A Leopard Carrying More Than His Body Weight Tumbles Out of a Tree And Lands On a Hyena

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The adorable kid’s movie Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs takes on a whole new meaning for this hyena in the video posted at the top. One sunny day he walks by a tree, and food drops right down and smacks him on the head! Don’t miss the action falling from above. 

Leopard and Hyena Sighting In Africa

This short YouTube clip shown at the top of this blog post takes us to the land of Africa. In the United States, dogs and cats are abundantly seen. However, on the continent of Africa, it is pretty common to see the leopard and hyena as shown in the video above. The And Beyond Travel YouTube page posted this video on their channel. In addition to Africa, they share other footage of animals from Asia, South America, and Antarctica. 

Leopard Can’t Carry Prey

At the start of this video, shown at the top, this tired leopard had already hunted, chased, and killed a zebra. What’s left of this mammal is now torn and in the leopard’s mouth. He has clearly eaten his fill, and now he is looking for a safe place to keep his prey. On the ground, this freshly killed meal will be susceptible to prey looking to scavenge the leftovers. 

However, unlike humans who simply put the leftovers in the refrigerator, this leopard has the difficult task of carrying it up a tree! According to the popular Kruger National Park in Africa, Leopards will “drag their prey into the fork of a tree several meters off the ground.” 

The leopard tries one leap, and very quickly falls. This prey is proving to be too heavy for him. The leopard attempts it again and can get about halfway up, he starts to fall again, and we see his grip tighten as he tries to inch his way up to the fork of the tree where he would be safe from falling. 

Suddenly, the leopard tumbles out of the tree, and only just at that time does a hyena happen to be strolling by. The leopard and leftover prey land straight on this hyena’s head! And this is where the real fight begins.

What Animals Eat Zebra?

One of the most desired prey in the animal kingdom is the zebra (Equus quagga) of the family Equidae. These prey are much preferred for their size, weighing up to 1,000 pounds and reaching up to nine feet in length. Various predators such as lions, hyenas, African wild dogs, cheetahs, and, of course, leopards will hunt them. 

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute expounds on the zebra’s ability to escape their prey by stating, “They have long, slender legs and hoofed feet that allow them to run quickly in an effort to avoid fast-moving predators.”  However, as we can see from the video above, they are not always successful. This is why predators like leopards are patient hunters waiting for the perfect moment to strike.