Witness This Tiny Penguin Make a Dash for Its Life Trying to Outrun a Leopard Seal

It’s never easy to watch videos that feature a predator chasing a prey animal even though we know it is a fact of life. However, when the prey happens to be a cute little penguin it’s even worse! As we see in the clip below, penguins risk their lives every time they enter the water.

Check out this clip and watch until the end – it has a happier ending than you were probably expecting!

Watch the Fascinating Clip Below

Are Leopard Seals Aggressive?

Yes, these seals can be described as having aggressive behavior but that is because they are accomplished hunters. They are large Antarctic seals (mainly found around Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands) who can weigh up to 1,300 pounds – so they deserve respect! These seals are apex predators in their habitats and have earned a reputation for having an aggressive hunting style. They target penguins and the pups of crabeater seals, Weddell, Ross, southern elephant and Antarctic fur seals. Added to this are squid, octopuses and even seabirds.

On the other hand, their main diet is made up of krill which are tiny ocean creatures. They use their teeth to filter the krill out from water.

There are very few interactions between humans and leopard seals but some worrying incidents have been reported. They are large animals who are agile swimmers and who have sharp teeth. Therefore, they have the potential to present a hazard to humans. Sadly, leopard seals have killed humans in the past. This includes an incident where a researcher was dragged into the water in 2003.

How Do Leopard Seals Normally Hunt Penguins?

Leopard seals have a taste for penguins and have become experts at catching them. Typically, they position themselves in the water a little way away from the penguin colony. When the birds enter the water, they ambush them. Colonies can lose as many as 16 percent of their numbers to leopard seals.

The problems arise for the leopard seal once the penguin is caught. They don’t have teeth that can shear bits from the carcass. Therefore, they have to resort to flinging the body around until it breaks open. This brutal spectacle is not pleasant to witness so we are lucky that it was not included in this clip!

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