Another day, another story from the Masai Mara, where Nik Simpson spent a very productive few days on safari at Ilkeliani Camp and Porini Lion Camp before heading off to the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. We’ve made the most of his fantastic photos, sharing them in various stories on our blog and social media platforms, and today brings yet another outstanding moment in the wild to life. A big male leopard – spotted enjoying the after effects of good meal while he relaxed in a tree – was brought to attention when he spotted a good opportunity to feast once again! A lone wildebeest was spotted nearby and this male leopard wasn’t going to let an easy meal pass him by.
This is Nik’s story of the event:
“We were on our way to see if we could see a wildebeest crossing on the Talek River when we came across this large leopard in a tree. He had obviously fed well as you can see the remains of his last kill hanging from the tree behind him. Almost immediately he spotted a lone wildebeest from his tree, 50-100 yards away, and he showed immediate interest despite his obviously full belly. His interest piqued by the wildebeest, he started to come down from the tree. A quick descent from the tree and he was ready to get his breakfast.
The wildebeest seemed to be completely oblivious. I imagine he was wondering why all the safari trucks were around him, thinking “they like me, they like me”!
It was over in seconds: the leopard pounced and quickly got a grip of the wildebeest’s throat. Less than a minute later, it was all over. The leopard obviously wanted to eat his breakfast in peace, so he started dragging his kill off into the bush. He was a large, powerful leopard; and the wildebeest barely had a chance to put up a fight. This was the last we saw of him as he dragged his kill out of sight.”
