Impala Plays with Leopards

A mother leopard brings back an impala lamb for her youngsters to practice hunting on. At this point, the leopards treat it more as a playmate. 🫣 Tinged by Michael Botes @MalaMalaGameReserve. Send in your wildlife video here, and earn money: www.latestsightings.com/partn...
A female leopard in the MalaMala Game Reserve snatches a young impala lamb and turns this potential meal into a training exercise for her young cubs.
34-year-old field guide Michael Botes was fortunate enough to share his sighting of a female leopard training and honing her young cubs' hunting skills.
"The Nkoveni female leopard and her two female cubs were walking through a clearing on the MalaMala game reserve. The cubs were in a very playful mood, as always, and were following their mother from a fair distance. As they reached the bush line, the Nkoveni female walked towards a small thicket and pulled out a day-old impala lamb that had been hidden there by its mother."
"She did not kill the lamb but gently carried it towards her cubs and gave the live impala to them. This was done in order to teach the cubs how to hunt. The larger of the two cubs wasted no time in grabbing the impala from the Nkoveni female and carrying it up a tree. Her instinct compelled her to secure her carcass away from her mother and sister.
Big cats will frequently seize any opportunity to teach their young survival skills. Sightings of this nature have been recorded with cheetahs and lions. However, this may be a first-time sighting of leopards interacting in this manner.
"The only problem was the impala was still alive, and once up the tree it began kicking and came tumbling down to the ground. It barely touched the ground before the other cub swooped in and grabbed it. The cub then ran some distance away. What followed was 40 minutes of both cubs taking turns trying to kill the impala. Eventually, one of the cubs took hold of the neck and bit down, and the lamb died."
"All three leopards then started feeding on the carcass. Tearing through the soft skin on the underbelly and then completely picking the tiny carcass clean. It was a heartbreaking sight to watch but also very interesting to see how leopards teach their cubs to hunt."
Leopards subdue their prey by biting their prey's neck and suffocating it by restricting its airway. After a kill, leopards are frequently seen taking their prey into the safety of nearby trees. This is done to keep other predators and scavengers, such as lions and hyenas, away from the prize.
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[@MrYodaw]

I like how all these big preys randomly stop what they're doing and look in to the distance

[@kullaniciadi272]

lmaoooyesss

[@daveynorton]

Same with domestic cats

[@ALexander-ue3kj]

Animals have superior sensory

[@disclaimer6872]

Always have to scan the environment for danger

[@Joshu223]

Waiting for their mother to come, bigger meal.

[@MrJdebest]

Momma teaches young one that when you don't have a refrigerator, keep your snacks alive until you are hungry.

[@thabzmad7265]

Not quite that I am afraid. It is risky to keep noisy food alive for too long as there may be other predators lurking in the bushes and they could pull the rug under their feet and get free lunch... More likely, the lesson is, here is food, Learn to kill it.

[@countrygirlxo7188]

More like leopard plays with impala. While impala is tortured

[@superpayaseria]

Exactly. The title on this is so stupid and inaccurate. I can't believe it. In no way was this a friendly encounter.

[@gerhardstols396]

Brave little guy. He was badly hurt, but still brave to the end.

[@SaadKhan-xn1xv]

Where did you see the bravery?

[@evehellod9776]

@@SaadKhan-xn1xv He’s not running away, poor guy is just standing there by them all. I’d say it’s pretty brave

[@AB-qt6sb]

@@evehellod9776 if he ran the leopard would have just chased it down and continued anyway

[@SaadKhan-xn1xv]

@@evehellod9776 That's not bravery. It's just a dumb prey animal that doesn't know what to do and has no means to deal with the situation.

[@mohamedAli-kj6fb]

​@SaadKhan-xn1xv he was butting heads with the leapord, that shows fighting spirit.

[@rossysossy]

Poor impala didn't realize cats like to play with their food

[@PassportGaming]

He knows. He's not playing with them. Everytime they touch him, they're scratching him with their sharp claws

[@jurassicsushi]

Well you took the words right out of my mouth lol.

[@Rainkit]

Gotta learn to kill somehow.

[@adrenalinexs9014]

poor cats, didnt realize lots of people watching them in yt 😂

[@charjl96]

Go Saints!

[@annettelane659]

Poor little lamb but Mama leopard has to teach her young ones. ❤

[@KingDomsKingdom85]

Yeah it's upsetting to watch/hear but as you correctly said that Mama Leopards needs to teach her cubs how to be able to survive. Kind of wish I hadn't of watched it though as I actually thought it was a crazy rare occasion where a predator and it's prey are *ACTUALLY* playing together... not a parent teaching their kid how to kill lol.

[@DV-zv4ox]

Upsetting to watch? It would be more upsetting seeing a sick or emaciated leopard given they are an apex predator.

[@KingDomsKingdom85]

@@DV-zv4ox that would break my heart, but I didn't click on a video about a starving leopard, I didn't click a video on a hunting lesson but i actually clicked on a impala and leopard playing together video... apparently.

[@SaadKhan-xn1xv]

It's not "poor".

[@annettelane659]

@@SaadKhan-xn1xv How would you describe it then? Maybe unfortunate is a better word.

[@rickhall2936]

This title should be the other way around: "Leopards play with Impala (before it meets its end)"

[@yaahlabanyamyan144]

He's like " aw mom..cmon mom..can we keep him ?? " 😂 00:19

[@dogedogmanha7628]

Mother: stop playing with your food

[@misterroongaboonga6738]

0:24 Mom: Is this what I gave birth to?

[@DennisAllums]

for those who don't know when the leopard catches really small prey, they make the youngun scream as they look for the mother to come help. Very smart. thus why they keep looking around. "Here moma" Where there is a child there is a mother - no matter in the city or jungle and predators know this.

[@Weeklongwind647]

Leopards are damn intelligent

[@chrism8860]

Was going to say this. Anyone who thinks what the leopards are doing is playing is stupid

[@alwaleedalthani9624]

I think it is the opposite

[@KingDomsKingdom85]

This doesnt look like playing, this looks like a lesson for hunting and how to kill your dinner. Title was a tad misleading sadly.

[@blue-phoenix115]

I’ve seen this clip on Tik Tok titled something like: Leopard adopts impala Most comments on Tik Tok are pretty dumb actually believing leopard has humanity of adopting a prey.

[@bosoxfan2525]

"Most comments are pretty dumb?" Well, look at what makes up most of Tik Tok's population.

[@franceparis7406]

oh my God, that's just crazy, feel very sad for the impala

[@NatureWildSeries]

Nature is the best to see this whole animals. Love it!

[@IRod123]

This is a rough one for sure!!

[@melissamcclain34]

If you pause @0:23 it looks like such a sweet heartwarming video 😔

[@Delightfully_Bitchy]

1:36 Those who think this is a relaxed affair must've missed this bit.

[@MrGrace123]

Ouch Glad you timestamped it I skipped over it thinking it was all the same

[@Rainkit]

The cubs are learning how to kill. Hence the antelope's screams of terror.

[@816DawG]

seriously, people are so naïve and comfy behind the screen. Eventually he got hungry.

[@LBizKid04]

People are really thinking that??

[@Delightfully_Bitchy]

@@LBizKid04 Many aren't actually watching the video, just commenting.

[@shadowoflugia]

Aww they’re so cute playing together! …oh shit!

[@TanksInSpace_]

Aaah, that was so cute ... bff.😍 Impy the impala clearly had a lot of fun with his 3 friends.❤

[@monacoofthebluepacific2571]

Just goes to show that all children can get along and play together 🥰

[@user-10021]

@@monacoofthebluepacific2571 yeahhh maybe you wanna read the video description

[@neilgerace355]

Briefly

[@HenryDube72]

@@neilgerace355 no, happily ever after. This is a Disney movie.

[@fastpacedcheese]

you're on some intravascular disney bullshit, it's baffeling you could take that out from this video lmao get real that impala was acting out of sheer survival instincts lmao

[@lars9168]

When the gangster boss wants his money back but he ends up liking you (so you think at least) :D

[@Timber-0000]

The mom:Aww baby’s first kill❤❤she’s playing with o\it?no she’s just tournamenting it 😂

[@oneshotme]

Enjoyed your video so I gave it a Thumbs Up for the support of your channel

[@roiq5263]

Reminds me of the totally intact chicks my cat brought from the hen yard so her kittens could learn. Luckily I could take them back. Others disappeared, though. I'm totally sure it was her. Right now she's peacefully sleeping on my lap. I didn't punish her as she did that for her kittens. How cute.

[@blacksaiyan5050]

Ah yes the domestic house cat learning to be a pest to natural wildlife. Very crucial life lessons

[@mrpeddlethesealion]

@BlackSaiyan ikr

[@roiq5263]

@@blacksaiyan5050 no need to be a cat hater.

[@Kenan-Z]

@@roiq5263 Domestic cats are the single biggest threat to wildlife, killing a total of 12 billion fish, birds, and reptiles every year. I believe that cats should be kept indoors only and those found to be roaming in nature should be killed on the spot.

[@KeKs4LoL]

@@blacksaiyan5050 since when do we consider hen yards as natural wildlife?

[@daveicc495]

Leopards have already had their fill. Not too hungry

[@deathbysnusnu515]

Next stage of evolution fir the impala: Firebreathing!

[@dominicx4936]

Love jaguars 🐆

[@briancherry1]

Poor leopard didn't realise the impala has a grenade in its belly

[@xBloodxFangx]

Uhh.. think you got that backwards. Leopard cub plays with Impala as it learnt to hunt and kill.

[@DV-zv4ox]

Amazing footage of the leopards teasing and toying with the impala. Don't feel sad, this is just nature at its finest. Mama leopard doing a great job teaching her babies.

[@GlazedInfants]

It's dumb to relinquish your humanity and try and force yourself to not feel bad for something you do. You can accept it's nature and still feel bad

[@DV-zv4ox]

@@GlazedInfants You can absolutely do that, or you can accept that leopards do not possess anywhere near the same level of consciousness as homosapiens and act purely on instinct. That works just as well.

[@chethankrishnan6639]

@@GlazedInfants Exactly. *Every* *single* one of these videos has these, "look at me, I get it you see?, that it is Nature" comments. Its not original, and it is meaningless. Rape and murder are also natural, that's not the reason why we don't condone them. Silly.

[@ziwalker2954]

@@DV-zv4ox what if I decide to kill you? Just accept that it's my nature no feel sad

[@DV-zv4ox]

@@ziwalker2954 You need psychological attention.

[@Gr33nMindx6]

Amazing shot .. wonder when they will decide to eat the Impala

[@benito2250]

Reminded me of that document I saw on Nat Geo or Animal planet where a young female leopard was friends with the implant until a lion came along and killed it, except here they weren’t friends lol it was a hunting exercise

[@ayyachris]

Title should be leopards plays with their food.

[@unitynofear7758]

How you play the game alone to chill out vs. How you play competitively against your brother

[@Gregory_TheWatchman]

Those leopards were "playing" alright...Playing the same way kids play with "their" food...before finally eating.

[@GWYVette]

At least the Impala can say he got to look his killer in the eye.

[@brendanhartley8203]

I do this with my food everyday ☺️🤣

[@shubhuful]

Your food jumps like this!?!

[@madhukiran803]

@@shubhuful Hi ur from

[@shubhuful]

@@madhukiran803 hi... I'm from India only... MP

[@Nihilisterplayz]

Nah what

[@Rainkit]

Title should be changed to Leopards play with Impala. The current one suggests that this is consensual lol

[@brodiethegoaty849]

Tenderizing it.

[@WeWokeNow]

The vide should be titled, "when playing with a leopard goes wrong."

[@ronaldmolinasandoval1849]

🇧🇴 👀👀👀👀Saludos cordiales desde Sudamérica Santa Cruz bolivia 🇧🇴 👀👀👀👀

[@sak1211]

In my childhood i used to have these cookies shaped in different action and cartoon figures i used to play with it for few seconds before eating it, and i used to eat it limb by limb, why do i remember that after watching this video.

[@nenala7684]

Mother nature alright!

[@shisuiuchiha9433]

These leopards are playing with their food 😂😂

[@howelltaylor6774]

Impala plays with Leopards? You've got to be kidding? Leopards toys with Impala before eating it!

[@monsterhog1118]

Love exciting and new

[@TheGreatslyfer]

yeah, "plays" 😄

[@sc1030]

Such a sad sighting with the way the impala lamb was being treated. Maybe thinking they were gentle merciful friends too

[@moishe3591]

Did you have to mute the word kill?.?? That's insane

[@BatBrakesBones]

Plays.. 😅.. scared to death.

[@milevaeinstein2199]

💞

[@sunnymurthy4624]

Did the leopard kill the impala???

[@leonslights3324]

Yes it was eaten

[@denissoleimani1876]

No dear at the end impala killed two fu..ing leopards.

[@sandeepmortal]

​@@denissoleimani1876that's not possible. The Impala cannot kill the leopards. It has a heart of gold

[@runicpower3093]

The impala killed both 🐆

[@KingDomsKingdom85]

Of course

[@iminzayn5442]

Yeah, they're playing but lamb have scratches all over it's face...We know what's gonna happen next. 💀

[@iepa05]

Niño, cuantas veces te he dicho que no juegues con la comida! El niño:

[@starmancrusader]

I don’t think the impala was having as much fun as the leopards

[@Queenbg1]

Yeah, lets play a game - you will be the food...

[@BrianErwin]

2:03 asks the cameraman if he wants to be next

[@angelus3605]

So was it eventually eaten?

[@DaniMartVtbr]

Mother nature's example of "if dinner was a rubber chicken".

[@albadiaz6180]

Mmmm, increíble

[@dayner989]

Ohhhhh so shweet isnt it shweet 🥰 i felt like i am watching snow white and the 7 dwarfs

[@xx-lb7ps]

?

[@ScarlettM]

I think the title is... wrong :)) If you meant it as a joke, then sorry, it went over my head, but it should say "Leopards playing with Impala", not the other way around (since it's one side game/one side slow death)

[@chen-py7bs]

Love from Taiwan. 👏🤗

[@Wyldout]

Pretty sure he wasn't playing

[@bettybunbun9664]

Wonder if the young of one of our hominid ancestors ever got that treatment. 😱

[@sayedmohamed4619]

Guys you reversed the title!

[@ozemsadventureofrandomstuf252]

I’m happy to c this😊😂

[@adrenalinexs9014]

evil

[@Roaming_Loner]

why not post the 40 mins of the lamb.

[@interstellar0001]

Aww, the Leopard and Impala got along! This is the first time this has ever happened. I wonder if the Leopards raised the Impala and now they have each other’s backs? Heartwarming video!!

[@exstreme8741]

buddy don't want to be the barer of bad news, but they moms cubs use it to practice hunting and kill it in the end

[@ilicdjo]

@@exstreme8741 you broke his dreams

[@sak1211]

@@ilicdjo Broken dreams are the doors to the real world

[@One-Two-T]

Why doesn't the impala try to run away? Can't it run pretty fast if it wants to?

[@ramanikada4113]

isn't leopard territorial?

[@davidcabreonmunoz6258]

What does Impala meat taste like?

[@MikeysMorgue]

Lion walks over: Pick on someone your own size! 🦁

[@henry23808]

Dont play with my food? What are human going to film then? And my dinner ran away.

[@thenoova]

Los depredadores juegan con sus presas

[@Ichiyouko]

Как это мило, дружба она и в африке дружба

[@adrenalin8570]

Какая дружба то...🤣 Поиграются и сожрут спокойно, к сожалению.

[@HorstKonig]

so ist die Natur

[@RSamv9611]

Bro , we want some cheetah update also

[@johanrebel]

A clip without proper beginning or end. In any case, that impala lamb was not exactly articulate. It sure struggled to get its message across.

[@SC-qk2hc]

Why is the calf not trying to run away...

[@NannupTiger]

It doesn't know where to run to, it would usually just follow its mother.

[@rinzlerone]

theres no point in running

[@razer0072073]

It suffered 40 minutes of torture 😢

[@SaadKhan-xn1xv]

It shouldn't have gotten itself caught then.

[@youlikedyourowncomment5151]

Ya im sure it wants some pets too

[@charlescoleman5509]

I don't think the impala was "playing". More like hoping to survive.

[@legitimatehuman1220]

"AAA AAA AAA AAA"

[@tapaschatterjee3807]

After see that my mom didn't ate anything tonight.

[@dacokc]

Mom is trying to teach baby leopard to hunt..

[@iiiiii6381]

‘Plays’ 👀

[@fantouss]

I think they are joking with her after that they will eat her

[@Jovan_Jarkarane]

Yeah the mother left it live so her kids can play and exercise with it , so they will learn how to kill

[@kinh0t]

YOU DONT SAY IT

[@vincentsouchaud6717]

"Impala PLAYS with leopards". Really?

[@crispyduck4922]

AAaaaek aek

[@rick6672]

The leopard does play a little bit too rough with the baby.

[@mm-rz9wr]

You really want to call it playing?

[@justcutiecats2733]

I think I've seen this film before, and I didn't like the ending😭

[@lankaadhipathi406]

Its not playing..Leopards are confident,because teir meal haven't chance to escape..

[@shafiullah9869]

Those who stand close to leopard are the cruel men

[@techcourtgh1252]

Ignorance can kill! 😂

[@ajfatca]

i dont understand why its not running, is it hurt or something? or young enough to not understand whats going on?

[@SaadKhan-xn1xv]

They're dumb prey animals. Also, it has zero chance of being able to outrun the leopards here.

[@tigermastertv5622]

I think there not playing

[@th82m26]

Those claws and canine ain't play

[@wheelmanstan]

impala tried to make the best of his torture, there's worse things than being strangled by a leopard, this is one..well I guess hyenas would have been worse, well you can't really call it torture as it's all part of hunting for them, anyway you just hope animals don't feel pain like we do, they must not, not on the level we do, they're stronger in so many ways and I doubt their brains would allow it

[@Kalanhikov]

Much better than being killed by hyenas, at least these cats kill before eating, hyenas eat it while it is still alive.

[@PoorCoyotee]

Not sure if cute or just a hostage situation waiting them to get hungry.