Back Off!

One of the most interesting things I saw on safari was a troupe of yellow baboons attacking a leopard who was hunting in their territory. It may sound gruesome to call the fight interesting, but as a biologist, I found it fascinating to see the behaviors as different species interacted. And clearly, this is Nature in action.

As you can see from this photo, the leopard won the fight. Here, she has killed the dominant male of the baboon troupe and is taking him back to her cubs for dinner. Another large baboon had just grabbed her tail in an apparent effort to help the dead baboon; in a split second, this lady turned and snarled a serious warning at the baboon, telling him to back off and leave her prey alone.

I felt very sorry for the baboon, but the leopard and her cubs ate well that day.

Taken in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

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