We had a very exciting encounter late last week. While out on a drive, the cries of a guinea fowl pierced the air, alerting our ranger Scotch to the presence of something in the tall grass. He quickly spotted a small female leopard called Ntombi. The vehicle crept along behind her as she stopped frequently, marking her territory with her scent as she went along.
It was clear she had a destination in mind, and we followed along anxious to see where she would take us.
Suddenly, she crouched down in the grass, her gaze fixed intently on what lay ahead – a large hyena, hunkered down over an impala kill that had been hers until he took it over.
The hyena became alert, looking around and sniffing the air, eventually deciding it was a false alarm and lay down again next to his prize.
Ntombi remained in the crouched position, weighing her options. In the end, she decided the hyena was just too big to risk a confrontation.
She reluctantly decided to move off, settling in the grass a little further away. She would reclaim her prize should the hyena have its fill and decide to move off.
Words by Jacquie Gauthier