This is the heart-pounding moment a prowling lion sneaks up on a dozy leopard in an unusual encounter between two of the world’s big cats.
Out on the hunt at the Sabi Sands private game reserve in South Africa the lion was spotted by guests out in the distance.
In the foreground was a sleepy leopard, who lay down for some rest on top of a mound.
In this jungle it is the leopard who sleeps tonight, meanwhile the lion is wide awake
Guests at the Sabi Sands private game reserve in South Africa watched on as a lion crept up on his fellow big cat
Remarkably the lion decided to creep up on his fellow cat, although it is not unprecedented for the two to meet, and fight.
And the lion had just such a plan in mind, attacking the leopard while it slept.
His ‘prey’ jumped into the air and off the ledge in shock, before making its escape.
Matthew Poole, a guide at the park, watched the scene play out and captured the intense moment on camera.
‘By far the rarest sighting in my guiding career!’ he said.
Matthew was out on a drive searching for leopards on October 4 and watched one of the leopards walking along the banks of the Sand river marking its sent.
The huge male lion leapt up to the leopard and surprised it while it slept on a mound
‘It was at this moment we noticed the male lion lying in the river on the opposite bank.
‘I said to my guests ”Can you imagine if these 2 dominant males came together”.
‘It seemed as if my words weren’t cold because shortly after that the male leopard went to sleep and the lion started to stalk him from the other side of the river,’ added the 26-year-old.
The leopard jumped into the air in shock and began swiping away at its disturber
A rare scene, although it is not unprecedented for the two cats to meet, and fight
Fortunately the lion didn’t kill the leopard, but it did scare the living daylights out of it
Matthew also described the unfolding scene, where there was ‘a lot of excitement and nerves building’ as the lion moved in to pounce.
‘At this point I started to warn my guests about what could happen. But, before they knew it, the lion was right below the sleeping leopard!
‘Fortunately, the lion didn’t kill the leopard, but the sneaky lion scared the living daylights out of the leopard.
‘The lion drove the leopard into a Leadwood tree on the river bank and then had a drink and moved off out of the area’.