Leopard vs Crocodile: the unexpected winner

By Guido Trombetta on 10:30 AM ,
Leopard versus crocodile
Photo by Hal Brindley

This is the amazing sequence of a deathly fight between a leopard and a crocodile in South Africa. What makes these photographs so exceptional is that while there have been reports of crocodiles killing leopards, but this is believed to the first time that the reverse scenario has been observed (and caught on camera).
The photographs were taken by Hal Brindley, an American wildlife photographer, who saw the leopard running out of cover provided by scrub and bushes to surprise the crocodile, which was swimming nearby. A terrible and bloody struggle ensued., as you can easly observe in the pictures. The leopard drag the crocodile from the water as the reptile fought back. With the crocodile snapping its powerful jaws furiously, the two animals somersaulted and grappled. Despite the crocodile's huge weight and strength, the leopard had the upper hand catching its prey by the throat.
Eventually the big cat was able to sit on top of the reptile and suffocate it.
All the rangers of the game reserve said that they never heard about a leopard killing a crocodile.

Click here to see the whole 34-shots sequence of the fight, on Hal Brindley's website.

Leopard versus crocodile
Photos by Hal Brindley
click to enlarge

Comments

4 Response to 'Leopard vs Crocodile: the unexpected winner'

  1. Anonymous
    http://seawayblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/leopard-vs-crocodile-unexpected-winner.html?showComment=1266788092849#c8896388082604433480'> February 21, 2010 at 10:34 PM

    I don't believe it's supposed to be the first time something like that happens. I guess that if the crocodile is not big enough, and they're far enough from the water, that must be a fairly common result. However uncommon may be this exact encounter. I recall having watched the same happening on video, although might have been a jaguar and a caiman.

    Not that the other result would be surprising or unexpected, anyway, I hate all those "my favorite animal kicks your favorite animal's ass" debates on youtube, it's reasonably balanced, if the croc is not immense, and if it does not catch the leopard by surprise, as they usually do with gazelles, zebras and other animals.

     

  2. Anonymous
    http://seawayblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/leopard-vs-crocodile-unexpected-winner.html?showComment=1283122888965#c3365064452991408847'> August 30, 2010 at 1:01 AM

    did the croc die than

     

  3. Anonymous
    http://seawayblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/leopard-vs-crocodile-unexpected-winner.html?showComment=1353213541829#c2876981651626150587'> November 18, 2012 at 5:39 AM

    here in africa such happen frequently,many crocs are bin dragd from water by hungry leopards

     

  4. Anonymous
    http://seawayblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/leopard-vs-crocodile-unexpected-winner.html?showComment=1366377107574#c6844372803900801891'> April 19, 2013 at 3:11 PM

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