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Leopard and Hyena in Tug of War: Watch to See Who Wins

leopard and hyena in tug of war

This intense tug of war over a hard-won meal between a leopard and a hyena highlights the never-ending struggle for survival in the wild. Even if you finally get your paws on a prey, you have to keep on fighting if you want to have it for dinner!

Leopard and Hyena in Tug of War: A Battle Between Predators

Leopard up a tree with hyena

The gripping footage opens with a leopard skillfully climbing a tree, clutching its recent kill. However, a hungry hyena has caught a whiff of the catch and sets its eyes on the prize.

What ensues is a breathtaking tug of war. The leopard, perched precariously, pulls with all its might. Meanwhile, the relentless hyena latches onto the prey with its powerful jaws, at one point even being lifted off the ground.

To the Victor Goes the Spoils

Leopard in a tree
By Sumeet Moghe WikiMedia Commons

Despite the leopard being the more skilled hunter, the tenacious hyena, manages to tip the balance in its favor out of pure tenacity and stubbornness. Their tug of war ends with the hyena successfully pulling the prey to the ground and the leopard is only left with a small piece of its original catch.

Leopard Vs. Hyena: A Strength Comparison

portrait of hyena

Leopards and hyenas, both apex predators, are renowned for their strength, but in very different ways.

Leopards, solitary hunters, are known for their incredible agility and power, capable of hauling prey twice their weight up into trees. Hyenas, on the other hand, boast one of the strongest bite forces in the animal kingdom, capable of crushing bone.

The Hyena’s Opportunistic Ways

Hyenas are often misunderstood creatures, commonly perceived as mere scavengers. However, they are adept hunters in their own right, known for their intelligence and opportunistic nature.

This video exemplifies the hyena’s ability to capitalize on opportunities, challenging a leopard for its meal. This behavior is a key survival tactic in the competitive African landscape, where food is often scarce and every calorie counts.

Catching Prey Isn’t the End of the Hunt

Leopard stalking
Derek Keats – WikiMedia

This game of tug of war underlines a crucial aspect of predator life in the wild: catching prey is only part of the battle. Protecting the catch from other predators is often equally challenging. This constant vigilance and readiness to defend their meal highlights the harsh realities of life in the wild, where every meal can turn into a fight for survival.

Surprising Weaknesses of Leopards

Jaguar (Panthera onca) – a mammal of the Felidae family and one of four ‘big cats’ in the Panthera genus, along with the tiger, lion, and leopard.

Despite their reputation as agile and powerful hunters, leopards too possess weaknesses.

Their solitary nature, while perfectly suited for stealthy hunting, becomes a drawback when defending a kill from scavengers. Unlike pack animals that can rely on numbers for protection, a leopard must often fend for itself. Additionally, leopards, being ambush predators, can struggle in prolonged physical confrontations.

Leopard and Hyena in Tug of War: Conclusion

We already know that surviving in the savannah is a tough task, but this footage underlines even further how every day is a battle for survival. Getting your paws on a snack isn’t easy, and neither is keeping that snack to yourself.

Thank you for reading this story about the leopard and hyena in an intense game of tug of war! Uncover even more about these different yet impressive predators: