This is the moment when a leopard was pierced in the nose by a porcupine quill while repeatedly attempting to catch and eat the spiky creature. The predator was resting on a tree by the roadside in Kruger National Park, South Africa, when its unsuspecting prey passed by.
Measuring about 1.5 meters long, the leopard lunged forward to kill its prey, only to be struck by several quills in its mouth and paws. The spiky situation unfolded as the predator tried to transform an adult porcupine into a snack in the South African wildlife reserve. The leopard, waiting on the tree, pounced when it saw the porcupine walking by.
Traffic came to a stop as the startled porcupine scurried across the road in a desperate attempt to escape. After the leopard was injured during the first attack, it pulled back from the prey and then launched a second assault. The porcupine attempted to cross the road again, but ultimately, it was brought down by the large cat.
Yusuf Chavoos, who was driving through the park, spotted the two animals emerging from the tree and captured the dramatic struggle on camera. The leopard tried a different approach as it lowered its head to attack the porcupine’s belly and hind legs. The leopard reconsidered its approach after several failed attempts to trap the porcupine while it crossed the road.
The traffic halted as the porcupine scurried across the road in a desperate attempt to escape. Chavoos, driving through the park, saw the two animals emerge from the tree and recorded the dramatic encounter. He said, “It seems like the leopard is trying to approach the belly or hind legs of the porcupine, where there are fewer quills. Compared to the leopard, the porcupine is moving very slowly across the road.”
The 42-year-old optometrist from Johannesburg jumped out of his vehicle to capture the action. “The porcupine looked very shocked and scared. It’s extremely rare to see a leopard attack a porcupine. This is very dangerous for the leopard because they can get hurt from the quills. It’s hard to express how I felt witnessing this, but I have to say I feel lucky and blessed to witness such a rare sight.”
In the images, the leopard is seen trying several different strategies to avoid being pierced by the porcupine’s quills, while the porcupine defends itself with its spines. After being injured in the first attack, the leopard backed off, then launched a lethal second assault. Despite making it across the road, the porcupine was eventually taken down by the leopard after it grabbed the animal’s leg.
Chavoos said, “It’s very rare to see a leopard attack a porcupine. This is very dangerous for the leopard because they can get injured by the quills.”
