With its agile movement and high jumps, the leopard swiftly takes down another predator – the adult bateleur eagle.
The leopard hunts the bateleur eagle. (Video: Trans Africa Tours).
As an opportunistic predator, the leopard (Panthera pardus) will nearly seize any prey it can catch. However, the bateleur eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus) – a large eagle found in the grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa – is still a rather unusual meal. Footage shared by Trans Africa Tours reveals this spectacular hunting trip in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a semi-desert region located between South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, as reported by Earth Touch News on June 15.
In the video, the leopard spots an adult bateleur eagle from a distance and slowly approaches. It skillfully maneuvers through the grass. When the opportunity arises, it lunges forward and leaps to capture the eagle. The eagle, flying close to the ground, is unable to evade the attack. The bird flaps its wings and struggles but cannot escape the leopard’s jaws. Ultimately, the leopard leisurely walks away, firmly grasping its freshly caught prey.
When the opportunity arises, the leopard lunges forward and leaps to capture the eagle.
According to studies, the diet of leopards in Kgalagadi typically includes porcupines, immature gemsbok, springbok, black-backed jackals, bat-eared foxes, steenbok, and genets. Occasionally, they hunt smaller predators, especially when other prey is scarce. Smaller predators make up nearly a quarter of the leopard’s diet in the arid Kgalagadi region. Birds also comprise a portion of their diet.
The competition for prey is intense, as leopards must contend with lions, hyenas, and cheetahs – species that have a higher density in Kgalagadi. They venture farther than other predators in the area to seek food. Leopards are also excellent climbers and can leap up to 3 meters high.
