Watch Leopard Lose Brawl to 50 Baboons After Failed Attack

Unbelievable footage shows a pack of baboons attacking a leopard after it attempts to make a meal out of one of the primates.

Two separate angles of the intense brawl were captured by sightseers in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. They'd come to a common resting spot for lunch when a leopard was spotted skulking on the shoulder of the highway, almost entirely camouflaged by its desert surroundings. In the first clip, we see a massive tribe of baboons milling about the road up ahead. The leopard crawls through the grass towards the group, then suddenly makes its strike. 

Before the leopard even jumps, the baboons seem alerted to its presence. They take off down the road, but the leopard is able to intercept one.

The second video, recorded by pianist Merve Mersinligil, shows a close-up view of events. “The charge was led by what looked like the dominant male [baboon],” Mersinligil told The New York Post. “He jumped the leopard almost like a rugby tackle, biting, hitting, and shouting like there was no tomorrow.”

At first the leopard is able to pin the baboon, but quickly more and more simians pile on top of him. The leopard is turned onto his back as the baboons unleash of fury of hits. Struggling to regain any semblance of dominance, the leopard rights itself and quickly flees into the brush. The baboons chase after it, watching to make sure it leaves for good. Even after the predator has disappeared, the baboons stand on high alert to ensure the threat has passed.

The counteroffensive mounted by the baboons was a major win for their species. The primates are preferred dining for leopards, though because baboons can be so wily it's often only the younger simians that fall prey.