Things could have gone very badly for this poor duckling and for a while it sure looked that way to the people on a safari. But thanks to some plucky courage and luck the little bird proved them wrong!
Benji Solms, guide at Serondella Game Lodge in Kruger National Park in South Africa, shared a video with LatestSightings.com and how the little lost bird ended up walking right up to the leopard.
Solms said the group had been observing a female leopard and her cub at the riverbank. The cub was playing when a few goslings walked straight up to the leopards unaware of the danger. “The cub noticed the movement, but luckily for the little goslings, they went into thicker bush,” Solms wrote. “One gosling then decided to come out into the open, and that’s when the leopard went for it.”
Watch the Video:
When the gosling noticed the large predator it attempted to flee. “The gosling was able to use our vehicle as some cover and went under the vehicle. However, as soon as it came out from under the leopard, it caught it and ran off with it,” said Solms. “The smart little bird played dead, and that’s when the leopard let it go. But as soon as it ran off again, the leopard pounced and once again caught it!”
Things weren’t looking good for the gosling at that point as the leopard took “its prize” up a nearby tree.
“Playing dead still, the gosling found itself up a tree and helpless. But luck truly was on this little one’s side, and he fell out of the tree. The gosling, still playing dead lying on the ground, hoping it will put the leopard off.”
“To everyone’s surprise, the leopard remained in the tree, closely watching the gosling. Seizing the moment, the gosling took a chance and ran towards the thick bushes where its siblings were hiding.”
Whew! Safe in the dense bush the gosling successfully escaped the leopard not once but twice! What a lucky baby!