Some visitors to the Satara Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park (KNP) experienced a rare African moment, watching a roaming leopard kill an impala inside the camp on May 9.

To make this sighting even more memorable, those who were lucky enough to be awake, saw the feeding leopard being chased away by a pack of hyenas.

Eyewitness Lenie Pretorius says she had woken up at about 01:00 when she heard a strange sound not far from her canopy.

“As I approached the sound, three hyenas were chasing a feeding leopard from an impala carcase. After it had run off and disappeared in the bushes, the hyenas fed on the unfortunate buck, and then dragged the skin and the head into the bushes,” she says.

Despite the danger of the situation, Pretorius says it was a unique experience. “I watched the hyenas eat the entire impala until only the head was left. Many people visit the area often, but have never come across anything like this. No one was injured as the leopard and the hyenas were so focused on their prey, they did not attack anyone.”

The spokesperson for the KNP, Isaac Phaahla, assures overnight visitors of safety measures in the park.

However, most were not even aware of the incident.

“The KNP is a wild area and we do our level best to keep animals away from rest camps. We are relieved that no human contact was made. Several conditions make it impossible to have a 100% secure fence. Leopards can use a tree or culvert and with load-shedding, electric fences around camps might not have been activated,” he says.

Phaahla adds that the KNP puts visitor safety first, but stressed that it was also the responsibility of guests to stay in safe areas and avoid walking around at night.