This is the moment a leopard ended up with a porcupine’s quill up its nose – as it tried repeatedly to catch and eat the spikey creature.
The predator was resting in a tree on the side of the road in Kruger National Park in South Africa when its unsuspecting prey wandered past.
Measuring a metre and a half in length, the leopard pounced and moved in for the kill – but ended up with some of the porcupine’s quills planted in its mouth and paw.
Prickly customer: The predator was resting in a tree on the side of the road in Kruger National Park in South Africa when its unsuspecting prey wandered past
Battle scars: The leopard was injured during its tussle with the porcupine, ending up with quills planted in its mouth and paw
Lunchtime: This leopard found itself in a prickly situation – as it tried to make a snack out of an adult porcupine in a wildlife reserve in South Africa
Moving in for the kill: The leopard, measuring a metre and a half in length, was waiting in a tree and pounced when it saw the porcupine walk past
Traffic came to a halt as the startled porcupine made its way across the road in a desperate escape bid.
After the leopard was injured in its initial attack, it backed away from its prey and then went in for a second assault. The porcupine managed to make it across the road but was eventually taken down by the big cat.
Yusuf Chavoos was driving his car through the National Park when he saw the two animals emerge from the trees and captured the dramatic tussle.
The leopard tries a different approach as it lowers its head to the ground in an attempt to attack the belly and hind legs of the porcupine
Tough task: The leopard reconsiders its approach after making a series of attempts to clamp hold of the porcupine as it was making its way across a road
Ready to pounce: Traffic came to a halt as the startled porcupine made its way across the road in a desperate escape bid
Yusuf Chavoos was driving his car through the National Park when he saw the two animals emerge from the trees and captured the dramatic tussle on camera
He said: ‘It looked like the leopard was trying to get to the porcupine’s belly or hind legs as there are less quills there.
