Watch an Acrobatic Leopard Leap 6-Feet in the Air to Flip a Jumping Impala

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You never know what you might see when on a safari tour in Africa. Whether it is a lion taking down a buffalo, a cheetah chasing after an antelope, or a hyena pack ripping apart a carcass, there’s just no way to know exactly what you might come across. This is why they call African safaris the experience of a lifetime. While you can go to your local zoo and watch a lion or a cheetah, it is nothing compared to watching those animals in the wild.

What has to be even more exciting than going on an African safari is being a tour guide on an African safari. For Pieter Kruger, who is 25 years old, he has seen some amazing things happen on his tours. But, for this upcoming video that he saw, he was so surprised that we saw the video camera fall. You know that an experience has to be so good that you might drop the camera because you don’t want to miss out on any action at the moment.

This safari tour takes us to the Greater Kruger area in South Africa. Pieter Kruger has just stopped the tour because he caught the side of a small herd of impalas that are in the roadway. What he did not know was just how many impalas there were that were hiding in all this African brush. 

Mere seconds later, we see an enormous stampede as these impalas almost run over each other. Only one thing could cause panic like this. A predator is nearby. And sure enough, we see a leopard in close pursuit. The action happened so fast that the video editors had to slow the footage down for us to be able to watch in slow motion. 

Slow motion happens at 20 seconds, whereas if we pause at 23 seconds, we see this leopard leap up into the air to grab an impala. This impala knew this leopard was close on its heels. So, to shake him off, we see this impala leap up what appeared to be two meters (6.5 feet) in the air. This leopard met this challenge. Not only did he leap up to grab this impala, but we see that this leopard turned his body around, so he is upside down and grabbing the impala from underneath. 

How Fast Can Leopards Run?

Leopards are sleek mammals that weigh up to 198 pounds and reach 75 inches in length. Their thin appearance gives them the ability to run up to 36 miles per hour. 

Although they aren’t the fastest land animal, as that is reserved for the cheetah, the leopard gave these impalas a run for their money. Or rather, the run of their lives. 

Is it Normal for Leopards to Leap so High?

Leopards may be the smallest of the big cats – but they may be the most athletic! Known mostly for their climbing ability – leopards are incredibly strong animals able to carry large prey into trees to avoid losing it to lions and hyenas.

If there were an animal Olympics – the leopard would win the triathlon with the ability to run 36 miles per hour and jump 10 feet straight up and 20 feet forward in a single bound! Their leaping ability is so strong that they can jump high enough to capture low-flying birds in the air. As if that wasn’t enough to make them one of the most formidable predators – they are also one of the few cats that like the water and are exceptionally strong swimmers. All of these superpowers enable leopards to live in both rainforest and desert habitats – making their range the most widespread of all big cats.