The African leopard appears to be disturbed as a black-necked spitting cobra attacks aggressively while it drags its prey up into a tree.
The leopard abandons its prey when attacked by the cobra. (Video: andBeyond)
The encounter between the leopard and the black-necked spitting cobra was captured by Caitlin Davini during a tour at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, as reported by Earth Touch News on December 21. The leopard had dragged a zebra carcass it hunted up into the tree, seemingly provoking the cobra’s displeasure.
Leopards (Panthera pardus) are among the large cats found in Africa and Asia and are excellent climbers. They often rest on branches to take naps, escape threats by climbing high, and frequently hide their prey in trees, keeping it out of reach of other predators.
In the video, the cobra is seen alongside the zebra carcass, attacking the leopard with its head raised and its neck expanded. The leopard maneuvers skillfully among the branches but is unable to reach its meal. After a brief confrontation, it appears the leopard may have been struck by the cobra’s venom on its face. It evades the snake before jumping to safety on another branch.
The black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) is distributed across the savannas and semi-desert regions of sub-Saharan Africa. They are excellent climbers and often hide in tree crevices or slither along branches to hunt for food. However, a partially eaten zebra is not part of their diet. Instead, these snakes typically prey on rodents, birds, frogs, lizards, and other snakes.
The leopard moves skillfully among the branches but cannot reach its prey.
The black-necked spitting cobra possesses potent venom that causes cellular damage. Like other spitting cobras, they can eject venom from their fangs when threatened. This behavior typically occurs after they have expanded their neck as a warning to the opponent to stay away.
It is likely that the snake in the video was not genuinely interested in the zebra carcass but was disturbed in its resting place by the leopard’s presence. The big cat seems to have no intention of wrestling with an enraged venomous snake. It cleverly avoids the cobra and may return to its meal once the snake departs.
