Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Leopard and Python Tug-of-War




A massive snake may not be the average feline's choice of chew toy. But there was no stopping these leopards having a tug of war with one unlucky python. The six-and-a-half-ft (2m) long African rock python became the unwilling 'rope' in the game, after being captured by a female leopard in the long grass.

But as she dragged it, still wriggling, along behind her, she was ambushed by her over-zealous son who wanted to land the kill for himself. The young male snatched the end of the enormous snake in his powerful jaws, and tried to tug it away from his mother. The two big cats fought ferociously over their prey for half an hour, in front of stunned guests at the MalaMala game reserve, South Africa.

The brutal battle was only ended when the female leopard gave up, retreating to a tree while her son tucked in to his prize. But he only ate a morsel before deciding it was not to his taste, and discarding the snake's body in the long grass. The unusual scene was caught on camera by American photographer Josh Scheinert.

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