Inherited traits are behaviors that are passed on from generation to generation that can sometimes help to protect young offspring, like it did in this wild animal encounter video.
The interaction between the big leopard and the tiny baby goose took place at the Serondella Game Lodge in Hoedspruit, South Africa. A tour group was riding along the dry riverbed that the area is known for when it came upon a leopard and its cub laying near the path.
Benji Solms, one of the tour guides at the South African Lodge, managed to get the camera rolling in order to capture the game of “cat and goose” that eventually played out.
The two big cats (I guess one is a little, big cat) had been chowing down on a kill when a group of goslings ran out into the open and then into a nearby thicket.
The cub didn’t seem to recognize the baby geese because it was too busy playing in the sand, but the bigger leopard did keep an eye on the gosling group.
The goslings had no idea that they had put themselves in danger being near the leopard and its cub. Luckily, most of them went into the cover of the dense brush, but one baby goose ended up coming back out, and the hunt was on.
At first, the leopard just observed the small bird as it clumsily made its way through the dips in the sand. The baby goose, either having not seen the big cat or simply not thinking anything of it, just continued to waddle around near the leopard.
Then the leopard went after the bird, with the caption of the video from the point of view of the tour guide explaining the situation:
“The gosling was able to use our vehicle as some cover and went under the vehicle. However, as soon as it came out from under the leopard, it caught it and ran off with it.
The smart little bird played dead, and that’s when the leopard let it go. But as soon as it ran off again, the leopard pounced and once again caught it!”
Going limp was really the only choice the baby bird had, and it was a relatively smart idea. Parts of the footage make it look like the leopard is handling the gosling roughly, but the small goose somehow managed to stay calm and collected throughout.
The guide continued to explain the encounter:
“The leopard then took its prize up into a nearby tree, and we all thought it was the end for the little bird. Playing dead still, the gosling found itself up a tree and helpless.
But luck truly was on this little one’s side, and he fell out of the tree. The gosling still playing dead, lying on the ground, hoping it will put the leopard off.”
The leopard made its way back to the small bird laying “lifeless” in the sand and continued to aggressively paw it and nudge the small bird with its sharp teeth.
However, the leopard eventually loses interest and becomes distracted, and the baby goose knows this is its chance to return to the group of goslings.
The description adds:
“Seizing the moment, the gosling took a chance and ran towards the thick bushes where its siblings were hiding.
Disappearing into the dense bush, the gosling successfully escaped the leopard, leaving the predator unable to locate it again.”
Way to go little baby bird. The maturity and intelligence level of this goose is through the roof. Once it runs (or quickly waddles) away, the leopard’s jaw literally dropped, mystified that it was just outsmarted by the baby bird.
Take a look:
