In a battle between strength and strategy, Kruger National Park experienced an epic encounter between predator and prey. Latest Sightings reported that Mfundo Nyambi, a field guide in the national park, captured a tense moment between a prickle of porcupines and a leopard.
Unsplash/Jeffrey Hamilton
The porcupine family was walking along the road when a leopard approached to try to snag a quick bite. The leopard focused its efforts on the babies. The mom and dad acted quickly and encircled the young ones in a cocoon of quills; their backs turned to the leopard.
The porcupines were identified as Cape Porcupines, whose quills and spines range between 30 cm and 50 cm long. As this is their primary method of defence, the porcupine parents used their sharp exterior as a weapon to ward off the leopard. While porcupines might seem like an easy meal in their small stature, they are very protective and do not go down without a mighty fight.
The porcupine family seemed quite familiar with this dance of defence. The parents remained on the outskirts while the babies stayed in the centre, away from the leopard’s clawed paws.
While the leopard tried to find a gap, he was no match for this family’s protective strategy and even injured the leopard’s paws. Nyambi commented on this spectacular sighting:
“The parents made sure that the two youngsters were always in the middle and out of reach of the leopard. After a few minutes, the leopard eventually gave up and retreated into the bush. The porcupine family was able to continue on their way, safe and unharmed.”
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