Unusual Alliance: Watch a Hyena Save a Warthog from a Menacing Leopard

Just when things are looking pretty grim for this warthog who is hiding in a hole – help arrives from an unexpected quarter. An inquisitive hyena distracts and then spooks the leopard so much that it retreats up into the branches of a nearby tree!

Watch the full video of the success of this unusual alliance.

Watch The Fascinating Footage Below!

What Are the Hunting Strategies of Leopards and Hyenas?

Leopards (Panthera pardus) are solitary hunters and rely mainly on their eyesight to spot prey. They then stalk them – possibly for considerable distances. When the time is right, they make their move and after a short dash they grab their prey. Alternatively, leopards employ an ambush tactic. They lie in wait in cleverly selected locations. These are often near sources of food for their herbivore prey – fruiting trees and along game trails are favorites. When the prey is close enough, they leap at them. Clearly, things have not gone according to plan in this instance and the warthog has found shelter.

In contrast, hyenas (Crocuta Crocuta) are pack hunters and, more importantly, scavengers. This means that they are happy to feed on the remains of animals that have been killed by another predator or that have died from other causes. Whilst they are probably willing to try to steal a carcass from a leopard, they would be less likely to try this sort of move on a lion!

How Do Animals Adapt to Protect Themselves From Predators?

An animal that is hunted by another animal needs to come up with strategies to stay alive! These include camouflage (so the predator cannot see them) or escape abilities (such as being able to run fast or run over terrain the predator cannot cope with). Warthogs would much rather flee than fight and they are surprisingly fast, capable of running up to 35 miles per hour.

Hiding in burrows is another protection strategy. Warthogs would prefer to hide than run away – outrunning a leopard is not easy. A warthog digs a burrow and backs into it when it feels threatened. Because it is facing forward, it can then use its sharp tusks to battle the predator at the entrance! The warthog’s main predators are lions, leopards, crocodiles, hyenas and humans, although in this case, it appears that the hyena might have helped it to live another day.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/lightstock