This is the incredible moment a leopard leapt from a
height of 40 feet to snare a spot of lunch.
The cunning big cat dives from
a tree into a herd of startled impala, quickly pinning one of the animals
down.
The African antelope moved to
graze underneath the tree, unaware that the crafty predator was lurking in
the branches several metres above them.
Scroll down for video
View to a kill: This is the
incredible moment a leopard leapt from a height of 40 feet to snare a spot of
lunch in Botswana after spying some impala from a lofty branch
The only way is down: The
leopard (circled) plummets towards the unsuspecting herd of impala, grazing
peacefully beneath the branches
The spotted animal carefully
sized up her prey before dramatically launching herself at her target on the
ground.
The sneak attack caused the
impala herd to flee in fright - except for one poor animal that was stuck in
the female cat's vicious grasp.
Within seconds the attack was
over - and the leopard held her prize in her jaws.
Down to earth cat: The leopard
here is just a split second from hitting the ground
The sneak attack caused the
impala herd to flee in fright - except for one poor animal that was stuck in
the female cat's vicious grasp
Yasmin
Tajik, 41, from Las Vegas, USA, was on a morning game drive with her family
and a ranger in the Moremi National Park in Botswana when the guide spotted
the leopard concealed in the tree.
She said: 'Within a few
minutes, the leopard postured, ready to attack, and then leapt from a height
of about 40 feet above the impala, directly on to her unsuspecting target
below.
'Camera shutters were clicking,
adrenaline rushed through our veins, and the remaining unhurt impala quickly
scattered and commenced their bark-like distress calls.
Success: The leopard drags its
prey off, the rest of the herd having sprinted to safety
'In what felt like mere
seconds, the struggle and kill was over, as the leopard dragged the carcass
away.'
The group watched as the
leopard unsuccessfully tried to climb a nearby tree with the large carcass in
its mouth in order for it to avoid rival predators that may have come across
the kill.
Yasmin said: 'Her failed
attempt only wet her appetite, so she opted to commence her meal with the
impala carcass right on the ground, risking attracting other predators who
could swipe her hard won meal.'
After the brief feed, the
leopard tried to hoist the remains of the impala up another tree - but failed
again.
Defeated, the cat hid the
carcass at the base of tree and took a midday nap - a welcome respite from
the eventful morning.
Yasmin added: 'I was in shock,
but was more focused on trying to capture what was happening on camera.
'It was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime
event and I'm so happy that I was able to experience it with my family too.'
Climbing expedition: The
leopard tried and failed to drag the carcass up two different trees to hide
it from opportunistic predators
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