On a safari at the Serondella Game Lodge in Kruger National Park, South Africa, a brave little duckling displayed extraordinary courage and luck when it walked up to a female leopard and miraculously escaped not once but twice!
The thrilling encounter was captured on video by Benji Solms, a guide at the lodge, who shared the incredible footage with us.
The safari group had been observing a female leopard and her playful cub at the riverbank when a few goslings unwittingly approached the dangerous predators.
“The cub noticed the movement, but luckily, the goslings found refuge in thicker bushes,” wrote Solms. However, one gosling ventured out into the open, catching the leopard’s attention.
When the gosling noticed the large predator, it tried to flee, seeking safety under the safari vehicle. Despite trying to hide, the leopard caught the gosling and carried it away.
However, the quick-witted bird had a clever trick up its sleeve. It played dead, a tactic that worked as the leopard released its grip.
Seizing the opportunity, the gosling dashed away, hoping for a chance to reunite with its siblings. But the leopard wasn’t ready to give up.
It swiftly pounced again, grabbing the gosling for a second time. The odds seemed dire for the gosling at this point, and the leopard carried its “prize” up a nearby tree.
The little bird, still playing dead, found itself helpless up the tree but miraculously, luck was on its side. It fell from the tree, and with quick thinking, it continued its act, lying motionless on the ground, hoping to deceive the leopard.
To everyone’s surprise, the leopard remained in the tree, intently observing the gosling. Seizing this moment of distraction, the brave bird took a daring chance. It sprinted towards the safety of the thick bushes, where its siblings were hiding.
In the end, the intelligent and fortunate gosling successfully outwitted the leopard, escaping its clutches not once but twice. What a stroke of luck for this incredible little survivor!
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