Spotted! Photographer captures pair of leopard cubs playfighting while their mother is away hunting
- Two leopard cubs were caught playing on camera at Mashatu Game Reserve
- Photographer Janet Kleyn, 53, waited five days to take pictures of the cubs
- The pair wrestled and clawed at one another while their mother was on the hunt
A pair of cheeky leopard cubs were caught in action at the Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana.
The images were captured by wildlife photographer Janet Kleyn, 53, as she watched the cubs play with one another while their mother was out hunting.
Kleyn had waited five days to catch them in action as she was ‘aware there were two cubs in a den in the area.’
The cubs began circling around one another with one becoming more aggressive as they bit the other’s tail.
The pair then moved to a log where they began wrestling one another which included more biting and some clawing.
Leopard cubs often will practice stalking and hunting prey so they can learn how to fend for themselves when they are on their own.
A pair of leopard cubs were captured playing together while their mother was on the hunt at the Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana
The leopard cubs were seen circling each other in preparation
One leopard cub began aggressively biting the tail of the other
The cubs then moved to a log where they began wrestling one another
The cubs were captured biting and pawing at each other during their playful exchange
They then began chasing one another up a tree where they showed off their impressive jumping skills.
Leopards are known for their incredible jumping skills and can up to 6 metres in one leap.
The cubs chased after one another as they climbed up a tree with impressive speed
A leopard can jump up to impressive heights of 3 metres vertically and 6 metres horizontally
The end of the shoot had yet another capture of the pair playfully wrestling on the ground.
It is not long before until these well-prepared cubs will be able to join their mother on the hunt and begin to fend for themselves.
The mother is left to hunt for their cubs on their own for the first 12 weeks after the cubs are born.
The pair ended the shoot with a final scrimmage on the ground
Leopard cubs often fight with another in order to prepare themselves for hunting their prey
The mother is left to hunt for the cubs on her own for the first 12 weeks after the cubs are born
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