Watch This Brilliant Leopard Escape a Dangerous Pride of Lions

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Even an apex predator like a leopard can find itself outmatched. This was indeed the case in the above footage, filmed at Kruger National Park, South Africa — one of the continent’s largest and most renowned game reserves.

An adult male leopard was surrounded by a pride of lions comprised of several lionesses and an alpha male lion. The leopard had to make a swift decision in perhaps the scariest and most dire moment of its life. He decided to lie down and roll around in a show of submission, which seemed to halt the aggression of the lions. The lions remained circled around the leopard, but they appeared to be buying their time. Fortunately for the leopard (as predicted by the narrator), it could distract the lions. The lions took the pressure off for a moment, aiding the plan of the male leopard. As a result, when the lions drew their attention elsewhere, he dashed away. They briefly pursued the leopard, but he was able to make a successful escape. You might wonder if a scene like this is typical among these predators. Read on to learn about the dynamics between these big cat species.

Do Leopards and Lions Battle for Territory?

It’s difficult to understand how two predator species at the top of their ecological niche coexist in the same ecosystem. The physical superiority of lions naturally poses a serious threat to leopard populations. However, a 2018 study found that lion and leopard occupancy of a particular area was independent of either species’s presence. Thus, these species could thrive in the same environment without any measurable changes in population. That is, lions don’t interfere with leopard populations despite being more than capable. Perhaps that’s why the leopard in the video above was able to escape so easily.

One must also keep in mind that lions and leopards have different motivations. That study also found that leopards sought out more “hideable” areas, which aids them tremendously while hunting. On the other hand, lions were more concerned with inhabiting land with a higher abundance of large prey. That makes sense, given the hefty size of lions, who weigh up to 550 pounds. Leopards are big in their own right (weighing up to 198 pounds) but prefer hunting medium-sized animals like deer, warthogs, and even rodents.