The leopard and the porcupine: a photo story

Posted on 17 July 2012
It was early one morning when Craig Schraibman went on what could have been just another game drive in Kruger National Park. Instead, he witnessed a very interesting little dispute between a leopard and a porcupine and he was able to catch it all on camera. Needless to say, it was the leopard that walked away defeated.
Here is Craig’s story:
One early morning in April on my morning drive, I left the Lower Sabie Rest Camp in Kruger National Park and headed down south towards Crocodile Bridge on the main road. After about 3km into my drive I came across a male leopard walking in the road. The leopard continued on his morning walk and then casually veered off the road into the bush. I decided to wait and see if he would reappear, and during the wait a porcupine came out of the bush.
The leopard caught smell of the porcupine’s presence and came out of the bush in an assertive manner. The leopard continued to try and attack the porcupine while the porcupine defended himself by shooting out quills at the leopard. This scene of the leopard attacking the porcupine went on for about an hour until eventually the leopard realised that he could not defeat this determined porcupine and made his way back into the bush.
All photos courtesy of Craig Schraibman.




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