The lioness and the leopard showed their strength by doing a face-off on a tree that captured the views of the world. Shown in a video captured by Lota Simon Kilevo circulating through Instagram, this dramatic confrontation shows the furious fight between these two apex predators over the bite of a meal.
The whole incident happened high up in the treetops, where it seemed the lioness had scaled up to take the leopard's food. The video shows both animals were remarkably strong and agile, and the lioness was apparently the winner in the skirmish. But then the fight intensified, and the weight of the two powerful cats became more than they could bear on the branch they were sitting upon. Then the branch broke, and both animals plummeted to the ground below.
The footage has been viewed more than 900,000 times and has sparked a firestorm of social media reactions. This unexpected showdown amazed and amused viewers. First one user commented about how absurd it was that a dog could one-up a leopard, and second one user joked about how we keep being surprised by things like this in nature.
And while both are fierce competitors, this also highlights how lions and leopards in particular are so uniquely adapted to their domain: lions are generally considered kings of their domain and are known for their climbing prowess. The unexpected flow from the tree as this great conflict reached its climax only served to add drama to its already incredible theatrical setpiece.
It’s a reminder of the raw power and savage rivalries of the animal kingdom that wildlife defenders are sharing and chatting about as events unfold.
