“Deаdɩу eпсoᴜпteг: Python Ambushes and аttemрtѕ to deⱱoᴜг Leopard in Record Time” (video)
Horrified safari onlookers were certain the leopard would be on the menu as it lay helplessly trapped in the python’s vice-like grip at Maasai Mara Triangle Reserve in Kenya.
A snake attempted to eat a leopard in a dramatic fight to the death which was caught on camera by a wildlife photographer. The hungry duo initially had their eyes on an unsuspecting impala. But the hunter soon became the hunted when the python decided to try his luck with the leopard.
Initially caught off guard, the big cat leapt into the air and swiped with its enormous paws as the python tried to squeeze it into submission at Maasai Mara Triangle Reserve in Kenya. Horrified safari onlookers were certain the leopard would be on the menu as it lay helplessly trapped in the snake’s vice-like grip. However the big cat managed to claw his way out and deliver a final 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er bite, with photographer Mike Welton, 28, on hand to capture the drama unfold.
A recent encounter between a python and a leopard in the wild has left many shocked and fascinated. The dramatic scene unfolded when the leopard was suddenly ambushed by the python, which quickly wrapped its powerful body around the big cat.
In a display of sheer strength and determination, the python attempted to swallow the leopard whole in just 60 seconds. However, the leopard fought back fiercely, clawing and biting at the python in an attempt to escape.
Despite the leopard’s best efforts, the python’s grip remained strong and it continued its attempt to consume the big cat. Ultimately, it was the intervention of humans that saved the leopard from certain death.
This intense battle between two of the animal kingdom’s most formidable predators serves as a stark reminder of the harsh realities of the natural world. It also highlights the incredible strength and tenacity of both the python and the leopard, and the lengths they are willing to go to survive.
While it may be unsettling to witness such a graphic encounter, it is a powerful reminder of the complex relationships and struggles for survival that exist in the wild.
Mike, from Ontario, Canada, said: “We all had a moment thinking about how terrible it was that we were watching a beautiful leopard get 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed. “Python constriction is horrible and it was sickening to imagine death from that. “The leopard wrestled out and was able to claw, then bite the head of the snake.”
He added: “We heard a very loud crunching sound which was likely the leopard biting the skull of the python. “The python may have died or been terribly injured because it continued to flop around slowly. “It was probably the closest scrape with death that the leopard has ever been through.”
Mike, who has been photographing wildlife for seven years, said his safari group had heard of a leopard sighting in the area and rushed over to witness it.
Mike said: “It was a thrill to see the power of a leopard in action while hunting the impala. “We waited about 15 minutes, the impala was cautious and the leopard seemingly too patient. “The distance grew between the two and I capped my lens thinking it was certainly over.”
He added: “We figured that the python came out to try for the impala, which brought the leopard right into the python’s position.
“It was a huge shock when we spotted it, we were very concerned when the action stopped and the python seemed to be winning. “The leopard wrestled out and was able to claw, then bite the head of the snake. “I think what makes these images unique is simply how rare the sighting is. “Word travelled around the Mara and of 40 or so guides, who are out there all day every day, nobody has seen this happen before.”
