Male Leopard cub on a Thompson’s Gazelle kill in a tree. We could hear the Vervet Monkeys alarm calling quite some distance away. This usually signals the presence of their arch enemy – the Leopard. We soon discovered what the commotion was all about. High up in a tree was a male Leopard cub (son of Natito) with the remains of a Thompson’s Gazelle. He was a bit agitated by the Monkey’s alarm calls and by the presence of some Baboons on the ground below. Suddenly, he came down the tree leaving the carcass behind. However, he was soon back and climbed the tree to reach the carcass. He fed for a very short time and then, to our surprise, took the carcass down from the tree and disappeared from view. A short time later we found the carcass but it had been stolen by a Hyena! Why the cub decided to bring the carcass down from the tree was unclear. There was always a significant risk it would be stolen.
This episode was a perfect illustration of the power and prowess of a Leopard in climbing trees and moving a heavy carcass about. This was all the more remarkable since this was a cub that was about 9 months old! Watching this male Leopard cub on a Thompson’s Gazelle kill in a tree was a tremendous experience. Particularly since the encounter went on for more than two hours and for the most part we were the only vehicle present. The Vervet Monkeys were alarm calling for the duration of the encounter. Terrific!