In a heartbreaking moment captured on camera, a baby monkey was seen clinging desperately to its mother as they were attacked by a leopard. This sighting took place in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. 23-year old, wildlife photographer Shafeeq Mulla shares this unbelievable tale:
“My friends and I, along with our guide had planned a long trip just to search for this leopard, called Olimba, hoping to see her in action. We went out early one morning searching for the same leopard who had an unsuccessful hunt the day before.”
A rare sight was in store for them
This time when they found her, they noticed she had ᴋɪʟʟᴇԀ a female vervet monkey and was carrying it in her mouth. However, something else caught their attention:
The video shows the mother monkey attempting to fend off the leopard while the baby monkey clings tightly to her. Despite her efforts, the mother monkey is eventually overpowered by the leopard, leaving the baby monkey alone and vulnerable.
The monkey’s baby, which was still hanging on for dear life. But where was it hanging? It was clinging to its mother’s ԀᴇɑԀ body, which was being carried away by Olimba in her jaws.
The tourists, who were deeply affected by the tragic turn of events, immediately notified local wildlife authorities, who launched a search and rescue mission to find the baby monkey.
After an intensive search, the baby monkey was eventually located and safely rescued. Although it had suffered some injuries, it was found to be in stable condition and was quickly taken to a nearby wildlife sanctuary for treatment and rehabilitation.
As for the baby monkey, it has been given a second chance at life, thanks to the quick thinking and compassionate actions of the tourists and wildlife authorities. With proper care and treatment, it is hoped that the young primate will one day be able to return to the wild and live a long and healthy life, free from the dangers and uncertainties of the wilderness.
A desperate baby monkey clings to its mother as they are attacked by a leopard
“This leopard is quite old and has a young cub named Tattoo. A documentary has also been made on her and is called The Leopard Legacy on NatGeo. Olimba carried the ԀᴇɑԀ vervet monkey and her baby back to her young cub. Sadly in the end – the baby monkey was also ᴋɪʟʟᴇԀ by the leopard’s cub after playing with it for a few minutes.”
Newspaper Amur
Up to this point, the Amur leopard is the most endangered animal. According to estimates by scientists, this species is currently only about 57 individuals living in the wild in Northeast Asia.
Due to their beautiful thick fur and high prices, they are always the focus of poachers. In addition, illegal logging from the 1970s to the present, plus large forest fires are also making the habitat of Amur leopards increasingly narrow.
Besides, carrying unique genotypes also makes this animal very difficult to live in captivity. Therefore, the population growth of Amur leopards by artificial insemination has not yet been successful and makes them step towards the brink of extinction.
