A family of warthogs had a lucky escape when they were ambushed by a hungry leopard that had been hiding in long grass watching them.

Mechnical engineer Jan-Louis Human, 36 and wildlife photographic guide Moosa Varachia, 30, filmed the family of warthogs trotting within a few yards of the perfectly camouflaged big cat in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Their dramatic footage captures the moment the leopard sprang out of its hiding place and tried to snatch a warthog piglet for its dinner.

Mechanical engineer Jan-Louis Human, 36 and wildlife photographic guide Moosa Varachia, 30, filmed the encounter while on a game drive near Berg-en-Dal in Kruger National Park, South Africa

The animals scattered down the track and somehow all of them escaped the claws of the big cat in the footage shared today.

Mr Varachia and Mr Human said they were on a game drive near Berg-en-Dal when they were alerted that there was leopard nearby by a squirrel giving an alarm call.

However, they could not see the big cat anywhere at first.

Mr Varachia said: ‘After some time searching for the leopard, Moosa spotted her relaxing on a low branch in a nearby tree and we stopped our car so we could have a clear view of her.

They told LatestSightings.com: ‘We then spotted a family of warthogs walking down the road.

‘The leopard instantly lifted her head and had her eye on them. We got our cameras ready and anticipated (hoped) that she would make a kill.

‘The warthogs walked past Jan-Louis’s car, and went down the road. She came down from the tree and momentarily disappeared into the long grass.

‘As she walked through the grass towards the road, we could see the tip of her tail here and there.’

The leopard springs out of the grass towards one of the piglets as the warthogs scatter down the dirt road in the footage shared today

They said the leopard crawled to within a few feet of the edge of the dirt road where she lay down and waited ‘completely camouflaged in the tall grass’.

The filmers added: ‘For some reason, the warthogs turned around and started walking back in the direction of where she was hiding.

‘In the next moment, there was action. She launched herself out of the grass and went after one of the piglets.

‘The warthogs all scattered and ran in different directions. She chased them down the road for a few metres before she gave up on the chase.’

The leopards then disappeared into the tall grass towards the riverbed.’

Mr Varachia has seen many hunts but said seeing this one unfolding on on the road right in front of him made it all the more special.

But it was Mr Human’s first view of a hunt and he was very excited, saying: ‘Sightings like this are what makes it all worth it!’

The leopard chases past one of the filmers’ cars as she tries to catch the warthogs