growling attracted the attention of four hyena who must have been close by in the area. The leopards been distracted by one another had no chance to fight off the hyenas who quickly stole the impala carcass and between the four of them shredded the carcass into pieces and ran off with their share. Thus leaving the squabbling leopards to themselves, never the less the two young leopards had a go at each other for a brief moment with tooth and claw. Their was no clear victor as when the fight broke up both leopards retreated away from one each and went their separate ways.

Son of the Dudley female and Daughter of the Ngoboswan female leopards – 3 – 4 May 2010
The following morning we found the Daughter of the Ngoboswan female walking south on western side Matshipiri (towards West Street bridge) when something caught her eye to the east. She stalked around and did a full circle - all the while being very watchful. When she returned to the road she looked up into a big leadwood tree. In the tree was about 10% of an adult female nyala. She did not however approach the tree, but continued to look east at something. Then out of the thickets the Son of the Dudley female arrived. The female did not show interest in him, and slowly moved out of the area. The Son of the Dudley female was also hesitant and was looking east, ever watchful. He did scent mark in the area before lying down - not too far off of the tree with the kill. With both leopards having been seen hunting the evening before, it was unlikely that the carcass was either of theirs - especially with only 10% being left. As the morning wore on, the temptation was too great for the young male and he moved towards the tree. Almost as if planned, the daughter of the Ngoboswan female also made her way into the area. The two leopards snarled at each other, and a standoff ensued as the two young cats hissed and growled at each other. This attracted the attention of a hyena in the area, and now all three were watching each other. The hyena, however, needed one of the leopards as he could not get to the kill by climbing the tree. Size counts in the animal kingdom. The young male leopard was the victor. As the female moved off, he climbed the tree to get a taste of what he had been looking at all morning. But his inexperience showed once more when he tried to reposition the kill and it fell to the ground. He tried to put up a fight, but the much stronger and more experienced hyena ran off with the prize - leaving both leopards with nothing.



These are a total of 27 sightings involving some sort of confrontation between male leopards and hyenas spanning more than 3 years. They mostly involve kills but not necessarily. It is clear from these accounts that in this part of Africa male leopards are not easily dominated by lone hyenas and that they are completely willing to defend their kills when not outnumbered. In all of the interactions observed in Mala Mala in the past 4 years a lone hyena managed to steal an adult male leopard's kill from him only once (6 April 2008) without the leopard either getting at least some of his share or without the leopard being distracted by mating or the presence of a rival male. It's also interesting to see that although unsuccessful young male leopards are much more willing to stand up to hyenas than their mothers.


Things to note -
- Again, hyenas are far less confident in open daylight, with Leopards holding kills much easier.


Edited by Canidae, Apr 24 2015, 04:22 PM.
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ManEater
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Things to note -
You just make assumptions that fix your point of view that a hyena can kill a leopard , the list of all accounts was a good idea, but your comment ...Mainly there is not a single account of hyena killing an adult leopard .
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May 11 2012, 12:54 AM
Things to note -
You just make assumptions that fix your point of view that a hyena can kill a leopard , the list of all accounts was a good idea, but your comment ...Mainly there is not a single account of hyena killing an adult leopard .
I never said there was, nor is there anything of vice versa.

A lot of them were not assumptions but additional infomation by the people who supplied me with some of the accounts.
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The accounts are objective , but not your little comment a the end of each account , it's either your perspective or even supposutions ,
and i think it will fall in a long and sterile debate .
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May 11 2012, 02:19 AM
The accounts are objective , but not your little comment a the end of each account , it's either your perspective or even supposutions ,
and i think it will fall in a long and sterile debate .
Sadly I think you're right.

But I.M.O I wasn't that subjective at all, but did speculate.
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Thanks for posting Canidae :)
Very interesting. I will not come with my opinion here, hopefully it will not lead to long discussions in this thread.
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Leopard and Hyena

Date: Monday, October 08, 2007

Producer: Ronnie Watt
E-mail: veldfocus@iafrica.com

It was at Londolozi where John Hillidge of Dainfern watched a leopard feeding on its kill in the branches of a tree. A hyena was anxiously pacing below, waiting for scraps to fall to the ground. The leopard then finished feeding, andjumps to the ground and finds a comfortable spot in the middle of a dry river bed. The young hyena loiters about, but then boldly comes right up to the leopard! With its belly full the leopard relaxes and nods off. It appeared oblivious to the hyena but then rears its head and snarls at the intruder, warning it off.
Such a peaceful scene between two otherwise bitter enemies is out of the ordinary! If more hyenas were present it could have been quite a different scenario as there is no love lost between these two rival species.

Previously we showed a hyena pirating prey from a leopard. Though the leopard tried to stand its ground, the hyena boldly rushed in to grab the prey. Twice the leopard tried to fend off the thief but in the end the hyena triumphed and carried off the remains of the carcass.

But hyenas do not always walk away unscathed from interactions with leopards. There is one record of a leopard which not only knew the trick of keeping a hyena at bay, but also killed it and it did so not only once, but three times!

But here there’s no call for aggression from either side here. The leopard has nothing, except for its peace and quiet, to defend. The hyena won’t attack because there is nothing to scavenge. For now the two adversaries will tolerate one another - next time ‘round, it might be an altogether different case.

http://www.5050.co.za/inserts.asp?ID=7998




From 1977marc

1977marc
 
Huge male leopard cripples hyena after loosing his kill...

damn this is a big Tom...

It looks as the male lost his kill..still breathing heavilly...when he feels recovered he goes after the hyena..








scottwolverine1111
 
Has this video been shown?






The article is entitled The Quintessential Cat by Luke Hunter.

The leopard's remarkably diverse diet is one reason for its exceptional success. Whereas lion prides require high densities of large herbivores to subsist, and cheetahs are most successful where antelopes such as gazelles and impalas are abundant, the leopard can survive on fish, rodents and birds. Ted Bailey, a scientist who studied leopards in the Kruger National Park, tallied prey records from around the continent and discovered that at least 92 different species have been documented in the leopard's diet, among them dung beetles, grasshoppers and even scorpions. However, leopards generally invest the most energy in hunting prey where the pay-off is greatest, and in the majority of African ecosystems they concentrate on the most abundant medium-sized ungulates present. In the southern Kruger Park where impala density is among the highest in Africa, Bailey's study showed that impalas constituted almost 88 per cent of leopard kills. In Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, the plentiful Thomson's gazelle is the most frequently killed prey, whereas in Kafue National Park in Zambia it is reedbuck, waterbuck and puku.

Where such species are absent or occur in low numbers, the leopard is able to switch to other, less 'profitable' prey. In the Kalahari Desert, most kills weigh less than 20 kilograms, and porcupines, steenbok and small carnivores feature prominently in the leopard's diet. In Israel's Judean desert, Zimbabwe's Matobo Hills and the Cedarberg range in the south-western Cape, rock hyraxes (dassies) are the most common prey item, whereas West African rainforest leopards have a diet dominated by duikers and small primates such as colobus and mangabey monkeys.

Even our closest relatives are not invulnerable. In the Tai' Forest of the Cote d'lvoire, leopard predation is the main cause of chimpanzee mortality. Indeed, the leopard is one of the few carnivores able to overcome the extraordinary intelligence, vigilance and strength of adult chimps. During a 12-year study, chimp researchers documented at least 17 of their study animals lost to attacks by leopards. A further six severe maulings were observed: one of the chimps injured was a prime adult male - a formidable opponent for any predator. Despite these interactions, primates do not feature as prey as often as people suspect. One of the great myths about leopards is that baboons are an especially favoured prey item. Yet in the western Cape mountains where baboons are one of the most abundant of the larger mammals, only two per cent of leopard scats in one study contained baboon hairs. While baboons are definitely taken wherever the two species co-occur, there are numerous records of leopards being severely injured or even killed by baboon troops. Leopards treat baboons with due caution; they often avoid them during the day and concentrate on attacking stragglers or juveniles, sometimes even taking them from their night-time roosts in trees and rock outcrops.

Other carnivores are also fair game to leopards. While lions may invest a great deal of energy in killing fellow predators, their motivation seems more to eliminate competition than to acquire food, and they frequently leave such kills untouched. Leopards, however, have been recorded killing and eating everything from dwarf mongooses to adult spotted hyaenas. One well-observed Ngorongoro Crater leopard killed and ate 11 jackals in less than a month, which suggests that small canids may be preferred prey when abundant, and there is considerable truth in the belief that leopards are partial to dogs. Such unusual preferences may vary from region to region. In arid north-eastern Namibia, researcher Flip Stander discovered adult cheetahs were sometimes killed as prey by leopards, a remarkable occurrence also recently observed by tourists in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa. Yet in the comparitively lush bushveld of northern KwaZulu-Natal, I saw three cases of leopards killing cheetahs and leaving the carcasses untouched. Perhaps where the density of more 'typical' prey species is low - such as in desert regions - leopards cannot afford to be choosy and are more likely to eat the meat of other predators.




scottwolverine1111
 
From Beat about the Bush: Mammals
By Trevor Carnaby

Posted Image





1977marc
 


leopard vs 3 hyenas]

Posted Image
sand river male leopard...

wow kicking ass leopard


One morning in February 2010, me, Brett DB and Alistair decided to leave early on safari. We were driving at Earth lodge and wanted to get to the north of the reserve to find some lions.

We left at 05h00 and after deciding who was going where we were off. I went along the cut line to check if there were any lion tracks. Before I got very far, Alistair called us to come and see what he had found.....When we got close all we heard was a massive noise, hyenas howling and leopards growling. When I finally moved into the sighting it was amazing; there were 3 hyenas that were being slapped around by a big male leopard, the one we call Sand River. The hyenas were trying to steal what we then thought was the leopard's kill, a small impala. They attacked from all sides and he was thrashing them one by one ......the one hyena had no ear and most of his nose was torn off. The others were also in pretty bad shape. In amongst all the fighting they finally got away with the kill. We thought it was all over when another big older male leopard arrived. He had heard all the commotion and came to inspect what was going on. Once realising he was not tough enough to fight all the hyenas he also ran off, leaving the original leopard to contemplate the loss of his impala.

We thought it was all over and started explaining to our guests what we thought had happened, when the leopard started giving a hair-raising roar while looking at a small tree. He was sniffing around and looked like he was up to something; that's when one of the trackers saw a 4 metre long python up in the tree.

The Sand River leopard must have stolen the python's kill, which the hyenas then stole from him, and which the other leopard was going to try and steal from the hyenas. The leopard turned on the python and started trying to get it out of the tree. All we heard were growls and hisses. At one stage the leopard was actually hanging onto the python trying to pull it out, but the python would not budge. This went on for a few minutes, until the leopard decided that there was no safe way of winning the fight. He let out a roar, thrashed the tree in frustration and walked off.

Those 30 minutes of excitement gave us some of the most awesome events any of us had ever seen. My guests were speechless; the sheer power of all of these animals is amazing......

Life is hectic in the bush, in a few minutes one kill went from a python to a leopard to 3 hyenas

That's nature............

http://www.sabisabi.com/safaris/sightings/5018/circle-of-life

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Canidae
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To Taipan / anyone - does anyone know where veldfocus is based?

And the tourists account of 'Sand River', with a hyena missing sections of it's face sounds much more like the work of other hyenas than the Leopard. I haven't heard of any felid doing something like that to another species, whereas hyena frequenetly tear ears and noses off in conflict.

Another, small account :
Posted Image

From : Meat-Eating and Human Evolution

Edited by Canidae, Aug 15 2012, 09:10 PM.
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ImperialDino
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Leopard/Hyena interactions looks extacly like the bigger version of RACOON/CAT interations.

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Gato Gordo
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Thanks for taking the trouble to compile the available info on the leopard-hyena interaction. This is a valuable thread that can be used as prime reference in the future.

The more info I read the more I am convinced that leopard-hyena is a very close match and is one of the most interesting interactions in nature.
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One thing i`ve noticed is that hyenas seem to have no fear of leopards. At least.....hyenas of a similar size. They just run up towards leopards on a kill with scarcely a care in the world. I think the hyena would definitely win.
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Two new accounts :

Tragedy Strikes Mombo Leopard

16 Apr 2012
Sighting: Tragedy strikes one of Mombo's leopards
Location: Mombo Camp, Chiefs Island, Botswana
Date: 16 April 2012
Observers: Tshepo Phala and Robert Houston
Photographs: Roger Houston

Pula, the daughter of the famous Legadema, has faced a dramatic lesson in life. She has been raising her first litter of two cubs with some success for the last few months, and has proved a delight to observers watching her as she goes about the task of hunting for and feeding the two youngsters.

Tragedy started to stalk her when the father of these cubs, Lebadi, was ousted in a territorial battle with a new male leopard in the area, Serondela. Male leopards, as well as other big cats, will instinctively kill any cubs sired by their predecessors in order to halt their gene progress and bring the females into a swift oestrus in order to proliferate their own genes.

This is what happened a few days ago when our guide Tshepo Phala was alerted to something going on by the whooping of hyaena near Eastern Pan. Moving in for a closer look, he and his guests saw several hyaena milling around, before seeing one of them running with a leopard cub in its jaws.

In this frenzied activity and noise, guide and guests initially failed to notice Pula sitting on a branch close to their position, looking angrily at the hyaena. She charged at them, but to no avail - there were too many of them, and the cub was already dead.

While they initially assumed the hyaena had attacked Pula and her cubs, everything became clear when the Serondela male appeared on the scene. He walked around looking up into the trees as if looking for the remaining cub, while Pula hissed vehemently at him.

The guides spotted the cub tucked deeply under a bush a few metres from Pula, and by examining it through binoculars, found it to be still alive. The male leopard kept prowling around, however, and everybody watched with bated breath.


Eventually the male lost interest, and lay down a short distance from Pula, who was hidden from his view. This was the scene we had to leave as darkness fell, and have not seen the other cub in the days since then, so we fear it has also not survived.


Posted Image

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http://www.wilderness-safaris.com/news/unusual_sightings_detail.jsp?newsItem=30374

- To those who aren't familiar, Legadema is the Leopard from Eye of the Leopard.
- Whilst a male Leopard killing the cub is a likely, I.M.O it's equally likely the hyena still could have done it, after all Pula confronted them and noone knows the whole story.

-----------------------


Leopards of Hunda Island

28 Dec 2011
One morning drive, our guides came across two hyaena running down the road with serious intent. The reason for this became obvious very soon. Up in a sycamore fig tree was a young male leopard with his kill. The hyaena were trying their best to get as close as possible but with no luck.

The guides and guests tried to figure out what the kill had been but all that they could see was a black "fluff ball". They eventually got it - it was a very young hyaena pup! It was now obvious that one of the hyaena was the pup's mother. The leopard just gazed down at the hyaena, with the little carcass under his chin.

The guests felt very sorry for the mother because she had lost her pup, until the leopard accidentally dropped one of the legs, which the mother hyaena grabbed eagerly and gobbled it up. Not used to such 'unDisney'-like behaviour, the guests were all suitably shocked!

Later that afternoon the guides went back to have a look. The hyaena and leopard were gone, but they later found the leopard again with a big gash on his leg - this could have been inflicted by the hyaena as the cat was exiting the tree?


Not long after that, a young female leopard and her mom gave us an incredible show that could be called "How a young female leopard becomes a queen..."

On an afternoon drive, we located the mother and young female leopard. The mother had stalked and caught an impala fawn, but she did not kill it. Rather, she brought the youngster back to her daughter. It was time for the cub to learn the skills of the trade!

The young leopard had to learn how to make a kill - she was obviously not sure what to do with this new "toy". The princess would walk up to the fawn and slap it lightly with her paw and the fawn would just fall to the side, before staggering back up. They were often nose to nose looking closely into each other's eyes - the impala not knowing this was a predator and the leopard not really knowing how to kill its prey - a poignant moment.

After hours of chasing, smacking, slapping and falling over, they were both exhausted with the impala fawn lying down in the middle of mommy leopard and her cub. The mother was also playing with the fawn like her youngster was. Eventually the daughter got the trick; she grabbed it by the throat and suffocated it. And so, this is how a young leopard learns to make a kill: after hours of play, the natural instinct just kicks in.


Posted Image

http://www.wilderness-safaris.com/news/unusual_sightings_detail.jsp?newsItem=28890

- The correlation of Leopard / juvenile hyena predation grows more positive.
- Though I.M.O both accounts are still very sad!
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Edited by manics, Jun 10 2012, 10:01 PM.
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The two species almost managing the get along for once!

LEOPARD & HYENA SHARING A MEAL!

It was an incredible sighting! Never seen before. We were doing a night drive and we saw a leopard with a kill near silio stream. We watched him eat. Then something walked slowly behind him. We could hear the branches, but could not see what it was. He turned back and growled at it. It was a hyena. At first the leopard was protecting his kill, but later the hyena came in and started pulling on the opposite side. The leopard was pulling as well. Later they stopped pulling and decided to eat it together. It is not usual to see these two powerful predators sharing a meal. We watched for an hour and later the leopard decided to leave. We also decided to leave for our dinner after watching this exciting sighting.


Posted Image

Posted Image

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From here : http://www.wildwatch.com/sightings/leopard-hyena-sharing-a-meal

--------

Adult Hyena displaces mother & male young.

Hyena takes over

A few mornings ago we where looking for leopard, as it was getting hot. We where already on our way back, when we came across some fresh tracks, of a female and her son. We started following and shortly after came across fresh drag marks on the road. We followed the flattened grass and found two leopards on a kill. The young male leopard was feeding, but the grass was high so we could not see properly. We decided to return in the evening. As we where heading out we saw a hyena approaching. The hyena ran in and took the carcass over. The leopards backed off and watched the hyena ripping big chunks of meat out of the impala. The young male approached, than got chased away. The mother than tried to claim the carcass back, but did not manage. This went on for a while, until the leopards realized that they have no chance. The only thing they could do is stay and watch the remains of the carcass being finished by the hyena.

From here : http://www.wildwatch.com/sightings/hyena-takes-over

--------

Adult Hyena displaces possible Leopard male coalition? Would this be the first instance of a Leopard coalition?

Hyena steals leopards kill

Sunrise in the tropical broad leafed woodlands is always beautiful. We move into an area where we had tracks of 2 young male leopards the night before. To our delight we found the two leopards and a hyena. The males’ hair was up as they circled around the hyena who had stolen their kill. Too nervous to attach they watched as the hyena wagged his tail and crunched through the remaining warthog bones. When the hyena was finished it came up to the vehicle had a look and then ran off into the woodlands leaving us in awe and the leopards’ meal less.

From here : http://www.wildwatch.com/sightings/the-hyena-kill

---------

An impressive show of courage from a hungry mother Leopard!

AGE - OLD ADVERSARIES

The Rollercoaster female leopard had killed a female Bushbuck the previous morning and we were keen to see if she had fetched her 12 month old male cub in the meantime.

Wonderful white sand subsided as the tyres of the land rover propelled us to the final resting place of another Rollercoaster murder victim. As the massive Jackalberry tree in which she had hoisted her prize came into view, the rosetted shape of a leopard was unmistakable. After repositioning the vehicle for the best possible photographic opportunities, we examined the scene. It was not the Rollercoaster female feeding off the bushbuck, but her year-old son. She was in a nearby thicket watching her offspring gorging himself. She soon got up, ascended the majestic tree and nonchalantly grabbed the remaining meat from her son. A quick descent found her enjoying the rest of her hard earned meal in a nearby thicket.

That’s when the first one arrived. A mere 100m away, the first Hyena had picked up the scent of the kill. It came wondering in the direction of the leopardess. Then there were 2, then 3 and eventually 4 Hyenas were making their way to the unsuspecting leap of leopard. The Hyenas were very hesitant. The leopard and its kill were in thick bush, so the Hyenas needed to make sure that it wasn’t in fact a pride of lions on a kill. A short rush of speed. Confusion. Chaos. The bloodcurdling sound of whooping and laughing Hyenas was met by the hiss and snarl of an enraged leopard. Eternal Enemies had clashed again.

The Rollercoaster female was up that same Jackalberry tree in a flash. The characteristic hyena sounds gave way to the sounds of cracking bones and grunts of mealtime pleasure. Mother and Son continued to snarl and spit their fury at the adversaries. After a few minutes, the Rollercoaster female did something I’ve never seen a female leopard do before. She ran down the tree and charged the 4 hyenas at full speed. They got a massive fright and retreated a few metres before regaining their courage.

This was all the time the leopard needed. She grabbed hold of the bushbuck remains and climbed the nearest Knobt horn tree (Acacia Nigrencs) with amazing speed and agility. From here she could finish her meal at leisure without the hassles of her nemesis. The Hyenas preceded to meander around the area for a while, looking for any scraps that the leopards might’ve spared.

The Sabi Sands, especially Kirkman’s Kamp, is renowned for its superb predator interactions. This was by far the best interaction I had seen in my 14 months of guiding. It was a massive privilege to have been an observer of this never-ending feud between the Hyena and Leopard. And the craziest thing about this is: This happens somewhere in Africa every day, we just need to be there at the right time and the right place to see it. This is easier said than done though…


From here : http://www.wildwatch.com/sightings/age-old-adversaries

-------

Hyena disturbs Leopard lovenest :

HYENA SHASSED TWO LEOPARD!

It was during our morning game drive when we came across mating pair of leopard with the kill on a tree, one of the leopard was eating. When we aproached the leopard climbed down and few minutes later we saw a hyena chassing them away. They ran into the ditch and the hyena tried to climb a tree as the food was on the tree but it couldn't make and ended picking pieces of meat leoprd dropped when eating. Few minutes later the hyena gave up and the female leopard came back for her breakfast.

From here : http://www.wildwatch.com/sightings/hyena-shassed-two-leopard
Edited by Canidae, Jun 17 2012, 09:08 PM.
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