Prologue

In the scorching noon heat of Wilpattu, a herd of wild buffaloes had cooled off in the water. A leopard suddenly emerged from the forest and made a move for one of the calves. Almost immediately, the adult buffaloes noticed the threat. They rose from the water and turned towards the leopard. What followed was an extraordinary display of the adults protecting their young.

Act I – The Leopard has a plan

It was noon, it was hot, and I was hungry. Not desperately hungry, you understand. I am a leopard. We are professionals. We don't panic about these things. We observe. We wait. We choose our moment. And then I spotted them. Buffaloes.

A whole herd gathered around a lake, with several adults cooling themselves in the water. But then I noticed something rather more interesting. Two calves. Now, I'm not saying I had already decided what I was having for lunch. But I had definitely started thinking about it. I slipped quietly out of the forest and began moving towards them. Perfect. The adults were distracted. The calves were smaller. The heat was keeping everyone rather sleepy. This was going to be easy. Then… one of the buffaloes looked up. We made eye contact. I stopped. The buffalo stood up. Then another one stood up. Then another. Suddenly, my nice, quiet lunch had turned into a meeting. And apparently, I was the agenda. The adults slowly turned towards me. I looked at them. They looked at me. I looked at the calves. Then I looked back at the adults. There were quite a few of them. And they had horns. Very large horns. I am a leopard. I am fast, agile and very good at climbing trees. I am also quite attached to having all four legs working properly! So I did what any sensible professional predator would do. I reconsidered my business strategy.

Act II – The Buffaloes have a better one

The leopard started walking towards us. So we did what any responsible buffalo parents would do. We stood up. The leopard stopped. We kept looking at it. It took a few steps backwards. We took a few steps forwards. It took a few more steps towards the forest. We took a few more steps towards it. At this point, I think we had reached an understanding. We were saying, "Those are our babies." The leopard was thinking, "Yes. I have noticed." Now, I don't want to sound boastful, but we buffaloes are rather large animals. We have horns. We have muscle. And when several of us decide to move in the same direction, it can be quite persuasive. The leopard, meanwhile, has four legs, sharp claws and an excellent reputation as a hunter. But even a leopard knows that there are some arguments you simply shouldn't get involved in. One charge from an angry buffalo could leave it seriously injured. And a leopard with an injured leg is going to have a rather difficult time catching dinner. So, slowly, the leopard backed away towards the forest. We watched it go. I like to think it was a moment of mutual respect. Although, between you and me, I think it was mostly common sense. The leopard would find another meal. And our calves would stay right where they belonged. With us. Safe, sound and definitely not on the lunch menu.

Epiclogue

That extraordinary encounter at Wilpattu wasn't really about a leopard being afraid of buffaloes. It was about both sides making sensible decisions. The buffaloes protected their young by standing together. The leopard protected itself by recognising that the potential meal simply wasn't worth the risk. In the wilderness, knowing when to fight is important. Knowing when to walk away? Even more important.

Especially when lunch has bodyguards.

Sometimes, the most memorable wildlife encounters are the ones that don't end with a kill. Guests staying at the Mahoora Tented Safari Camp in Wilpattu witnessed this remarkable moment during an afternoon safari. The image was captured by a Mahoora Naturalist.