The Dramatic Moment When a Leopard Takes Down a Wildebeest And Then a Lioness Swipes It

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Drama is at the forefront of Hollywood’s mission statement. If they can’t provide drama in either a comedy or an action-packed movie, then sales will soon plummet. There has to be something juicy to make it worth watching. Well, drama isn’t only for Hollywood. There is plenty of drama to be found on the wide open plains of Africa. Let’s see what kind of drama unfolds between a leopard and a lioness in the video above. 

Great Wildebeest Hunt

The YouTube video shown at the top of this blog post takes us on an African safari. This is where a local tour guide and tourists caught footage of a great wildebeest hunt happening. The Maasai Sightings YouTube page was able to use its platform to repost this raw footage. They often share videos of animals such as lion cubs, buffalo, zebra, and giraffes. 

Lioness Snatches Kill From Leopard

As tourists start to film the above video in the Maasai Mara, we see a massive wildebeest herd. They have just plowed through the river, and are charging straight up the hill. Like most animals that cross the rivers of Africa, they are worried about the crocodiles that lurk in the waters waiting for food to come floating by. However, these wildebeest had to worry about what was waiting for them once they reached land. 

A lioness creeps around the terrain, slides into home base, and grabs a wildebeest before it can make its escape. Suddenly, at 24 seconds, we hear what is most likely the tour guide announcing that there is a leopard in the bushes that has caught a wildebeest! However, we see quickly that the lioness has stolen this leopard’s kill. In addition to stealing live prey, lions are also known to steal carcasses, according to the University of Minnesota. 

The leopard comes out at 1:59, attempting to face his enemy. However, the lioness fiercely approaches, unafraid of a fight. The leopard knew this lioness called his bluff. So, he quickly runs off before the fight begins.

Are Leopards Afraid of Lions?

Lions (Panthera leo) and leopards (Panthera pardus) are both of the family Felidae. But this shouldn’t persuade us into thinking that animals of their own family won’t attack each other. The wild is a brutal place, and every day is about the need to survive at any cost. 

The Oxford Academic’s Behavioral Ecology states, “Lions occasionally attack and kill leopards.” Although it’s not a regular occurrence, lions are bigger and stronger than leopards. Lions can weigh anywhere from 250-550 pounds and reach up to eight feet in length. Whereas a leopard weighs between 66-200 pounds and is a little over six feet long. Giving lions the unique ability to win this fight. 

And by the video’s end, we saw that once this leopard knew the lioness was willing to fight for what she stole, the leopard high-tailed it out of there.