Predation: don’t blink or you’ll miss it

October 15, 2013 • 8:35 am

Matthew Cobb sent me this video of a leopard killing an impala (WARNING: the kill is not that grisly, but if you don’t want to see nature in fang and claw, don’t watch). It’s all over quickly, and shows how fast a big cat can go from sleeping to nomming. The video is repeated in slow motion beginning 46 seconds in, so you can see how fast the leopard goes into kill mode.

Here’s the information on YouTube:

Saturday 29 September 2012 — We were on a game drive when we spotted a female leopard on the left hand side of the road not five metres from us. On the opposite side was a herd of Impala. The wind was making the Impala very skittish, but they failed to see the leopard.

Something spooked the Impala, we’re assuming it was the wind, as they ran towards her, she leapt up at great speed and snatched a young impala mid-air!

The kill was quick and the leopard immediately dragged the impala off into a nearby donga.

The barking impala continued to ring out through the bush.

36 thoughts on “Predation: don’t blink or you’ll miss it”

    1. Compared to most acts of predation, it was practically instantaneous.

      The only way an ungulate will have a quicker, less painful death than what that impala had is if shot by a skilled human hunter or, for livestock, in a well-run modern slaughterhouse.

      The cheetah’s own death, hopefully many years from now, will likely not be nearly so humane.

      b&

  3. Listen to the camera shutter go off at the moment of the kill!

    Poor impalas, always low on the food chain.

    1. /pedant on

      Kind of in the middle really no?

      [several predators] > impala > [several plants] (> nitrogen fixating bacteria?)

      /pedant off

      Sorry for ruining your ironic comment, it was funny ;).

  5. Good day for the leopard, a low cost meal, real bad day for the Impala.

    The take home message here is never run by a snoozing cat!11!

    My cat reacts in a very similar way when my daughter runs at her. Very bold and in your face.

  7. The epitome of opportunism.

    “Dear Optimist & Pessimist:

    While you were arguing about whether the glass was half full or half empty, I drank your beer.

    — The opportunist”

  10. Anyone have an idea what that impala weighed?
    The leopard drags it around like my grandkids drag a stuffed bear.

  11. The first time I saw this, several months ago, I was struck by the “athleticim” shown by leopard and impala group. The impala seem to float; the leopard so high into the sky in a burst of enormous energy and sheer power. I don’t know anything about leopard behavior but this kill spoke to me of planning, of knowing one’s habitat and habits very well. Unless of course, s/he was resting and took advantage of an opportunity.

        1. “Fast grass? Like, bamboo?”

          Not like the kind you smoke, anyway.

          —

          (Sigh–reads so much better with “you,” but please know that particular you = “one,” not “Ben.” Stupid English. Which means the language, not the people…)

    2. Before the Fall we were all vegetarians. And our appendixes never ruptured.

      I was informed of this during a debate with a creationist, so it is surely true.

  18. That kill is SO fast yet SO accurate – the leopard aiming for, and grabbing, the impala’s throat while both are suspended in mid-air and the impala is running at what, 25 kph?

    Quelle athlétiscisme! (I know, that ain’t French)

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