Tanzania Seemingly disturbed by a leopard carrying its prey up a tree, the black-necked spitting cobra reared its head and attacked fiercely.
Leopard abandons prey after being attacked by cobra. Video: andBeyond
The encounter between a leopard and a black-necked spitting cobra was caught on camera by Caitlin Davini during a trip to Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Earth Touch News reported on December 21. The leopard dragged the zebra carcass it had hunted up to the top of a tree, which apparently did not please the cobra.
Leopards ( Panthera pardus ) are among the big cats that live in Africa and Asia and are very good climbers. They can lie on tree branches to nap, escape to the treetops when threatened, and also often hide their prey up there, out of reach of other predators.
In the video, the cobra lies next to the zebra carcass and attacks the leopard with its head raised and neck bulging. The leopard moves nimbly between branches but is unable to reach its prey. After the brief confrontation, the leopard appears to have been stung in the face. It dodges the snake before jumping to safety on another branch.
The black-necked spitting cobra ( Naja nigricollis ) is found throughout the savannas and semi-deserts of sub-Saharan Africa. They are excellent climbers, often hiding in crevices in tree trunks or slithering along branches in search of food. However, half-eaten zebra carcasses are not on their menu. Instead, they typically feed on rodents, birds, frogs, lizards, and other snakes.
The black-necked spitting cobra has a powerful venom that causes cell damage. Like other spitting cobras, they can release venom from their fangs when threatened. This behavior usually occurs after they have expanded their necks as a warning to their attackers to stay away.
It’s likely that the snake in the video wasn’t really interested in the zebra carcass, but was simply disturbed by the leopard’s presence. The big cat also didn’t seem to be in the mood to wrestle with an angry venomous snake. It deftly evaded the snake, and will likely return to its meal after the cobra has left.
Thu Thao (According to Earth Touch News )
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