This Crafty Mother-Son Team of Leopards Trick a Hyena Out of Its Meal

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Survival on the African savanna is a constant struggle, especially for animal mothers. But in this video from the Wild Sightings YouTube Channel, a leopard cub steps up to help his mother take back their food from a thieving hyena!

How Common Is Hyena Food Theft?

Popular culture often portrays hyenas as clumsy and unintelligent, but in reality, hyenas are smart, incredible hunters. However, hyenas are also very opportunistic and not above scavenging and even stealing food from other animals. As seen in the video above, they commonly target female leopards and their vulnerable cubs. According to Panthera, leopards lose around 20% of their kills to animals like hyenas. But interestingly enough, leopards actually steal from each other more often than hyenas steal from them!

Leopard vs. Hyena: Who Would Win?

Leopards and hyenas are surprisingly well-matched in size, speed, and ferocity. However, in a one-on-one confrontation, a single hyena couldn’t take on a leopard directly. While both animals have sharp teeth and strong bites, leopards have the advantage of long, retractable claws. Leopards are also more stealthy and agile. They are excellent climbers and can quickly scale tall trees.

Although a hyena would likely lose to a leopard in a one-on-one battle, these clever animals rarely go it alone. Hyenas typically live in large clans, giving them the advantage over a single leopard. Leopards, on the other hand, are solitary hunters and would struggle against an entire pack of hyenas.

How Leopards Defend Against Would-Be Food Thieves

Leopards are usually loners, except when a mother is raising her cubs. In the video above, the leopard cub was a bit older and could help his mother against the hyena who stole their food. As the mother-son duo demonstrated, leopards are clever strategists, using brains over brawn to give them an edge over the hyena.

But a leopard’s strategic thinking goes well beyond hunting — they’re also quite clever with food storage. A single leopard can’t finish off a large kill alone, but rather than let it go to waste or get stolen, they stash it away for later. They may tuck their cache in a bush, cave, or even high up in a tree.

As you can imagine, dragging an entire carcass up a tree is a challenge, especially since the prey is often as heavy — if not heavier — than the leopard itself. That’s why you don’t see many other big cats doing this. For leopards, it’s worth the effort, as their rivals can’t climb as well. In addition, leopards aren’t as successful as animals who hunt in groups, so they put extra value on every kill they get.

Studies show that leopards hide more than half of their kills in trees. These tend to be larger prey items that they can’t eat all at once, with some up to 140% of the leopard’s own body mass. And, naturally, leopards are even more likely to stash their food high in a tree if hyenas are lurking nearby.