A leopard’s endeavor to secure a quick meal turned into a disastrous setback when a united troop of 50 baboons collaborated and decisively overwhelmed the predator.
The video capturing this interspecies showdown has gained over a million views online, earning admiration from wildlife enthusiasts for the boldness displayed by the small primates.
Ricky da Fonseca, a 30-year-old accountant, recounted the extraordinary moment he witnessed during a safari in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. The park has become a hotspot for viral animal brawl videos.
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The group had reportedly parked at the southern end of the Tshokwane picnic site, a typical stop for mid-morning brunch or late-afternoon snacks for visitors.
Originally on the lookout for lions they had spotted earlier, the unexpected unfolded as they were in for a unique encounter, as Fonseca described, “the bush had something even more special in store for us.”
“As we pulled to the side, we were surprised to spot a male leopard casually strolling along the roadside,” Fonseca, the number-cruncher, reminisced. “Repositioning for a better angle, I noticed a troop of around 50 baboons playing in the road ahead. The excitement was building!”
Despite initially doubting that the large cat would take action against such a sizable troop, Fonseca noted a change as the predator’s “curiosity seemed to get the better of him.”
“The leopard stealthily disappeared into the grass on the roadside, fully engaged in stalk mode,” Fonseca recounted. “As the leopard closed in on the baboons, a sense of anticipation hung in the air.”
Continuing the narrative, Fonseca stated, “Suddenly, with a burst of speed, the leopard sprang from the grass, attempting to catch one of the baboons off guard.”
The baboons give the leopard (right) the mother of all beatdowns.YouTube/Latest Sightings
Accompanying footage shows the leopard stalking through the grass along the side of a car-lined highway, its sinewy body perfectly camouflaged against the brush as it makes a beeline for the baboon army.
Then, all of a sudden, the beast lunges at the pack of simians, lunch seemingly within its grasp.
However, the critter’s dreams of some fast food fizzle when the primate posse gangs up on the beast and starts walloping it into oblivion.
Video taken from a close-up angle shows the courageous baboons mobbing the leopard, before chasing it into the undergrowth, a la fed-up townspeople running a villain out of town in an Old Western.
“The charge was led by what looked like the dominant male,” said 38-year-old Merve Mersinligil, a pianist who filmed the second clip of the counterattack. “He jumped the leopard almost like a rugby tackle, biting, hitting, and shouting like there was no tomorrow.”
Fonseca chalked up the baboons’ success to the fact that they “reacted very quickly” and “attacked as a troop.”
“This threw the leopard off, and they capitalized, surrounding it, screaming, and biting at it,” he said. “They showed no mercy at all.”
The condition of the leopard remains uncertain; nevertheless, Fonseca asserted that it suffered a few “bruises and cuts,” emphasizing that its “ego was more hurt than his body.” In essence, the incident perfectly embodied the saying “biting off more than you can chew.”
Undoubtedly, this counterattack stands as a significant victory for the baboons, considering they are typically listed as a preferred prey of leopards.
This encounter is not the first instance of baboons confronting a much larger adversary. In a noteworthy incident in March, three hikers in South Africa endured broken legs when “agitated” baboons rolled a large boulder down at them.