Watch This Proud Leopard Mama Help Adorable Cubs Across a Roadway

Written by Kirstin Harrington
Updated: October 20, 2023
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The biggest national park in South Africa is Kruger National Park. It is situated on the border with Mozambique in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, west of the Lebombo Mountains.

Elephants, leopards, lions, cheetahs, bison, rhinos, zebras, warthogs, impalas, and a wide variety of birds are among the wildlife found in Kruger National Park. During his visit to the renowned park with his kids, a guy by the name of Thinus Delport was extraordinarily lucky to stumble upon a mother leopard and her two cubs close to the Lower Sabie rest camp.

Watch the Video of this Leopard Family Crossing the Road:

Delport and his children observed as a contemplative mother leopard carefully planned her path over a wide expanse of pavement. With cars sitting not too far off, it’s no wonder why she is taking her time. 

She turned to face her young cubs as if to reassure them that everything was secure and there was nothing to be scared of on the other side of the street. She returned with her cubs in tow. The mother made another effort to cross the street, this time bringing her babies along. 

She softly called for her babies to join once she was certain it was safe to do so. However, one of the kids needed a little support from mommy to finish the trip because they were a little hesitant about it.

“It was my daughter’s first visit to the Kruger and she was the first to whip out her video camera,” Delport says. “I’m glad she did because I would have been shaking so much from excitement, that the footage might have just been ruined.”

The Big Five

Although leopards are capable of hunting for themselves when they’re 9 months old, they typically stay with their mama until they’re 1.5 years old.

©lightstock/Shutterstock.com

Of all the African large cats, leopards are the least sociable and, perhaps, the most attractive. Most of the time, they remain alone, concealing in dense riverine vegetation or among rocky outcrops until coming out to hunt late in the day or at night.

Even while the young are still nearly completely defenseless, they will have developed into fearsome predators in a few months. These cubs were probably going outside for the first time, which might account for their tepid response to the strange surface. When they are just nine months old, leopards can hunt for their own food, but they normally stay with their moms for a year and a half.

A comment on the original video uploaded by Latest Sightings on Youtube says, “Imagine being a parent with two infants and you’re trying to cross a bizarre path that is surrounded by alien spaceships. That’s kind of how I think that leopard feels.” We couldn’t agree more! 

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


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About the Author

Kirstin is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering animals, news topics, fun places, and helpful tips. Kirstin has been writing on a variety of topics for over five years. She has her real estate license, along with an associates degree in another field. A resident of Minnesota, Kirstin treats her two cats (Spook and Finlay) like the children they are. She never misses an opportunity to explore a thrift store with a coffee in hand, especially if it’s a cold autumn day!

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