This nail-biting moment unraveled as a leopard sends a trapped genet flying – after chasing it up a tree. With no place to go, the genet is forced to take a massive leap of faith in hopes of escaping the leopard.
Small-spotted genets are generally nocturnal creatures – as are leopards. Both of these species are exceptional tree climbers and will often take cover at high vantage points in order to avoid competition with other predators. This genet however surely must have thought he was the only qualified climber when he tried to escape a curious leopard cub – only to find out that this young leopard also had a trick or two up its sleeve.
32-year-old private safari guide, Rodger Bowren witnessed this amazing moment in the Mashatu Game Reserve, in Botswana and tells LatestSightings.com about this unforgettable moment:
“After tracking a leopardess we came across her two sub-adult cubs playing around with one another. Something caught their attention in a dead leadwood tree, which my guests and I could not quite figure out. After a while, the young male started stalking up towards the tree. We then soon became aware of what was happening, as this spooked the genet, they had spotted.”
The genet is seen at the highest point of the tree, very unsure of what its next move should be. But when the leopard continues to pursue the genet, the smaller cat of the two takes a massive leap of faith to escape the leopard.
“It was honestly a sighting I will remember for a long time. I really did not think the leopard would climb almost 10 metres up to catch a genet. The genet hit the ground and bolted towards a hole in the ground with the sub-adult female after it and miraculously managed to survive the trauma.”
“The leopard may or may not have eaten the genet, had it actually caught it – with nature one can never be sure. But being a young leopard, and of course, a chaser by nature this youngster probably just saw the opportunity to have some fun. Luckily for the genet, it managed to live another day.”