The Tortoise Pan male leopard, still not territorial, yet still hanging around, keeps popping up in sightings unexpectedly. Ranger Guy Brunskill takes us through a remarkable sighting he had of this leopard and some other spotted cats:
We were following the two young cheetahs who had clearly fed recently as they were very full-bellied. They settled down in the shade next to a dry pan, but the male didn’t seem happy and kept looking towards a clearing nearby. Eventually the female got up and walked away, constantly glancing back, while the male went towards the clearing to investigate.
The two cheetahs are unsure of what was approaching…
We followed the male, and looking in the direction he was staring, caught sight of a male leopard approaching. He came closer, to within about 50 metres of the male cheetah, by which time we had identified him as the Tortoise Pan male.
Both the leopard and the male cheetah seemed unsure of the situation; both are young, which would go a long way to explaining their respective uncertainties, but neither species would want to act before they had established exactly what was what.
When predators walk parallel to each other like this, it is as much about lateral display (trying to look big by presenting yourself side-on) as it is about sizing up your opponent…
The leopard ran up on a termite mound to get a better view, and all the while the male cheetah was making an odd whining noise, which was most likely some type of attempt at submission, although it’s hard to be sure.
The Tortoise Pan male eventually came down from the mound and advanced to where the cheetahs had been lying earlier. He sniffed around for a bit, most likely hoping to find a kill, but he was to be disappointed. The male cheetah had come in close by now, and after he and the leopard locked eyes and the cheetah had given a brief attempt at a snarl, the Tortoise Pan male suddenly charged, sending the cheetah running. The leopard quickly gave up the chase and the cheetah stopped as well.
From there the two parted ways, having walked parallel to each other for 50 metres or so. With nothing to be gained from staying in the area, the Tortoise Pan male then moved off, with the cheetahs heading in the opposite direction.
The Tortoise Pan male takes a last look back while the male cheetah makes sure the leopard is in fact moving off…
We don’t see cheetahs all that often at Londolozi, so to see these two with a leopard joining the sighting was truly special. The most interesting part about it for me was the noise the male cheetah was making, seemingly to placate the leopard. It was such a unique thing to see, I doubt I’ll be hearing a cheetah make that noise again anytime soon…
Great video. Amazing interaction. These two cheetah are the offspring of the mother with the injured – blind eye? Are they independent and what happened to the mother?
Guy, what a sight, leopard and 2 cheetahs! Amazing
Are the 2 cheetahs siblings?
Wow, what an impressive sighting! And I am with you, I have NEVER heard a cheetah make that sound. It definitely seemed submissive and that is understandable when you look at the build on that Tortoise Pan male!!! Loved the video. Thanks for sharing, Guy.
Guy, What an awesome sighting and we loved the video! Just goes to show that you never know what’s around the corner on game drives!
Very exciting. Outstanding video! Thank you for sharing!
My first reaction was to laugh. It appeared to me as if the Cheetah was egging on the leopard knowing there was no way the leopard was going to catch him. Like the Cheetah was teasing the leopard. Enjoyed this one Guy
Wow Guy, what a show you got to see!!! Cheetahs are fairly skitterish and a leopard can be very intimating. Perhaps this was the first time either had seen the other species and neither was sure what to do until the leopard made his move! What a terrific video!!!
What a great video. The cheetah sound was like nothing I’ve heard previously, even when two cheetahs meet…… so happy to see the Tortoise Pan male looking so robust. He was the first leopard I viewed with you last November at the muddy pan, staring down the hippo. For now, my favorite!
Good blog- thank you!
What a sighting! That cheetah was vocalizing so strangely that it seemed as if the leopard didn’t know what to think either? Any chance these cheetah are the offspring of the female who injured her eye? Or are they new visitors/residents?
Another well written piece, Guy. And yes, what makes this so tough to write is that cheetah are so rare at Londolozi, that waiting until the next siting to confirm your theory may be a very long wait.
Another unusual sighting of sizing one another up. Were they older, the outcome might have been quite different. I feel the mewing was a submissive gesture. I’m glad it ended as it did…..we need these young Cheetahs to remain in Londolozi territory and stay healthy. Too few of them.
Unbelievable sighting!!! The cheetahs definetely got lucky there!!
Sorry to disappoint but the leopard in this film is a female not a male , however this does not detract from the excellent footage and beauty of these big cats…
What an astonishing interaction! And the Tortoise Pan male is certainly filling out, he looks quite magnificent, hard to reconcile him with the 1st time I saw him, when he was about 2 months old and extremely cute.
An excellent blog Guy. I wonder if the sound the cheetah was making is just like domestic cats make when they are fighting. After all, domestic cats evolved from the wild cats. Just a theory. Thanks for sharing with us.
Awesome shots
Wow, what a fabulous sighting! Fantastic video, thanks for sharing!