by Leopards will readily take on just about any species they can sink their powerful claws into. Birds? No problem. Porcupines? Worth a shot. Wild cats? Why not? The bulky felines even target snakes on occasion. In a video, a leopard is seen ᴛᴜssʟɪɴɢ with a hefty python and coming out on top.
Vomba Female was a mature leopard whose large territory covered much of the prime Sand River running through Londolozi. In footage, as she continued forward, something caught her eye in the depths of a termitaria thicket. It was subtle and camouflaged causing her to stare at it warily before venturing off the road into the dry bushveld for further investigation.
It turned out to be a massive African Rock Python. The snake had not sensed the leopard coming and now found itself shifting further into the thicket to avoid a ᴄᴏɴꜰʀᴏɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. Its muscular body rolled through the crunching leaves winding, curling and coiling itself into a ᴅᴇꜰᴇɴsɪᴠᴇ position.
With typical catlike inquisition Vomba padded her way towards the python. She was not ᴀꜰʀᴀɪᴅ, rather cocky and sure of herself, as if she just wanted to toy with the reptile for fun. Moving swiftly now, Vomba reached inside the thicket and sunk her claws into the pythons wide body.
There was plenty of skin to grab as the snake reacted with ꜰʀɪɢʜᴛ to the sudden ᴀɢɢʀᴇssɪᴏɴ and now found itself being dragged out into the open. With ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ accuracy and speed the python lunged forward to sᴛʀɪᴋᴇ. However, it was not quick enough as Vomba’s lightning quick paw sʜᴏᴛ out and swatted the snake back down to the ground, dragging it further out the bush and into the clearing.
The momentary aftermath saw the snake ᴅᴇsᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴇʟʏ moving back under cover and Vomba shrugging off any interest in the matter. With a final gaze, she bristled, turned and with a flick of her tail continued walking down the road from which she had come.
